Do you remember way back when there were Egyptian murals painted on the walls of three Fairhope buildings? I sure can.

We were visiting Fairhope one day in the 1970s and saw a young man painting on the walls of downtown establishments. We had already been intrigued with their appearance in the quaint little town and were thrilled that we could finally find out the story behind them. We stopped and patiently waited until the artist reached a stopping point and introduced ourselves as ardent fans of his work. This began a long, long friendship with Donnie Barrett, one of the most interesting people I've ever known.

Photo provided courtesy of Harriet Brill Outlaw

We had seen the Treasures of Tutankhamen exhibit in New Orleans in 1978, and our interest was piqued in Egyptian artifacts at the time. Come to find out, that exhibit had also been the impetus for Donnie's artistic work. He had actually made the trek to Egypt in 1978 and brought home memories and photographs galore. His earliest work was a collection of reproductions of the artifacts found in Tut's tomb. They were put on display in the windows of Bedsole and Gwin Department store during the 25th Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival.

His first mural project was begun one week before the devastation of Hurricane Frederic in 1979 on the side wall of what was then Ka-Lyn Florist. He took one week off for the storm but then returned to his daily work on the mural. He was employed at Poser Business Forms as a graphic artist and cameraman at the time but painted three to four hours after each workday. Of course, weekends were almost 24 hours a day at the mural. Donnie said he was intent on authenticity rather than stylization in his depiction of the paining found in the tomb of Seti. Finished in 1980, it features the god Osiris seated on a throne on the left. He is receiving King Seti and the son of Osiris, with the head of a bird. The mural is annotated with authentic hieroglyphics. These read: "Homage to Osiris, grant me strength because I have done truth and justice in Egypt." The side panels are not direct representations but are taken from various places and periods, including the tomb of Tutankhamen.

Photo provided courtesy of Harriet Brill Outlaw

In an interview in 1980, Barrett stated that people often are interested in the brightness of the colors, primarily green and blue, which he matched perfectly. People were curious as to whether the originals were that vivid, and Donnie replied that the Egyptians had amazing ways of creating coloring from minerals that have endured for centuries. At least for the 3,000 years since Seti ruled circa 1,000 BC. The wording around the mural in hieroglyphics also includes recognition of those volunteers who helped paint the inside of the figures and also has the inscription: Survived Hurricane Frederic. The second painting on the side of what was then the Magnolia Restaurant on Section Street. It was a depiction of King Tut and his wife Akasapaten on a duck hunt. It was reproduced from art on a small box found in Tut's tomb.

The third painting was also art reproduced from items found in the Tut tomb. It shows the king, is wife and their six children under the sun God Alen, done in the Armenian style. It was painted on the wall of Heinz Jauch. Reporter Adrian Hoff asked him about this newest project. Donnie replied that he strives for accuracy. He also stated that he "takes it casual" and does not charge for his work, claiming it keeps the work enjoyable.

Photo provided courtesy of Harriet Brill Outlaw

Donnie's sharing of his gift for all things artistic and historical didn't conclude with those murals. For several years, Barrett carved limestone Egyptian bas-relief sculptures, some two feet wide. One was a limestone sculpture of the falcon sun god Horus, which he brought to teach my Spanish Fort class about the history of Egypt and the sculpture process. My husband and I had the pleasure of performing living history events with him on numerous occasions, where he depicted a variety of historical characters. (Sounds like an idea for another article!) He was the director of the Fairhope Museum of History for 22 years, developing it into the showcase of Fairhope. His guided tours of the Colony Cemetery and downtown Fairhope are legendary, and one night he entertained visitors with fabulous ghost story at a haunted storytelling event at the Swift-Coles Historic Home. He was instrumental in preserving several historical sites and Indian mound systems, such as the original Spanish Fort, Pilot Town near Fort Morgan and Fort Mims, and is the emcee at the Fort Mims living history reenactment at Fort Mims each August.

My husband and I are privileged to have one of his drawings on the floor of our entry hall in our home. He reproduced the Benu, the Egyptian symbol of resurrection to honor our home which is a resurrection of an old house. He even wrote its story in hieroglyphics for us.

Nowadays, he spends most of his time working his tea plantation with Lottie, his wife. That project is studied worldwide, and visitors from all over the globe come for his 1 p.m. tour available every afternoon.

Donnie Barrett is indeed a Renaissance Man if ever there was one – but my favorite times are when he performs the best clogging you'll ever see.

Photo provided courtesy of Harriet Brill Outlaw