Arts Programs Sites

Treasury Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Lake Country Wild Life" painted in 1941 by Avery Johnson. " On August 21, 1939, Edward B. Rowan, assistant chief for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Section on Fine Arts, wrote Artist Avery Johnson of Denville, N.J., and invited him to “submit designs for a mural decoration for the Lake Village, Arkansas, Post Office on the basis of competent work performed under the Section.” Johnson, who was working on designs for the 48 States mural competition, wrote Rowan on September 27 to accept the invitation. Johnson was among the winners of that competition, which apparently delayed...

The historic Lake Wales post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Harvest Time—Lake Wales." The work was painted by Denman Fink in 1942.

The historic Lakeville, Connecticut post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural entitled "Ethan Allen in Forge Making Cannon Balls," which was painted in 1942 by George R. Cox. New Deal art website www.wpamurals.org has this anecdote from the artist's grandson, Topher Cox: "When my father was about 12, he and his father drove up to Lakeville. My grandfather had forgotten to sign his work. So around 1952 they drove up with a small can of paint and a brush. My grandfather met with the postmaster who gave him a small stool. My grandfather stood...

The Lancaster CA post office contains a striking oil-on-canvas mural by Spanish-born painter Jose Moya del Pino, who moved to San Francisco in the 1930s and worked on the famous Coit Tower murals. It would have been commissioned, like all post office murals, by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, and was installed when the post office was completed in 1941.  The mural is called "Hauling Water Pipe through Antelope Valley" and depicts a long mule-team hauling carts full of pipes through the Mojave Desert. This theme is quite distinctive compared to most historical murals showing scenes full of local notables...

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Early Commerce in the Erie Canal Region" painted by Arthur Getz in 1940.

The historic post office in Lancaster, Wisconsin houses an example of New Deal artwork: an oil-on-canvas mural by Tom Rose entitled "Farm Yard." Commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, the work was completed in 1940.

This oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Taking Toll" (a.k.a. “Indians Demanding Wagon Toll”) was painted in 1939 by Leo J. Beaulaurier.  The work is installed above the Postmaster's door at the Langdon, North Dakota post office. According to a local newspaper story, this was the first Federal building artwork to be sponsored by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts program in the state; the local Postmaster was quoted as saying that Langdon was the smallest city in the nation to be "granted a mural." (The source for this information is an un-cited article, dated Oct. 12, 1939, included in the National...

Charles Kaeselau's oil-on-canvas mural "Rural New Hampshire" at the Lebanon, New Hampshire post office was painted with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds and completed in 1939.  According to the contract for the project dated Jul. 1, 1938, the mural was to be "14' wide by 4'8" high, with a total approximate area of 61 sq. ft." Mr. Kaeselau was paid $830 for the project: $200 for the preliminary design, $300 for a "full size cartoon and photograph," and $330 upon completion and approved installation of the mural.

The post office contains a mural painted by Stuart R. Purser, "Ginnin' Cotton." Purser's design was the winning design for Mississippi in the 48-State mural competition.

The historic post office in Lemont, Illinois houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Canal Boats," an oil-on-canvas mural commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and completed in 1938.  

This 1940 mural "Electrification" by David Stone Martin was a winner of the Treasury Section's 48-State Post Office Mural competition.

New Deal mural entitled "Rural Free Delivery" painted by A. Criss Glasell in 1938.

John H. R. Pickett painted this oil on canvas mural, entitled "Coming 'Round the Mountain," in 1938 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The former US Postal Service facility located at 121 S. 1st St., is now located to the new facility at 557 E. Commerce St., Lewisburg, TN 37091. The mural was also relocated to the new facility.

New Deal mural entitled "Old Time Camp Meeting" painted by Robert F. Gates in 1940. Mr. Gates also painted a mural for the Oakland, MD post office.

The tempera mural "Lewistown Milestones" was painted by Ida Abelman and installed in the Lewistown, Illinois post office in 1941. The New Deal Art Registry notes that the mural "can be seen 24-7 through a glass window."

The historic Lexington branch post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” painted by Aiden Lassell Ripley in 1940.

"Autumn Fields" is a Section of Fine Arts mural completed by Avery Johnson in 1939 for the Liberty post office. The size of the mural is 12'3" x 4'3" and the medium is oil on canvas.

The mural "Story of the Big Fish," completed with New Deal funds in 1939, was created for the historic post office in Liberty, and has since been relocated.

"Cutting Timber" is a Section of Fine Arts mural completed by Fay E. Davis in 1940 for the Ligonier post office. The size of the mural is 13'11" x 5'3" and the medium is oil on canvas.

The post office contains a mural entitled "Threshing Grain" painted by Richard Jansen in 1938. It was restored in 2004. Mr. Jansen also painted murals for the post offices at Sauk Centre, MN and Reedsburg, WI. Most New Deal post office murals were funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The historic post office in Linden, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural, titled "Cotton Pickers," completed in 1939. The mural was renamed, "The Last Crop."  

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Smoky River" painted by Birger Sandzen in 1938. Smoky River was painted close to Linsborg, KS with the style that he was well known for with strong brush strokes. At the time this work was completed, Sandzen was 67 years old and the brush strokes are not as energetic as his earlier work, but still have a similar quality. Birger Sandzen was born in Sweden and studied under Anders Zorn in Sweden at what became the Artists League. He studied in Paris under Aman-Jean, a contemporary of Seurat who introduced Sandzen...

Elof Wedin painted this oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Street Scene," in 1937 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the Litchfield post office lobby.

This mural, "The Newcomers" by Margaret Covey Chisholm was completed with New Deal funds in 1940.

The mural "The Pony Express Station" was completed with federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds and installed in the historic Lockhart post office in 1939.

The historic post office building in Long Beach, New York houses a New Deal mural commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts: "The Pleasures of the Bathing Beach," painted by Jon Corbino. The mural was installed in 1939.  

This mural "Rural East Texas" by Thomas M. Stell Jr. was completed with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1942.

The historic post office in Louisburg, North Carolina houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Tobacco Auction," by Richard Kenah. The work was commissioned by the federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts and completed in 1939.

The mural, "Crossroads," was installed in 1938. Karl Wolfe of Jackson, MS was one of only three Mississippi artists commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts for one of the 28 works installed in the state. He was paid $310 for the painting and installation (Black, 1998).

The post office in Louisville, Ohio houses a 1941 Section of Fine Arts mural by Herschel Levit entitled "Farm and Mill." The mural is tempera, 4 1/2 x 14 feet, 1941. “An explicit statement of the union of interests of the working class appears in Herschel Levit’s mural for Louisville. A Pennsylvania artist who has recently been recognized for his architectural photography, Levit portrayed large, muscular figures who smile and wave to each other as the industrial workers leave for the mill and the farmers attend to their chores.” The mural was painted for the old Louisville post office, but when the post...

Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Industries around Loveland" painted by James Russell Sherman in 1938 for the downtown Valentine Station post office in Loveland, Colorado.

An oil-on-canvas mural entitled "The Uncovering of the Comstock Lode" was painted in 1940 by Ejnar Hansen and installed in the lobby of the Lovelock NV post office.  It is still in place today, reminding people of the immense role of the silver boom in the history of Nevada (and, indeed, the United States as a whole).

The historic post office in Lowell, Michigan houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Lumbering in Early Lowell," a tempera mural by Alfred Sessler.

The Luray post office mural, titled "Luray 1840," was painted by Sheffield Kagy in 1939. The work was commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The historic Luverne, Alabama post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Cotton Field," a mural commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, painted by Arthur Getz in 1942. Alabama Moments: "Getz received the commission for Luverne on the basis of designs he had submitted for a competition for the War Department building. As a northern artist he was warned by the Section when he proposed the theme of cotton: "It will be necessary for you to acquaint yourself thoroughly with the appearance of a cotton plant as the individuals using this post office will be especially observant on...

The historic Lynden post office contains a 1942 Section of Fine Arts mural by Mordi Gassner entitled Three Ages of Phoebe Goodell Judson. "In 1870, Judson co-founded the town of Lynden with her husband, Holden Allen Judson. She lived in the community until her death in 1926 at age 94. Just 2 months earlier, she had self-published a memoir, "A Pioneer’s Search for an Ideal Home." Murals depicting pioneer live and early European-American settlement were a popular subject for New Deal murals." (depts.washington.edu)

S. Douglass Crockwell painted "Signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek" in 1944 with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Crockwell, a commercial artist, "...departed from type and explored dark and emotive styling to depict a critical event in local history....The event...was critical to the formation of Macon as well as the larger area in Mississippi and Alabama" (Navarro). Medium: oil on canvas

The mural "Prairie Fire" was commissioned by the federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The tempera work was completed by Ethel Magafan and installed in the lobby of the historic Madill post office in 1941. It is still visible today.

Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Gathering Seaweed from the Sound" painted in 1940 by William Abbott Cheever.

The historic post office in Madison, Florida houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Long Staple Cotton," an oil-on-canvas mural completed by George Snow Hill in 1937. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. This mural, along with several others under the care of USPS, were covered following complaints about its content in Aug. 2020. Greene Publishing reported on the mural's getting covered with black plastic: The painting depicts workers preparing cotton to be bailed and shipped out. The painting pays tribute to the long staple cotton industry that was the economic engine that drove much of...