ClassicalHS1958.org

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: November 11, 2010 marks the 100 year anniversary of the unveiling of Robert Reid's mural in the assembly hall of Central High School before a gathering of 1200 alumni, citizens and students. Guy Kirkham, President of the Alumni Association, introduced former principals Dr. Fred W. Atkinson and Dr. William Orr, and current Principal, William C. Hill who spoke about the origins and history of the project. Kirkham introduced, three-year-old, Edith Pynchon, a lineal descendant of William Pynchon, founder of Springfield, portrayed in the mural. Edith stepped forward with her father, and in a moment of intense silence, she pulled the cord to loosen the fastening which had kept the painting hidden from view. After a long burst of applause, the student chorus sang. Closing remarks were given by Superintendent of Schools, Wilber F. Gordy and Mayor Edward H. Lathrop who, in addressing the students, said the mural "would exist forever as their heritage." Please join in the effort to return the mural to public view.

Why Restore the Mural?

• Robert Lewis Reid’s Light of Education is a unique historical treasure.

• The Light of Education was commissioned by and for Springfield Central High School to reinforce

the importance of education. It was installed and unveiled in November, 1910.

• Reid's surviving murals are located at the Massachusetts State House, The Thomas Jefferson

Building of The Library of Congress, The Appellate Courthouse of the New York State Supreme

Court, and The Church of St. Paul The Apostle, New York City.

• The project, including insurance, is budgeted at $100,000, a significant return on investment

considering the value of the mural, when restored, has been estimated at between $1.5 and $2 million.

To make a donation, send your check made payable to: SCCCA/CHS Mural Restoration   Send to: Anthony (Tony) Pellegrino, 2357 Wilbraham Road, Springfield MA 01129-1837. Donations are tax-exempt.   Please indicate if you do not want your name included on the donor recognition plaque.   It is important to fill out the information below, so we can send you necessary documentation of your gift.
Name: __________________________________________Class of: _____________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________
City: _____________________________________ State: _______________ Zip Code: ___________________
Phone: __________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________
Please complete if your gift is in honor of or in memory of someone else.
Donation in Memory/Honor of: ________________________________________Class of:___________________
Address of family or named recipient. We will send an acknowledgment to them in your name.
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Editorials »

Editorial: Shedding light on Springfield's million dollar mural

By The Republican Editorials

March 03, 2010, 12:42AM

se 96 beat.jpg A restoration effort for the mural "Light of Education" by Robert Lewis Reid is planned by alumni of the old Classical High School in Springfield.

Springfield Classical High School’s Class of 1958 has earned a belated A in art appreciation for their efforts to find and restore a 19th century mural that once adorned the school’s auditorium.

The celestial-looking mural by noted American Impressionist painter Robert Lewis Reid, which depicts Springfield founder William Pynchon and other colonial figures, was put into storage when Classical was converted into condominiums more than 20 years ago.

The work, now estimated to be worth $1.5 million, had been gathering dust behind a stage curtain at Forest Park Middle School until the Classical alumni brought it to light.

To mark their 50th reunion, the alumni of the former downtown school spearheaded a drive to raise the $100,000 it will take to restore the mural to its formal glory. The committee, which is halfway to its goal, received a $10,000 assist on Monday from MassMutual Financial Group.

Springfield owes a debt of gratitude to the Classical alumni and MassMutual for recognizing the importance of the Reid mural. The artist’s work can be found in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and the Library of Congress. And three of his panels – “James Otis Delivering his Speech against the Writs of Assistance,” “Paul Revere’s Ride” and the “Boston Tea Party” – grace the Massachusetts Statehouse.

The restoration of Reid’s mural – called “Light of Education” – by Gianfranco Pocobene, a conservator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, is expected to be completed in about six months. It will then be placed at the Central Library, which is directly across the street from Classical condominiums – a particularly fitting home.

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