Traveler (1993) by Terry Schoonhoven

DESCRIPTION: 10-foot high by 26-foot wide terra-cotta and ceramic tile mural
Schoonhoven (1945-2001) merged historic and contemporary images in this "time travel" mural with trompe l'œil elements. The mural includes a shipwrecked 1750 Spanish galleon, a covered wagon in front of Pico House and the old city hall, Olvera Street, a backpacker (Schoonhoven's signature self-portrait, as in many of his works), and a classic image of actress Carole Lombard (seated on suitcase).
Carol Lombard image: Schoonhoven chose to emulate a classic Lombard image (below) taken by Otto Dyer. Shown poised on her suitcase, Schoonhoven omits the cigarette from her hand but leaves her fingers suggesting its presence. Lombard suffered an early death at the age of 33 in a plane crash on January 16, 1942 while en route from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
Artist's Statement: "I had been interested in doing a mural about time travel since I arrived in Los Angeles—probably because it seemed so difficult to perceive the history of the City. For me the mural is a time machine, the only kind I know how to build.” - Terry Schoonhoven
LOCATION: interior, bottom of escalator at east entrance to Metro Red Line subway line, Union Station, 800 N. Alameda Avenue, El Pueblo, Los Angeles, California, USA

DETAIL:

1931 photograph by Otto Dyer

Part of Metro Art