History of the Southwest

The History of the Southwest
Alonzo ("Lon") Megargee
(1883-1960)

This painting consists of three panels (triptych) which read from left to right to unfold the historical panorama of the Southwest through symbolic figures. The left panel contains conquistadores, a priest and a Spanish don. The middle panel shows Apache-like Indians in ambush and a Pony Express rider. The right panel shows engineers, dam builders and the cultivation of an orange grove. The triptych is located in the alcove of the Firm's large conference room. It is thought that the triptych may have been a study for a public mural. Lon Megargee was a much beloved Western painter who often painted humorous aspects of cowboy life. He is best known for his Stetson hat posters and for his famous painting "Cowboy's Dream." After his death, in 1960, the Saturday Evening Post published a double-page reproduction of "Cowboy's Dream."