Artwork and Images

Additional images and artwork can be found throughout the museum building.

Tony Mendez Painting “Along the Pike”

Antonio “Tony” Mendez was a resident of Washington County, but also a famous CIA operative.  His career with the agency became known by his involvement in the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, an incident made the subject of the film Argo, in which Ben Affleck stars as Mr. Mendez.

A prolific painter, Tony produced many paintings over his life.  This painting was completed as a proposal for a mural in downtown Hagerstown honoring the history of the National Road.  The site of the proposed mural is shown at the top of the painting.  The proposed mural depicts much of the area’s history along the Road in one frame.  This original piece was promised to the museum by Mr. Mendez, and donated posthumously on his behalf by his son Toby Mendez.

Backyards of Boonsboro

Clarence Carvell Prints

In the 1990s, Clarence Carvell captured thousands of scenes along the Historic National Road, photographing anything that caught his attention and providing rare glimpses of the often overlooked aspects of the many-times-realigned roadway.

A book of select photographs from Mr. Carvell’s collection is available in our museum store.

In addition to the books, Mr. Carvell donated  to the museum a series of framed prints of several images which had been used in a gallery showing.  Many of these are now exhibited in our back corridor and in each of our three restrooms.