It was 49 years ago when the Saturday Evening Post featured a painting of a Batavia scene on its cover.
To mark that anniversary, Batavia Public Library officials on Thursday unveiled a large-scale version of the cover painting, a 68-by-82-inch computer-generated blowup of John Philip Falter’s work, “Fox River Ice-Skating.” It will occupy an alcove near the reference desk.
A copy of the magazine cover, an issue of Newsweek magazine featuring Falter’s career and the original painting, which is owned by the Batavia Woman’s Club, will be dislplayed in a cabinet beneath the mural.
The mural cost about $1,100 and the display cabinet cost $5,263, said library spokeswoman Michelle Martzel.
“The painting is part of Batavia’s history,” said Library Director George Scheetz about the work, which shows several Batavia residents skating on Depot Pond. “Many Batavians have a print of `Fox River Ice-Skating’ displayed in their homes. It colorfully depicts nature’s beauty, family and community togetherness and the joy of a favorite recreation.”