Murals Sites

"Agriculture and Industries of Ventura" Large murals depicting cattle, dairies, fields, and citrus groves and packing--all with many busy laborers.

The post office contains two sets of three murals each by Randall Davey. The murals were painted in 1941 with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. In these murals, Randall Davey portrayed the history of the Cherokee Nation in a highly sympathetic manner. This tribe, one of the “5 Civilized Tribes” had a troubled history including the forced move to Oklahoma on the “Trail of Tears”. Notes on display near the murals explain the historical basis of the works. (Some pictured below). Randall Davey was a major figure in American painting in the 20th century. He was born in New...

“In all, artwork was commissioned for 19 post offices in the Cleveland area. In 2006, only eight are still operational. In those eight, the artwork from the Depression era was still present, though almost all needed cleaning and modest restoration. These include Clarence Carter’s mural for Ravenna; John Csosz’s mural for Cleveland, University Center (newly restored); Richard Zoellner’s mural Ore Docks and Steel Mills for Cleveland’s Pearlbrook post office; Lloyd R. Ney’s painting New London Facets for New London; W. Bimel Kehm’s plaster relief Citizens for Struthers; Glen Shaw’s two stirring murals Romance of Steel, Old and Romance of Steel,...

The historic branch post office in West Allis, Wisconsin houses New Deal artwork: "Wisconsin Wild Flowers – Spring" and "Wisconsin Wild Flowers – Autumn," murals completed by Frances Foy in 1943. The works were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

"In 1939 the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts contracted Dohanos to paint six murals depicting the “Legend of James Edward Hamilton, Mail Carrier” in the West Palm Beach, Florida Post Office.  Hamilton was one of the “barefoot mailmen,” letter carriers who worked a remote stretch of rural Florida in the 1880s – a 68-mile roadless and part-by-boat route from Palm Beach to Miami, much of it by beach walking.  The round trip of 136 miles from Palm Beach to Miami and back took six days.  Hamilton mysteriously disappeared on the route, either drowned, taken by alligator, or some say,...

The post office originally contained two Section of Fine Arts murals painted by Roy Hilton in 1939. One mural, "The New Stagecoach," still hangs in the post office. The mural "Building of Westfield" was unfortunately destroyed during lobby renovations in 1964.

The post office contains two large murals collectively titled "Farm Life." The murals, painted by George Harris in 1937, were funded by TRAP. A third mural entitled "The Trek of Father Crespi--1777" was painted by Katherine Works in 1938, but has since been destroyed.

Artist F. Luis Mora painted "Arrival of the Renfro Family" and "Abundance of Today" in 1938 for what was then the Clarksville post office (now Federal Building). The two murals were placed in the lobby January 20, 1938 by the New York artist, assisted by Harry E. Brastead of the Southwest Decorating Company, Wichita, Kansas. Mora painted the murals in 4 months, and they were 12 feet by 5 feet each. Mora attributed the idea for the murals to reading the historical pageant of Clarksville, "Through the Mist of the Years" written by Rev. Arthur E. Whittle. One of the...

This 1936 post office contains multiple examples of New Deal artwork, all funded by the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP). "The prominent American artist illustrator and author Ernest Peixotto was commissioned to paint five murals which are in themselves, a tour of historic Oyster Bay, depicting scenes from 1653 to 1936. The vaulted ceiling was painted by Peixotto assistant, Arthur Sturges and depicts beautiful women representing different countries sending mail to North America on ships and planes. Mercury, the winged messenger, sits atop the dome to receive the mail with speed. Leo Lentelli, a noted Italian sculptor, whose work can be seen...

The former Cliffside Park, New Jersey post office contained a 1938 Section of Fine Arts relief entitled “Rural Delivery” by Bruno Neri, then of Perth Amboy. The present status and location of the relief is unknown to Living New Deal. Bruno Neri was issued the $710 contract to create the relief on November 25, 1936; the contract was for: "Preliminary design, full size cartoon, labor, materials, scaffolding, etc., necessary for the designing, and finishing of a full size relief and its installation in the Post Office building at Cliffside Park, N.J." Final payment for the completed work was approved May 17,...

The historic Cortland post office houses a wonderfully unique example of New Deal artwork: a painted wooden relief entitled "Valley of the Seven Hills" completed in 1943 by Ryah Ludins. The work, which was commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts, can be seen in the post office lobby to this day.

A 1941 Section of Fine Arts-funded wooden relief titled "The Moravian Communion – Lititz Springs Picnic" was carved by Joseph Nicolosi and hangs in the post office lobby.

The Treasury Section of Fine Arts commissioned two plaster bas-reliefs by Mary Kittredge for the post office in Delta, Colorado.  They are entitled "Cattle" and "Fruit", and were installed in 1942. The murals are still in place and the building was placed on the National Register in 1986.

Two glazed ceramic tile murals grace the front porch of the Monterey, California main post office.  Both were created by Stanton Willard in 1933.  The murals are titled,  "Raising the Flag at Monterey by the Forces of Commander Sloat, July 7, 1846" and "The landing of Sebastian Viscaino at Monterey, December 16, 1602".   The murals are very large, 4' x 6' and 4' x 8'. The stand at opposite ends of the recessed front porch. They were likely commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Art, but they might have been done under the Treasury Relief Art Project in 1933-34. 

The historic post office in Pacific Grove, California, holds a mural by noted artist Victor Arnautoff (famous for his murals in Coit Tower and George Washington High School in San Francisco).  The mural was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and hung in the post office lobby in 1940, two years after the building was completed.  The large 4 x 15 foot, oil-on-canvas mural is called "Lovers' Point" and depicts an idyllic beach scene.  

"Agricultural Scenes in Virginia" is one of two murals created for the Petersburg post office under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The oil-on-canvas work depicts two primary agricultural crops of Virginia: tobacco and peanuts. It was painted in 1937 by William Calfee.

The four panels of the New Deal mural "Characteristic Local Scenes in Portsmouth" were painted by Clarence Carter. The work was sponsored by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The historic post office and Federal Building in Merced, California houses multiple examples of New Deal artwork, among which is "Jedediah Smith Crossing the Merced River" a 6' x 8' tempera-on-plaster mural. The work, by Helen Forbes, was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

"Riding to Hounds" is one of two murals created for the Petersburg post office under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The work, which depicts Virginia fox hunting, was painted in 1937 by Edwin S. Lewis.

The historic post office and Federal Building in Merced, California houses multiple examples of New Deal artwork, among which is "Vacheros," a 6' x 8' tempera-on-canvas mural. The work, by Dorothy Puccinelli, was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The oil-on-canvas murals "Waterfront" and "Coal Barges" were painted by Richard Zoellner. Installed in the historic Portsmouth, Ohio post office, they were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

Stefan Hirsch painted this oil on canvas mural, entitled "Scenic and Historic Booneville," in 1943, in what was then the Booneville post office, with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The mural is viewable in the lobby.

“A notable artistic feature of the Main Post Chapel is a large fresco painted in 1935 by Victor Arnautoff and his assistants. With St. Francis at its center, the mural depicts a historical pageant related to the founding of the Presidio and the peacetime activities of the Army. Recognized as a leading artist of the period, Arnautoff painted the murals at Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill and in Washington High School, and taught graphic arts at Stanford. "Victor Mikhail Arnautoff was born in the Ukraine in 1896. He served as Cavalry officer in Czar Nicholas II’s army, received the Cross of...

"The Grand March" petrachrome mural was created in 1940 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project.   The artist is unknown to the Living New Deal.  

Mitchell Jamieson painted this mural "Tobacco Cutters" in 1938 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in what was previously the post office.

"Pawtucket native Edward Dubuque produced the set of five murals under the auspices of the Federal Emergency Relief Association (FERA) as an art project, and they were formally dedicated on April 23, 1935. Dubuque went on to produce backdrop sets for MGM. The five murals extending around three walls of the main room represent characters and incidents from well-known literature for boys and girls."   (www.provlib.org) The murals are as follows: Panel 1, South Wall Scene: Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Humpty-Dumpty Measures 90 x 140 inches Panel 2, South Wall (with intake grate in middle) Scene: Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn; Robinson Crusoe Measures 90 x 133 inches (grate...

Brockton, Massachusetts received a large rotunda mural commissioned by the WPA. Entitled "A History of Books and Printing," the "murals were painted as a WPA project in 1940-41 by Fritz Fuglister and carefully restored in 2003 by artist/restorer John Arapoff as part of a complete renovation and expansion." The artist-painted description (pictured here): "Showing Ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Greek methods; the works of the early Europeans and Persians; the period of transition, with Gutenburg the inventor of printing with movable type; early English and American formats; the development of the machine, the Lineotype, the Camera and the Press."

This Section of Fine Arts tempera-on-canvas mural “Saturday in Enterprise” was painted by Virginia-born artist Paul Arlt for the Enterprise post office in 1941. Arlt received the commission on the basis of an entry in the 48 States Competition, depicting a city scene of downtown Enterprise at the corner of the famous boll weevil monument. The mural now hangs in the Enterprise public library.

The egg tempera-on-gesso mural "Reforestation" was commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts under the Treasury Department and installed in what was then the post office for Haleyville, Alabama in 1940. "When the post office moved in 1970, the city took over the old post office building. Since then, the mural has been painted over at least 3 times. Three silver dollar sized areas of paint have been removed by an art conservator. The local historical society is in the process of raising funds to have the entire mural uncovered--upwards of $25,000." (newdealartregistry.com)

Rockport, Massachusetts's public library houses a Federal Art Project (FAP) mural titled "Rockport Goes to War". The mural was painted by Samuel F. Hershey. The mural hands in a corridor on the second floor.

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

The library contains four murals by Jerry Bywaters completed under the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in in 1934: "Rebuilding Paris," "The 1916 Paris Fire--3rd Worst in American History," "John Chisum," and "Davy Crockett.  

Two beautiful bas-relief wood carvings by Remo Scardigli hang in the Monterey Public Library.  The were originally in the old library, then moved to the new one when the old building was replaced. The 2.5' x 8' oak wood carving, "Monterey Fisherman" and the 33 x 23 inch wood relief "Artichoke Pickers" both hang on the main floor near the main desk. The exact date of the carvings is not known to us.

This 16' x 6' oil on canvas entitled "The Old Tavern" was painted by Nicolai Cikovsky in 1937 for the former Silver Spring Post Office, under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. When the old post office closed down in 1981, the mural was moved to the Silver Spring Public Library – which itself relocated in recent years to Wayne Avenue.

An enormous mural cycle by Stanton Macdonald-Wright, entitled  "Invention and Imagination," hangs in the Santa Monica Public Library.  It consists of 30 panels painted on plywood and covers a total of 2,000 square feet.  The mural cycle was created under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in 1934 and completed in 1935. In the original installation in the old Santa Monica Public Library at 503 Santa Monica Boulevard, the murals covered all the wall space in the reading room. When that library was torn down in 1965, the mural panels were put in storage at the Smithsonian...

Public School 11, formerly Public School 91, and also known as the Highbridge School, is a Romanesque Revival building built in 1889. In 1937-39, a two-panel oil on canvas mural by Francis Costa was added over the stage. Painted under the auspices of the WPA's Federal Art Project, the murals depict The Old Bronx & The Bronx Today.

Walter Inglis Anderson and his brother, James McConnell Anderson were commissioned in 1935 to create murals for the 1927 Ocean Springs Public High School as part of the Public Works of Art Project. “Ocean Springs: Past and Present” was a six-panel oil on canvas. “The Fish and Bird Mural” was a tile mural constructed in four sections. Both are in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art since 1991. Anderson’s murals were painted on canvas sheets and then glued to the wall of the school auditorium, flanking the stage. Two were 14 feet long horizontal panels and placed on the wall between...