Before it was a mural...

...it was another mural. Say what? Here's the story.

Back on July 10th, I posted a photo of the mostly-blank wall below, at 1016 South 6th Avenue (across the street from 1001 S. 6th):

Right away I got an email from an intern at the Arizona Historical Society. She'd been studying old Tucson murals and thought she might have photos of an earlier mural on the same building. Here are the photos she sent me:

That was taken by Patricia Katchur in 2000. The second photo was on Bangbay Siboliban's website:

The building in all three photos has the same shape. And there's another clue. In the background of the last photo is part of a gas station at El Barrio Market across the street from this building. (The market has since closed.) I had another photo of the market, and the gas pumps look the same in that photo.

So, it looks as if, 12 years ago, the mural here was of Emiliano Zapata, painted by Luis Gustavo Mena. Sometime since then, another mural — the one peeking out around the edges of the solid paint — replaced the Zapata mural. And, after that, the mural was painted over to leave the mostly-blank wall. Or something like that!

If you know more, please write a comment below or send email.