Outdoor murals are truly an art ofthe people and for the people.

They are a visible commitment to thedevelopment of an urban or suburban aesthetic. In areas of decay they can bea small oasis. Over the last 45 yearsNorthport resident Hans Gabali hasbeen transforming the sides of build-ings from brick and stucco into oceans,

fishing shanties, deserts and swimmingpools. Originally from Hamburg, Germany,where his father was a marine artist, HansGabali learned to paint before immigratingto Brooklyn in 1952. Prior to discoveringthe joy of painting murals, he made his liv-ing as a house painter. Not only do hismurals offer whimsy and joy, they can cre-ate confusion. Many passers-by have triedto open his painted doors, often overlook-ing the real architectural structures thathave been incorporated into his murals.

Folk art is an important part of theculture of the community, and Gabali’smurals are an important part of LongIsland. Hans Gabali has painted morethan 4,500 murals in private homes andon business walls all over Long Island.From Baldwin to Northport, on restau-rant walls and marine equipment storesor the sides of delicatessens and Italianice shops, you can tour much of LongIsland and find his work. Most of thesubjects of the murals reflect the busi-nesses they adorn as evidenced by thescene of an Italian village on the park-ing lot walls of Borrelli’s Restaurant on Hempstead Turnpike. There are

Alps on a Brentwood pizzeria, a desert landscape in Freeport, a view from Montauk Point nearthe Bellmore Railroad Station, a Hawaiian scene at Pool Doctor, a fishing village gracing the wallsof a marine supply store inFreeport, and Antarctic penguinseating Italian ices in Bellmore.For the Cold Spring HarborWhaling Museum he painted astormtossed background to the museum’s ship’s wheel and charac-

teristically he painted the wheel rightinto the picture.

In addition to painting murals,Gabali exhibits his landscapes andmarine-scapes at art shows around theIsland. He is also a former member ofthe Long Island Ship Model Society andwas very involved with the construc-

tion of wooden models of sailing vessels. He also exhibits his landscapeand marinescapes at art shows around

the Island. His latest paintings are done on bottlecaps.

Unfortunately, as is often the fate offolk art, his outdoor work is at oncedurable, but potentially temporary innature. The murals are affected by weath-er conditions and changes in ownership.Several of his murals have been paintedover or demolished when the buildings’management changed. Some have largetrucks parked up next to them, hidingthem from view. In an effort to preserve theimages of his work, I have begun creatingan electronic archive of his collection of hundreds of aging photographs of hismurals. The Long Island Studies Institutehas expressed an interest in being the

repository of such an archive. By placingthe images of his murals on CD-ROM, theywill be accessible to more people for manyyears to come.

In the meantime, Long Islandersand tourists can continue to enjoyGabali’s works and look forward to hisnew commissions as he continuesclimbing ladders, and painting fromscaffolds and forklifts.

The Long Island Murals of Hans GabaliMartha KreiselAssociate Professor of Library ServicesJoan and Donald E. Axinn Library

Freeport Marine Supply, Church Street & Merrick Road, Freeport, NY

Crabshack Restaurant, Woodcleft Avenue, Freeport, NY

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In the accompanying article, Martha Kreisel shares a glimpse of HansGabali’s artwork. She provides us insight on the various murals painted byGabali in neighboring Long Island communities and how she intends to "pre-serve" this unique folk art.

Professor Kreisel earned a B.A. in history and art history from AlfredUniversity, an M.A. in library science from the University of Chicago’sGraduate Library School, and an M.A. in the humanities from the StateUniversity of New York at Buffalo. Professor Kreisel joined the Hofstra faculty in 1989. She serves as the Humanities Reference Librarian at Joan andDonald E. Axinn Library.

Prior to joining the Hofstra faculty, Professor Kreisel served in variouslibrarian positions, including art librarian at Memphis Public Library andInformation Center, reference librarian at E.H. Butler Library of the StateUniversity College at Buffalo, and bibliographic and reference librarian at theWestchester Library System. She is a member of the American LibraryAssociation, Association of College and Research Libraries, and Guild ofAmerican Papercutters.

Professor Kreisel has authored several publications, including AmericanWomen Photographers: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography (GreenwoodPress, 1999), Papercutting: An International Bibliography and Selected Guideto U.S. Collections (Scarecrow Press, 1994), and Photography Books Index:Subject Guide to Photo Anthologies (Scarecrow Press, 1980). She has also co-authored Guide to Civil War Books: An Annotated Selection of Modern Workson the War Between the States (American Library Association, 1995).

As mentioned in her article, Professor Kreisel is currently establishing anelectronic archive in an attempt to preserve the images of Gabali’s murals. Sheis grateful for receiving an award through the University’s PresidentialResearch Award Program, which has enabled her to pursue this very important project. - SK

Portion of large mural, Freeport, NY

Hans Gabali in his studio.

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