Lucile Lloyd (1894-1941): A Life in Murals

During the Great Depression, Lucile Lloyd (1894-1941) built an active career as a mural decorator. Her colorful scenes and stenciled patterns adorned the interiors of numerous homes, schools, restaurants, shops, and public buildings throughout the Los Angeles area. Lloyd lived and worked at a time when murals were at a height of popularity. Hand-painted ornament was fashionable in homes and public buildings alike, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided government funding for public murals to ease unemployment during the Depression. In 1935, Lloyd became the first woman artist in Southern California to receive a prestigious WPA commission. The resultant mural, California’s Name, was her last major project. Since Lloyd’s death in 1941, many of her works have been lost. Drawn from the Lucile Lloyd papers at the University of California Santa Barbara Architecture and Design Collection, Lucile Lloyd: A Life in Murals provides a rare look at a prolific but understudied artist.

Lucile Lloyd, muralist

Lucile Lloyd papers, Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara

circa 1917-1938

Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.