German POW Paintings

During World War II, German prisoners were held at Army bases around the country. After the prisoners were captured overseas, they were sent to bases located in rural areas where it was felt they would be easily recognized in case of escape. The newly created, and still unfinished, Camp Polk was one of these facilities.

In the case of Camp Polk, prisoners were often held at local hotels for several days while they waited for de-briefing and in-processing. Two of these German prisoners passed their time at the Leesville Hotel by painting a series of murals on the walls of the hotel. Years later, the paintings were removed and painstakingly preserved as part of the history of Vernon Parish and Fort Polk.

     

Gallery One Ellleven will host an exhibit featuring the German POW paintings during the month of April. The exhibit will be held in conjunction with the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation Conference to be held in Leesville April 6th through the 8th. See the actual paintings, and learn the fascinating story of how they came to be. When the exhibit ends, the paintings will be returned to the Museum of West Louisiana, where they are on loan from the estate of the W.H. Morris family.

The following slideshow is part of the Gallery One Ellleven exhibit. Research for the project was done by Ms. Dorothy Howard.

View Exhibit Information Slides Below:

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