A rescued 1938 mural by Abram Champanier, titled "Alice of Wonderland Visiting New York," is back on public display for the first time since 1981 at the Museum of the City of New York. The 16-panel work, originally painted for the children's ward of Gouverneur Hospital on the Lower East Side, depicts Alice and characters from Lewis Carroll's book exploring New York City landmarks. The mural was salvaged in 1981 by volunteers who removed 15 of the 16 panels just before the hospital building was gut-renovated; one panel was lost but documented in photographs.
The exhibition, "Another Wonderland: Abram Champanier's Alice Mural," reunites the entire surviving cycle and highlights the mural's role as a WPA-era public art project that provided escapism and comfort to hospitalized children, many from immigrant families. It matters because it is the only surviving example of a WPA mural created for a hospital children's ward, and its restoration and display underscore the ongoing importance of preserving New Deal-era public art. The show also celebrates Champanier's legacy as a Jewish immigrant artist who infused the work with personal touches, including his own character Fabzio the Toymaker.