Unique stand allows display of Rayen mural

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The 65-foot long mural that once adorned a hallway in the Rayen School is a marvel that depicts the history of Youngstown from its primitive start in the 1700s to the late 1950s.

But since the school was razed in 2008, how could it again be displayed for people to see it?

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society, which possesses the mural on permanent loan from the city school district, solved the problem by creating another marvel. The society had the paint-on-canvas artwork restored and preserved and mounted on a custom-made machine that holds the mural on two rolls and can display about 11 feet of it at a time. The mural is six feet wide.

The stand was built by Cleveland-based museum mount builder Carlo Maggiora. It includes a small reproduction of the entire mural at its base, and is on wheels so it can be moved around.

The mural and stand now reside on the third floor of the Tyler History Center, 325 W. Federal St., downtown, where it was demonstrated to media members Friday morning. The MVHS will build a permanent enclosure around the mural, which will become a highlight of the third-floor gallery when the Tyler Center has its grand opening in May, although visitors can view it now.

Although the Tyler building side walls are 145 feet in length, it was unfeasible to clear 65 feet to mount the entire mural, which was created by Rayen art teacher the late John Benninger and his students in 1958-59. It chronologically shows the history of Youngstown, from its start in the late 1700s, through the Civil War, and up to the late 1950s — the start of the space age.

“It captures the mood as well as the events of each era,” said William Lawson, director of the MVHS, which operates the Tyler Center. The mural was carefully plotted by Benninger and includes signs that shed light on each era, including population.