CAC Historic Art

The County Administration Center is home to a number of historic art works dating back to the era of the Works Projects Administration of the 1930's when local artists were commissioned to create oil paintings of the area's architecture, landscapes and seascapes.

One such artist was Charles Reiffel. Reiffel was born in Indiana in 1868 and worked as a lithographer in the US and in England. After receiving international acclaim for his modern approach to painting, Mr. Reiffel moved to San Diego in 1925 and resided here until his death in 1948.

In 2004, the CAC historic art collection, including Reiffel's works, were restored and reframed. Over the years the art has been marred by nicotine damage, dust and discoloration as well as acid leach from the board supports and iron leach around the nails in the frames. Each piece was cleaned, stabilized and encased in custom gold gilded, Plein Air style frames by award-winning conservators and frame makers in a process overseen by the Clerk of the Board with the financial backing of the Treasurer/Tax Collector and District 4 Community Projects Funds.

The results have been stunning. Cleaning the art brought back the original shades of color and restored a sense of depth to the work. The new frames present the pieces as the historic works they are. The Clerk of the Board is proud of our work as the custodian of the Administration Center and is pleased to play a role in restoring some of the County's finest works of art.

Click on the paintings to view each piece:
Portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt	"In the Street"	"The Invasion"
"La Jolla Cove"	"Highland Dairy"	"Marine"
"Conservation"	"Recreation"	"Agriculture"
"Conservation"	"Recreation"	"Agriculture"
"In Old National City"	"Moonlight on the Sea"	"Waterfront"
"When the Cows Come Home"