Racy WWII mural discovered under wallpaper in Bristol care home
Historian聽Anthony Beeson said the works were most likely created by American soldiers, and they might have used it as a mess room.
Friday 18 October 2019 13:01, UK
A World War Two mural has been found underneath wallpaper at a care home as they started renovation work.
Stokeleigh Care Home in Stoke Bishop, Bristol, made the surprising discovery of some racy images as they redecorated one of the rooms.
The images include a busty looking woman in a red dress and hat, and a man holding a bottle marked "rye".
It is thought the images were painted by former soldiers, and the Bristol Post reports that the room might have once been a gentleman's lounge.
Hartford Care, which runs the home, posted on social media: "We love a mystery and we have one of our own. While refurbishing one of the rooms, some fascinating paintings have been discovered and nobody knows how they got there."
Care home manager Alex Mazur-Kruszynska told Bristol Live: "We had no idea they were there until we started refurbishing the room and our maintenance man was taking the woodchip off the walls.
"Finding the murals is the best thing, really. The residents find it fascinating as well."
Historian Anthony Beeson told the home the works were definitely created by American GIs.
He said: "Several of the large houses in the area were requisitioned for troops.
"Note that the bottle has 'rye' written on it which no Englishman would do. I suspect it was their mess room or the like."
The home will have to paint over the murals to get the room ready for the next resident, but plan to put plasterboard over the top to preserve them.