Tue, 18 Feb 2025
David McShane's mural with 18 Franks, revealed
Yesterday I offered Gentle Readers a chance to identify the 18 famous Franks in David McShane's mural.
- Benjamin Franklin
- Frankie Avalon
- Detail of ornament from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts building, designed by architect Frank Furness
- A frankfurter
- Aretha Franklin
I did not recognize the PAFA architectural detail myself, I had to find out from the Mural Arts website. I have sometimes looked for this detail on the PAFA building, but I have never found it.
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Major Frank Burns, as played by Larry Linville
- Frank “Tug” McGraw
- French 20-centime coin, representing the Franc
- Frank Oz
- Frank Perdue
I think these pictures might be so old that they predate the European currency union.
- Frank Sinatra
- Frank Morgan, in his role as the Wizard from The Wizard of Oz. (The book was written by L. Frank Baum.)
- St. Francis of Assisi, with bird friend. The model is the artist's brother Frank.
Not depicted: Frank Rizzo, who is burning in Hell.
I was certain that Tim Curry was there somewhere, in his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, but if he ever was I can't find any evidence of it. I even emailed the muralist, who confirmed that Frank-N-Furter had never been there. Still, he is in all our hearts, forever.
The mural was restored in 2015, at which time two more figures were added:
- Pope Francis, who had visited the city that year, and
- Frank Sherlock, noted poet and longtime employee at Dirty Frank's
My pictures are at least that old.
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