In the early 1950s, artists Don J. Emery and Don W. Emery created six murals for the Florida National Bank & Trust Company. Today these works are preserved at the Halifax Historical Museum, offering a vivid portrait of the region’s natural beauty, historic landmarks, and cultural identity.
In the early 1950s, artists Don J. Emery and Don W. Emery created six murals for the Florida National Bank & Trust Company. Today these works are preserved at the Halifax Historical Museum, offering a vivid portrait of the region’s natural beauty, historic landmarks, and cultural identity.
Commissioned in 1947 and completed in ca. 1950-1951 for the Florida Bank & Trust Company, the murals originally hung in the bank’s lobby, symbolizing both regional pride and corporate identity.
The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse rises above windswept dunes and coastal vegetation, depicted with the Emerys’ precise realism. As Volusia County’s most iconic navigational landmark, it anchors the mural series in a strong sense of place and maritime heritage.
A tranquil river scene unfolds beneath towering trees, their knees rising from the water’s edge. Egrets wade gracefully in the shallows, highlighting the ecological richness of the Halifax River basin and the wetlands that shaped early settlement.
Depicting the historic Sugar Mill Ruins — likely the Dunlawton Mill — this mural shifts from natural scenery to early industrial heritage. Weathered coquina walls and arches stand amid surrounding vegetation, offering a quiet meditation on endurance and the region’s antebellum past.
A stylized map of Florida marks the statewide locations of Florida National branches. Don J. Emery’s clean graphic style blends with mid-century commercial design, making this the only non-landscape mural in the series.
Rolling dunes, sea oats, and the open Atlantic shoreline stretch toward a luminous horizon. The Emerys’ atmospheric realism evokes the timeless rhythms of the ocean and reflects Daytona’s identity as a seaside community.
A lone sailboat glides across calm inlet waters, its mast and rigging rendered with precise realism. The distant shoreline suggests Ponce Inlet or the Halifax River, conveying leisure, movement, and Daytona’s maritime traditions.
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