Description
John Neal Hoover, the Executive Director of the St. Louis Mercantile Library, has worked at the Mercantile since 1983, and has directed the institution for over twenty years. This portrait was commissioned to celebrate his distinguished career with the Library. Founded in 1846, the St. Louis Mercantile Library is the oldest general library in continuous existence West of the Mississippi River. Its collections concentrate on Westward Expansion American rail and river transportation history as well as the history, development, and growth of the St. Louis region. I thought it best to portray John, warmly greeting a guest in his office, surrounded by some of his favorite treasures.
