Myrtle Cheney Murdock

author

Myrtle Cheney Murdock

1885–1980

A writer with a close-up view of the U.S. Capitol, she turned American monuments and history into lively, accessible books for general readers. She is especially remembered for helping bring wider attention to the artist Constantino Brumidi and the Capitol's historic artwork.

1 Audiobook

Constantino Brumidi, Michelangelo of the United States Capitol

Constantino Brumidi, Michelangelo of the United States Capitol

by Myrtle Cheney Murdock

About the author

Myrtle Cheney Murdock was an American author known for writing popular history centered on Washington, D.C., especially the monuments and memorial spaces that shape the nation's public memory. Library records connect her with books including Your Memorials in Washington (1952) and National Statuary Hall in the Nation's Capitol.

She also became associated with efforts to publicize the work of Constantino Brumidi, the artist behind major paintings in the U.S. Capitol. A contemporary summary on John R. Murdock's Wikipedia page notes that she helped popularize Brumidi's accomplishments, which fits the historical focus of her writing.

Murdock was married to Arizona congressman John R. Murdock. Archival and library sources identify her as Myrtle Cheney Murdock and place her life from about 1885 or 1886 to 1980, so some records differ slightly on her birth year.