Painting of UA’s First Campus to be Unveiled Nov. 8

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.  — A painting of The University of Alabama’s 1831-32 campus by artist and historian Dean Mosher will be unveiled at the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library in the Pearce Grand Foyer Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m.

The epic 6’ x 14’9” canvas puts viewers near the center of the present-day Quad to recreate in near-perfect detail what they would have seen in the early 1830s.

Mosher worked for over a year with leading authorities including Dr. Paul Kapp, director of the Historic Preservation Program and associate professor at the School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Dr. Craig Sheldon, professor emeritus of archaeology, Auburn University at Montgomery; David Hale, a Global Positioning System expert; and Creighton “Peco” Forsman, model maker, to meticulously recreate and rediscover the University’s first campus.

The painting “The Birth of Alabama’s First Great University: The University of Alabama’s First Campus Circa 1831-32” will be dedicated by Mosher in honor of Dr. Judy Bonner, who served as president of The University of Alabama from 2012-2015.

Also on display will be eight models created by Forsman. The scaled models include the President’s Mansion, the Rotunda, the Lyceum, faculty residences, dormitories, and the Gorgas House.

Mosher’s epic historic paintings are located in several museums including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Naval Academy, and the University of Virginia.

Mosher lives and works in his hand-built castle home and studio in Fairhope.

A painting of UA’s President’s Mansion by the artist Nall will be unveiled Monday, Nov. 9. This painting commemorates the 175th anniversary of the mansion.