Have you met our friendly ghost in the International & museum? Pontiac, Illinois is filled with many friendly ghost stories, but one famous one stands out above all because if its significance to the brand new museum that is located in Downtown Pontiac. Little did the town of Pontiac know that the International and museum would have a ghost of its own! In April of 2010, one week before the Grand Opening of the International and museum, the city workers made the discovery of a lifetime. While preparing the space, a group of workers in the back of the museum began removing the plaster off one of the back walls. Now, the building in which the museum is located, was built in 1905. So the wall in which they were removing the plaster, was actually a brick exterior wall for the building next door. To everyone’s surprise….BOOO!!!!! Our museum ghost appeared!! Yes, a ghost mural, painted sometime prior to 1904 was revealed in the back of the museum! The ghost’s name is: Bremer’s Clothes for Gents. This was a clothing business in Downtown Pontiac located just next door to the museum in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Visitors from all over the world enjoy seeing the museum ghost. It is a great depiction of how sign painting was one of the prominent forms of advertising used over 100 years ago. The mural is called a “ghost mural” because of its faded and historic nature. What a find – so fitting for our mural museum!! We welcome all to come meet our friendly ghost mural in the International and museum!
Also, we’d love to hear about your ghost mural stories! There are thousands of these historic, faded murals around the world…and each tells a story! Have a picture? Send them to the museum: reet, Pontiac, or [email protected]. Let the “Scary Ghost Mural” stories begin!
Happy Scary Mural Month!
