Mural - Egg Basket of the World
Petaluma, California
Petaluma's historical "Eggbasket of the World" status is evident in a large wall mural across the street from the odd Wrist Wrestling Champ Monument. Artist Steve Della Maggiora created the mural in downtown Petaluma in 1998. It depicts the heritage of the area, starting with a Miwok Indian village, then the appearance of the White Man in the form of General Mariano Vallejo and his adobe estate. Then follows a steamship, blacksmith shop, and steam train. Then the White Man is overwhelmed by chickens. Then "the poultry industry gives way to the cows and the dairy industry" (sorry, no room to show the dairy industry giving way to strip malls and commuter hives).
Our photo is a detail of Steve's work, showing Petaluman Lyman Bryce, coinventor and promoter of the first practical egg incubator in 1875. [Full Mural]
In 2000, Steve augmented the Petaluma History Mural by painting a scene on a curbside signal box, adding an interesting three-dimensional effect. In the time he spent painting at the busy corner, with it's bus traffic, he developed a respiratory ailment, but completed the painting without succumbing.