Article

Contact:
Meg Connolly
212-505-8200
meg@mcc-pr.com

The St. Regis New York Unveils Historic Restoration of Famed King Cole Mural

In June 2007, The St. Regis New York, one of the world’s most revered hotels, unveiled the
newly restored Old King Cole Mural in the famed King Cole Bar & Lounge. The puckish mural,
painted by Maxfield Parrish in 1906, received a $100,000 cleaning which completely restored the
beloved masterpiece to its original splendor. Adored by generations of New Yorkers and the hotel’s patrons worldwide, the Old King Cole mural returned to its home in the venerable King
Cole Bar to lookout on visitors with a restored brilliance.
“The restoration of Parrish’s Old King Cole mural was one of the three key elements in the
restoration of this illustrious hotel,” said Scott Geraghty, General Manager for The St. Regis New
York.  “The magnificent redesign of the guestrooms and suites by Sills Huniford, the reinstatement of the restored mural and the opening of Adour Alain Ducasse all come together to create the preeminent guest experience in the city.”
In 1906, Colonel John Jacob Astor commissioned Maxfield Parrish to paint the mural for his 42nd
Street hotel, The Knickerbocker. Hesitant to accept the commission, Parrish finally agreed to
paint the mural after being offered the “kingly sum” of $5,000 for his work. However, the Knickerbocker was short-lived and not long after the mural was installed at the 42nd Street location, there were plans to turn the Knickerbocker into an office building. After leaving the Knickerbocker, the mural made a few stops throughout the City before coming to rest at its home in The St. Regis. Old King Cole has delighted patrons for decades and watched over many an important event, including the birth of the Red Snapper, also known as the Bloody Mary, in the 1930’s.