Rincon Annex Murals

Gaze upon 27 murals that were so controversial, they were put on trial before the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C during the 1950s.

In 1941, Russian immigrant Anton Refregier won a government commission to paint a series of San Francisco-themed murals in the L-shaped lobby of the city’s newest federal post office.

At the time, this was largest mural commission awarded by the U.S. government, for Refregier was tasked with covering a daunting, blank canvas measuring 400 feet long (121.9 m) and 6.75 feet (2 m) high.

Off and on, from 1941 to 1948 (due to the volatility of World War II), Refregier painted scenes in each mural depicting the history of California…

But not the rose-colored history the government and many locals were expecting. Instead, in his murals were a series of conflicts—from the laborious tasks foisted upon Native Americans by Spanish missionaries in the 1700s; to assaults on Chinese railroad laborers in the 1800s; to maritime labor strikes in the 1900s.

Thankfully, Refreiger’s awesome murals survived Congressional scrutiny during America’s Red Scare era and they are now protected and treasured on the National Register of Historic Places.

Free guided tours of the murals are offered twice monthly on a Monday at 10am and a Saturday at 1pm. View tour schedule. You can also visit the murals on your own time.

Metro Rail: BART / Embarcadero Station (J,KT,L,M,N), plus 2 block walk