Several very cool murals adorn a curved interior wall at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. I particularly like this one. It was painted beneath the older and much larger March of Transportation mural.
I’m not sure if it has an official title–it’s described as a pre-World War I scenic mural…depicting an imaginary airfield in France, about the time of the first great aerial races and daring exhibitions… It was painted in March, 1984 by New Zealand pilot and artist-designer Jon Francis Petrie.
In the mural, words painted on an observation tower indicate: ROUEN Aérodrome La Grande Exposition d’AVIATION 1910.
I’ve tried to search for biographical info on the artist, but to no avail, except that he was born in 1940. Perhaps someone who is knowledgeable can leave a comment.
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Hi! I don’t know artist Jon F Petrie personally but my parents and grandparents knew him. He painted a mural in my grandparents house which is in middle of nowhere, North Carolina. My mom was recently cleaning out some boxes in storage and came across some prints of his artwork from the 80s and she said that he had moved up from Florida and lived with my grandparents while painting the mural. She gave me the prints and Ive been trying to find out more about him online. That’s how I stumbled across your blog post. I cant find much about him.
I’m afraid I don’t know too much, either. Thanks for your interesting and informative comment!
Hello.
I was friends with Jon Francis Petrie, muralist extraordinaire, from his first 1984 effort mentioned here, plus two other installations at the Aerospace Museum… until his passing April 2011, at Christchurch, NZ. He was 79. I’m happy to report, all three San Diego murals survive.
He was a pilot, an artist, and thought nothing of touring all of Europe on a rickety bicycle for a year… only stopping long enough to buy paint and brushes, bum a spare room to lay his head, mooch a few free meals… whenever he could find a kindred spirit to finance yet another JFP mural. They exist, I’d wager, in every country of Jon’s incredible wanderings. (Would love to see photos of his NC masterpiece in your grandparent’s home.) ❤️