Submitted by Michael J. Honeywell
I love the Capitol tour; it’s a great piece of Jefferson City history. In fact, I make it a point to take my family for a visit every year. My favorite part is the stop in the House Lounge. It features an amazing mural by Thomas Hart Benton. It is called A Social History of Missouri.
The mural is one of Benton’s most famous. It features vivid scenes of the Civil War, early St. Louis and Kansas City, the legend of Jessie James and a story of murder about Frankie and Johnny.
After doing a little research, I discovered that Benton was paid $16,000 by the Missouri Legislature to paint this mural in the Missouri State Capital. It has recently been valued at more than $10 million.
This makes me wonder: If the mural was ever sold, how would they move this piece of history out of Jefferson City?
