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  John Smeraldi (as he was known) specialized in Italian Renaissance revival painting and design, painted the ceiling of the Mural Room, the two original courtrooms and many other ceilings in the courthouse. He was born in Palermo, Italy and immigrated to the United States 1889. He is credited with painting the Blue Room in the White House.


Ceiling in an original courtroom

The repetitive patterns were applied to the beams by traditional painting techniques of cartooning. Cartooning is the method of lightly drawing the pattern on the surface, then applying the dutch-metal to that pattern.

Upper Wall: Hall of Records Column: Hall of Records Ceiling: Anacapa Arch
     


Outer Doors to Mural Room


Mural Room Lobby Detail

 

 
  Photo of the Blue Room.
Blue Room: The White House		      

 
     


 

 

  
  

This page updated on: Thursday July 22, 2004
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