Leon Gilmour
American, born Russia, 1907 - 1996Cement Finishers, 1939
Not on view
Wood engraving on paper
Dimensions15 1/4 × 12 3/8 in. (38.7 × 31.4 cm)
Image: 10 1/16 × 8 1/16 in. (25.6 × 20.5 cm)
Gift of Mr. Jack B. Pierson, 1985.23
The setting of Leon Gilmour’s Cement Finishers refers to a massive project undertaken in late 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers. The project involved the lining of fifty two miles of the Los Angeles river bed with concrete to control the river’s unpredictable and often devastating flooding.
Born in Riga, Latvia, Gilmour came to America in 1916, settling in Boston where he later studied at the School of Practical Art. Gilmour’s subject matter was inspired by his experiences working as a ranch hand, gold miner, and truck driver. Gilmour eventually settled in the Los Angeles area, where he resumed his artistic studies in the late 1920s at the Otis Art Institute. Gilmour was an instructor at the University of Southern California, and also was a successful designer and illustrator.
