Spring 2026

122 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 tial subdivision—Del Monte Properties (Pebble Beach). The landmark was dedicated in 1922 (the statue is currently off site, but the shelter and benches still stand). Earl F. Graff, the proprietor of the Carmel Dairy , hired Mora, and often bartered with him to help with the decorative elements in his shop on the corner of Ocean and Mission . A lasting reminder of Mora’s work there is the exterior light sconce with two cows which hangs on the corner of the building. If you view the building from across the street, it is certain to remind you of an old-fashioned milk bottle. Both branches of the Carmel Public Library contain Mora’s ephemera, including “Carmel Dollars” and “cartes” (or maps). Mora is proba- bly best known for his series of cartes—15 his- torically accurate, humorous maps, made between 1926 and 1945, that include depictions of Carmel-by-the-Sea, 17-Mile Drive and the Monterey Peninsula. The last stop on our journey is the 1928 sculpture Mora created for L. C. Merrell’s arcade in Carmel’s El Paseo Courtyard of a bowing/curt- seying couple in typical early California dress, created as an ode to early California history. Mora’s legacy is strong here—if you know where to look—and driving throughout beautiful Monterey County will expose you to new peo- ple and places while experiencing the incompa- rable art of Jo Mora, which is still such a vital part of the community and county he loved. He was an avid member of the Abalone Softball League in the 1920s, and he starred in the leading role of “The Bad Man,” a play at the Forest Theatre. (Above) El Paseo Courtyard sculpture installation. (Below) Mora with wife Grace, son Jo Jr. and daughter Patty dressed for the cenotaph dedication at the Carmel Mission. Photos: Lewis Josselyn, courtesy of the Jo Mora Collection, Monterey History and Art Association