Gerald Thurman traveled to Phoenix in November, 2006 to document these murals. They cover the exterior walls on three sides of a former meat processing plant. The Clougherty Meat Packing Plant created the Farmer John brand in 1953 and hired the Australian-born artist Leslie Grimes to paint farm scenes on the sides of their buildings in the 1960s. An interesting side note is that this company also created the legendary foot-long Los Angeles "Dodger Dogs" and still sells over 400 million pounds of pork each year.

Leslie Grimes was also a scenery painter at the Fox and Charlie Chaplin movie studios in the early 1930s.

More photos can be seen here, and these snapshots of the mural at the Vernon, California plant include a rather interesting depiction of a farmer's maid.

Location: 222 S. 9th Ave. (the northwest corner of S. 9th Ave. and W. Jackson St.) Phoenix, AZ 85007 (East of I-10)

If you go: the building is located in a slightly run-down area and you should be alert for possible criminal activity in the immediate area.

[Map]


More photos:

Photographed by Gerald Thurman, 11/17/06
Posted on RoadTrip America 01/07