© WAGUY, Full Inspection at the Rex -- 1912. Oil on Canvas, 36 x 60 inches (2003)
A woman’s dress in a collection of drawings from Sears catalogs inspired the female attraction that gives meaning to “Full Inspection at the Rex – 1912” by W.A. Guy, at left. The painting features chefs and waiters in their whites lined up for inspection before serving dinner. In the doorway, a “shill,” who looks like Gene Burgad, sports a boater-style hat. Guy used the photo, below, of the Midget Restaurant on Montana Avenue in Billings in 1912 as his inspiration for the painting of the Rex workers.
