In the basement reserve room of Baker-Berry Library hangs one of the great mural cycles of the twentieth century. José Clemente Orozco, the Mexican muralist, painted twenty-four panels here between 1932 and 1934 at Dartmouth's invitation. The work traces the history of the Americas from pre-Columbian civilizations through the Spanish conquest, industrialization, and modernity — a sweeping and often savage vision that Dartmouth's more conservative trustees tried unsuccessfully to have removed after completion. Free to enter; the library is open to the public.
story: > When Orozco finished the final panel, "Modern Migration of the Spirit," which shows a Christ figure having destroyed his own cross, Dartmouth's president William Jewett Tucker reportedly said it was the most significant work of art in New England. A trustee faction that had lobbied for its removal fell silent.