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Topographical Map is a 20’ h by 80’ w high-relief mosaic and granite mural located on the northern face of the Hall of Records. The mural depicts a bird’s eye view of the geologic features and water resources of Los Angeles County. Mountainous areas are black, valleys are brown, and the Pacific Ocean is a colorful mosaic of green and blue tile. Pinkish granite represents the County’s northern boundary at the Sierra Mountains.

Artist Joseph Young worked closely with the building’s architects, including Richard Neutra, to achieve a design for the wall. Young first designed the mural to portray only geological features and later added water sources to tie the mural together with the reflecting pool Neutra placed at the wall’s base. The mosaic’s map imagery was inspired by the records and maps kept within the Hall of Records.

In 2007, conservator Donna Williams was hired to clean and restore the piece while Internal Services Department (ISD) managed the restoration of the reflecting pool and the work’s fountain elements. All work was completed in 2008 and for the first time in 20 years, water flowed through the mural.

See
Joseph Young, Leland R. Weaver Library

About the Artist: Joseph Young (1919-2007) was a native of Pittsburgh and received his BA degree from Westminster College in Pennsylvania. After serving in World War II, he studied at various art schools and academies both nationally and abroad. Young had a long and distinguished career as a public artist in multiple media including mosaic, stained glass, pre-cast concrete, granite, and wood. Two of his many projects include the Triforium, a kinetic sculpture at the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and the Los Angeles Holocaust Monument in Pan-Pacific Park.

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