Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

54 | JULY 15 • 2021 

Historic Murals at Risk
T

his month, the Detroit City Council 
approved the sale of the R. Thornton 
Brodhead Naval Armory in Detroit to 
the Parade Company, the organization that pres-
ents the famous Detroit Thanksgiving Parade. 
Usually, when a long-neglected property is 
repurposed, it is a cause for celebration, but there 
is a serious concern regarding this sale.
The Brodhead Armory opened on Jefferson 
Avenue in 1930. For many years, 
it was the headquarters for U.S. 
Navy Reserves and Marine Corps 
Reserves. The Armory has also 
hosted one of Joe Louis’ early 
fights, as well as USO shows and 
dances. Since 2003, however, the 
Armory has been vacant and 
neglected.
The primary concern with the 
sale is that, literally embedded in the structure 
of the building, are art murals, and current plans 
include demolition of that part of the Armory. 
Several of the murals, nautical scenes, were 
painted by the famous artist David Fredenthal 
(1914-1958) in 1937 as part of the Federal Art 
Project. 
The son of immigrant parents, Fredenthal 
was born and raised in Detroit. He attended 
Cass Tech High School and Cranbrook Schools, 
where he studied under Zoltan Sepeshy. When 
Fredenthal was still a teenager, the great Detroit 
architect Albert Kahn recognized his talent and 
encouraged him (point of interest: Fredenthal’s 
daughter, Ruth, also an artist, is named after 
Kahn’s daughter). At age 19, he received two 
Guggenheim grants for painting, and the acco-
lades for his work never stopped. 
Fredenthal’s work with Life magazine brought 
him great renown. During WWII, while trav-
eling with the U.S. Army in the Pacific, Italy 
and Germany, he illustrated soldiers at war for 
such articles as “Of Men and Battle” and “Night 
Landing on New Britain.
” He created sketches 
of David Ben-Gurion and other Israeli leaders 
for “Some Agonizing Moments in Israel’s Great 
Decision,
” an article about Israel’s withdrawal 
from Gaza in 1957.
At that time of his death in 1958, Fredenthal 
was, perhaps, the most famous Detroit artist of 

his era, highly regarded for his water-
colors as well as his ability to illustrate 
the drama and emotions of life as he 
encountered them. It was said that 
Fredenthal never went anywhere with-
out loaded pens and a sketchbook.
There several references to 
Fredenthal in the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit 
History. A story in Arnold Levin’s 
“Heard in the Lobby’s” column was 
interesting (Sept. 1, 1944). While work-
ing on scaffolding assisting fresco artist 
Boardman Robinson, Fredenthal slipped 
and fell 15 feet to the ground, breaking 
his arm. Once it was placed in a cast, he 
climbed up and used his left arm to con-
tinue his work. 
Another story notes that, along 
with nine other artists, Fredenthal 
was commissioned by Hudson’s 
in 1946 to paint murals of life in 
Michigan (Feb. 20, 1948, JN). His 
12 panels followed a shipment of 
iron ore from a mine to a Ford 
factory. In the Sept. 23, 1955, 
issue of the JN, it was reported 
that Detroit Jews donated funds 
to purchase one of his paintings 
and then donated it to the Detroit Institute 
of Art.
I hope the Parade Co. will figure out a way to 
save the Fredenthal Murals. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair
Fredenthal never went anywhere with-

interesting (Sept. 1, 1944). While work-
ing on scaffolding assisting fresco artist 
Boardman Robinson, Fredenthal slipped 
and fell 15 feet to the ground, breaking 
his arm. Once it was placed in a cast, he 
climbed up and used his left arm to con-

Another story notes that, along 

with nine other artists, Fredenthal 

 His 

12 panels followed a shipment of 

and then donated it to the Detroit Institute 

DAN AUSTIN/HISTORICDETROIT.ORG

