FALL RIVER AND THE FEDERAL ARTS PROJECT OF THE WPA

In 1936, the WPA sanctioned the petition of Mr. John Mann to paint murals for the walls of the auditorium of BMC Durfee High School on Rock Street. He studied the history of the city and after four months of intense research began to paint a chronological history of Fall River. Working alone, Mann could choose the subjects at his own discretion. There are three sets of murals, each depicting a different era in history. The first set deals with the city’s Indian history and consists of six panels. The history of FR, revolving around the Revolutionary War and Civil War is featured in the second set of panels.

FALL RIVER AND THE FEDERAL ARTS PROJECT OF THE WPA The third set of panels brings the history of FR in the 1930s as they depict FR’s cotton mills. In all the murals, Mann used live models. In 1940, Mann completed the final mural which portrays workers in a modern cotton mill.