Does anyone remember those hideous murals?

by Country Girl 19 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Country Girl

  From around 1964, until our congregation had a new Kingdom Hall built in the mid-70's or so, we had this mural behind the speaker's platform on the stage. It was supposed to be Paradise. It had a nice range of mountains, a beautiful lake, and some flora and fauna in the foreground. It actually, I believe, was a photograph that had been superimposed on a canvas and then glued to a wood sheet. I remember just sitting there, staring at it, and trying to superimpose my own images on it, while the speaker droned on and on.

  When I was a little kid, I'd imagine all these wild animals walking around, and me right in the middle petting them and feeding them. Then as I got older, I thought of nekkid JW's in the congregation galavanting around in the photo, and brought myself near to tears from stifling laughter. If anything, being a JW inspired a rich fantasy life.. hehehe. Nothing *else* to do while hearing the same information you heard for the last million years.

  Anyone else remember these dumb murals? Any games you made up, as a kid or an adult, to while away the time? I ended up counting the pieces of texture on the walls next to my chair (when I sat near the wall) and wondering what each piece looked like. I found a particularly cozy spot in the back left corner, where the pieces of texture emanating from the walls looked like President Nixon and Kennedy.. and there was some animals and stuff. It was my favorite place to sit.

  I also had this friend at the KH that his parents used to sit down the row from us. We'd each poke our heads forward, stare at each other, and burst into silent giggles. We'd recover and then do it again. Guess I wasn't the ONLY bored one. Wonder whatever happened to that kid. Strange game, but it was fun. You had to be there.

  CG
• 

  franklin J

  Yes,

  In the Huntington, New York congregation in the 1970s ( I left in the early 80s) they had a really bad mural painted behind the platform. It was birch trees with a mountain range behind and a small stream running in front. The colors; the proportions and the lighting were all WRONG. It used to drive me crazy to look at it. It was most likely painted in an acrylic medium. The chairs were black molded plastic and the rug was orange shag, and there were no windows in the space ( cut down on vandalism) . UGGH ! Really bad interior environment!

  But that mural really got first prize for "bad taste".
• 

  desib77

  I remember the mural at our KH growing up. I believe we first had some sort of ugly trees but the whole thing was done in browns. Then they had an artist that was in our cong. paint a waterfall scene...Actually, it was gorgeous. It was my oasis during the meetings.....had to pay attention to something.
• 

  Emma

  I never was in a cong. that actually had one, though I do remember seeing them when visiting.

  What about the banners with the year's text. How much is that dating me?

  Emma
• 

  blondie

  One of the congregation's I attended had a very nice mural. It still prevails through 2 remodelings. The artist though has dropped by the wayside so it is a touchy subject when new people ask about the artist.

  The best view I ever saw was a KH that had a view of the mountains (a window) behind the platform. They finally covered it over with curtains because it was "distracting."

  Blondie
• 

  uriah

  We had one in a kent cong. Most kids and probably adults used to look at it to kill time and try to ease the boredom. It was eventually painted over. We also had a score board - I never understood, then, what it was all about but I do remember some brother pasting numbers on it. Then there ws the map with litle pins in it denoting 'active', 'lapsed', 'disfellowshipped' etc. Then there was the drawing of battles on the cover of the old style watchtower - that had a watchtower on the front and putting a little flag on the mountain and blokes falling off the top of the tower, not to mention the speech bubbles on the line drawings.
• 

  Puternut

  These stupid murals were always out of perspective. Now, the put those pictures in some of their literature, and they are STILL out of perspective.

  Puternut
• 

  Lady Lee

  The St. Laurent/Acadie (Montreal) cong had one in their hall. It had been painted by a brother (elder) who was a wonderful artist. It certainly gave me somewhere to disappear to during those meetings.

  It was painted over shortly after he died and I was furious. They said they got rid of it because he wasn't there to touch it up anymore.
• 

  LukeN

  to tell you the truth i sorta of liked the paintings in the hall
• 

  Elsewhere

  Then as I got older, I thought of nekkid JW's in the congregation galavanting around in the photo, and brought myself near to tears from stifling laughter

  Do you realize that there is probably an insecure elder out there who to this day has nightmares of you laughing your ass off at him while he gives a talk that never ends?