San Diego State University
                                       Library and Information Access

"NRA Packages," a mural painted in 1936 by Genevieve Burgeson Bredo, and for many years thought lost, has been restored and will be on display at the foot of the Dome's stairs in the near future. The mural was discovered in 2004 behind ceiling tiles in Hardy Tower, which was part of the university's first library. Painted in a variety of media, it portrays three men unloading National Recovery Act packages from a van near San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood. Conservation of the mural was a joint project of Seth Mallios, chair of the SDSU anthropology department, and the library. The restoration and reinstallation of the mural was made possible through generous donations from the Friends of the SDSU Library, the Parker Foundation and President Stephen Weber's Leadership Fund. A second, larger mural, George Sorenson's "San Diego Industry," remains in Hardy Tower. This mural depicts the successive stages of tuna fishing and canning, along with the multi-ethnic work force involved in that industry. The library hopes to remove, restore and relocate this mural in 2008 if funding is secured. Please contact the library's development assistant at (619) 594-1642 if you would like to contribute to this project.

"Snapshot of an Era: Uncovering Our New Deal Past," a major exhibit exploring the genesis of the university campus and the development of San Diego during the New Deal, is on display through May 2008 in the library's Reference Services, Donor Hall, and Special Collections and University Archives. Using archival photographs, institutional records, memorabilia and other primary resources, the exhibit highlights the impact of government programs, including the Works Progress Administration, on the physical campus environment and on student life during the 1930s. This exhibit is in conjunction with the installation of the restored Depression-era mural "NRA Packages." Please call (619) 594-6791 for more information.