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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Boulder Dam
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Boulder Dam

Artifact IDMO 1942.20.5
Object Type Painting
Artist (American Painter, 1880 - 1936)
Gifter
Date1935
MediumPaint (oil), Textile (canvas), Wood, Plaster
Dimensionsframe H 48 1/2 in x W 38 1/2 in x D 2 1/2 in (123.2 cm x 97.8 cm x 6.4 cm )
 painting (on stretcher) H 40 1/4 in x W 30 1/4 in (102.2 cm x 76.8 cm )
Physical DescriptionAn oil on canvas painting of Boulder Dam. The painting shows the Colorado River in the foreground with the dam rising up in the background, flanked on either side by the Black Canyon. At the bottom of the dam are the powerhouses with additional, elevated structures on the right side. The painting is signed and dated by the artist in the lower left corner: D. de Ribcowsky 35.

The painting is framed in a 4½" plaster and gilt wood frame.
Historical NoteThis painting of Boulder Dam, now known as the Hoover Dam, was sent to Franklin Roosevelt as a birthday gift in January 1936 by the artist, Dey de Ribcowsky, of Hollywood, California. Painted at the time of FDR's September 30, 1935 visit to the uncompleted site, during which he dedicated the dam, the painting is the artist's interpretation of what the finished Boulder Dam would look like.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDeposited at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 30, 1942. It was donated as a bequest of FDR to the Library in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPrints and Paintings (National Archives Identifier 778817)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view