Hidden paintings revealed during retool of historic Superior building

May 8—SUPERIOR — An 1890 building being retooled into a bike and ski shop in Superior will retain a series of built-in paintings that give a nod to the structure's past.

"It's just a cool, historic building that goes back to 1890 and we're going to repurpose it and hopefully let the public in on this little secret," said owner Jeff Dorfman.

While uncovering the stamped tin ceilings and stained glass windows in the space, he found five hidden landscapes painted on the wall of the mezzanine floor.

"Nobody knew this was up here except the Bergstrom family," said Dorfman, who called the spot a "hidden jewel."

Many city residents know the brick building at 1314 Ogden Ave. as the Bergstrom Electric building. But it has also served as a cigar factory, newspaper publishing house and mortuary. In the 1950s and 1960s, the site housed Triple A and Alcoholics Anonymous, according to retired librarian and local historian Teddie Meronek, who did a deep dive on the building's history.

The paintings on the mezzanine floor in the rear of the building date back to 1933, when it was the J.E. Nichol Mortuary. At the time, it was a casket display room. The landscapes, with names like "Peaceful Meadowlands," "In the Heather Country" and "The Old Supply Road," were painted directly on the plaster walls by itinerant artist Herbert Bartlett.

"He probably spent his entire adult life traveling around the country painting pictures from coast to coast," Meronek said.

The landscape painter was born in Cameron, Wisconsin, and lived at the Androy Hotel when the landscapes were painted. His studio was on the eighth floor of the hotel, according to a 1934 Evening Telegram article. Two of Bartlett's paintings remain on display in the lobby of Lake McDonald Lodge in Montana. Another of his pieces with ties to the Twin Ports is an oil painting of the old government lighthouse on Minnesota Point.

The largest of the landscapes in the Ogden Avenue building is titled simply "Solon Springs" and shows mortuary owner Joseph Nichol's summer home on Lake St. Croix. The nine-room log home was made entirely of logs, it was reported in a 1932 Evening Telegram article.

While most of Bartlett's paintings were oil on canvas, the wall landscapes appear to be done with milk-based casein paint, according to Duluth artist Penny Perry and art instructor Bill Gedde. The two examined the wall paintings on April 30 with Superior artist Sterling Rathsack. Casein was the preferred material in the 1930s and would explain how thin the paint application is, they said.

"It started because of the war effort, you know, using milk-based things rather than oil-based. But it also turned out to be really flexible," Perry said, and it was still being used in theater set painting when she went to college in the 1970s due to its ability to absorb light.

Perry and Gedde provided some guidance to Dorfman, who intends to write a grant proposal for the preservation of the landscapes.

"I cannot see painting over that," Dorfman said.

The two artists suggested cleaning the paintings with super soft natural bristle brushes and drying them out as much as possible. Then a thin layer of varnish can be applied over the art to stabilize it and glue down parts that are flaking. Any touch-up paint can be applied on top of the varnish.

Gedde, who was trained by artist Tony Yaworski, said he hoped that the discovery of the landscape paintings would encourage people in Superior to seek out and preserve other historical murals that may be hidden in Superior.

Dorfman plans to open Outdoor North, a bike, ski and outdoor clothing shop, at 1314 Ogden Ave. this summer. The room housing the landscape paintings will be the bicycle showroom.