Long Hunters Discover Daniel Boone by Edward Laning, 1942
Edward Lanings mural Long Hunters Discover Daniel Boone was commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is located in The William H. Natcher Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Bowling Green, Kentucky and depicts Kentucky’s legendary colonizer and explorer Daniel Boone (1734-1820). His companions in frontier adventures were the Long Hunters, a group of hunters and trappers who traveled from the American colonies into the western territories on hunting trips that lasted for many months. This mural illustrates the folklore of the Long Hunters discovering Daniel Boone in the wilderness while he was singing a duet with a cardinal, the state bird of Kentucky. McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory’s Conservator of Paintings, Murals, and Polychromed Surfaces Stefan Dedecek recently completed the Edward Laning mural conservation treatment.
About the Artist:
Edward Laning was born April 26, 1906 in Petersburg, IL; lived in Kansas City, MO, and New York City where he died. During World War II he was an artist-correspondent for Life magazine and received a Purple Heart during his tour in Italy. While employed by the WPA, Laning created several extraordinary murals, most notably those for the Dining Room on Ellis Island and the New York Public Library.