This episode features the Coca-Cola mural at 303 N. Main St. which faces south overlooking 3rd Ave. West.

One might think that a mural advertising America’s favorite soft drink is out of place in the Hendo Art Tour. But there is an interesting history behind these murals that the Coca-Cola company commissioned at the turn of the 20th Century. It is estimated that they installed over 16,000 of these murals all over the United States and especially in the South beginning in the 1890’s.

Over time, many of these vibrant artworks, became weathered and faded. Because of that they became known as “ghost murals.” The term “ghost” refers to their aged appearance, which adds to their nostalgic charm.

Hendersonville has three Coca-Cola murals. The oldest one was painted on the side of the former Justus Pharmacy building in 1907 to advertise the soda fountain inside, which of course served Coca-Cola.

The mural was refurbished by sign painter/artist Andy Thompson, who painted his first sign for Coca-Cola in 1958. Andy Thompson left an indelible mark on the world of Coca-Cola advertising, working with the iconic brand for well over 50 years before his death in 2017. He worked on so many of the company’s murals, that toward the end of his career he could not say exactly how many he had worked on.

Since Andy Thompson is no longer here to talk about his work on the murals, his granddaughter, Amber Thompson, joins us to tell us about her grandfather’s work. Amber is following in Andy’s footsteps with her own sign and mural painting business. Andy began to train her to restore these murals just a year before he died, but she learned enough from him that Coca-Cola is commissioning her to do the restoration work.

Amber will tell us about the history of the Coca-Cola murals, her grandfather’s work on them, and why they are so greatly valued in the communities where they were painted.