Pope Francis Added To Center City Bar's Mural Of Famous 'Franks'
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A mural on the outside of long-time Center City Philadelphia watering hole honoring well-known 'Franks' has a new addition. Pope Francis has joined the images of Ben Franklin, Frank Sinatra and even Frankenstein.
"The pope was a bouncer at a bar in his early life," says artist David McShane with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. "So we thought what could be more fitting, you know."
Dirty Frank's bar on the corner of 13th and Pine Streets has more than 20 famous Franks in a mural along the two outside walls. McShane created it in 2001 honoring famous Franks.
"Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Burns, the character from MASH, Tug McGraw whose real name was Frank," McShane says, "Frank Perdue, Frank Oz, a French Franc the coin, St. Francis of Assisi and the person who posed for that was my twin brother Frank."
McShane says he originally approached the bar's owner about freshening up the mural by adding an image of the bouncer. But he says the owner had a better idea.
"She said 'we should add the pope,'" McShane says. "And I was like, 'why didn't I think of that? That's a brilliant idea.'"
He says the pope is the first addition in 14 years.
"If you famous and your name was famous," McShane says, "you had a chance of making it on the wall."
And now Pope Francis.
"Yeah," McShane says, "and some people like to call him Pope Frank.