
"Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
"Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM "Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
"Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
Description
The old Main Post Office in Arlington VA, opened in 1937, contains seven New Deal murals by Auriel Bessemer in its lobby. The mural series is titled, “Agricultural and Industrial Scenes – Sketches of Virginia.” They were commissioned by the Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts, painted in 1939 and installed in 1940.
Auriel Bessemer was a local artist and the panels show familiar scenes of Virginia life in the past. The seven panels depict Indians on Analostan Island, Captain John Smith and the Indians, tobacco picking at the Lee mansion, Robert E. Lee receiving his Confederate commission in Richmond, a picnic at Great Falls, polo players at Fort Myers and a 1930s-era harvest at an apple orchard.
During the recent renovation of the old main post office, the murals were conserved and exhibited at Arlington’s Central Library. After the building reopened in 2007, the murals were returned to their permanent home.
As can be seen in the titles of the murals and the photographs, Bessemer’s murals represent a conventional view of Virginia history that portrays native peoples, African slavery and Confederate General Lee in an uncritical manner. Understandably, they are controversial today for presenting an elite White view of the state’s past. Nevertheless, they are historic artworks and witness to past ideologies, as well as past artistic styles.
(A discussion of how to deal with controversial artworks can be found on the Living New Deal website)
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"Robert E. Lee Accepting Command of the Armies in Virginia"
"Robert E. Lee Accepting Command of the Armies in Virginia"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Robert E. Lee Accepting Command of the Armies in Virginia"
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"An Old-Fashioned Picnic at Great Falls"
"An Old-Fashioned Picnic at Great Falls"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"An Old-Fashioned Picnic at Great Falls"
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"Arlington Polo Players at Fort Myer"
"Arlington Polo Players at Fort Myer"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Arlington Polo Players at Fort Myer"
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"Apple Harvest"
"Apple Harvest"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Apple Harvest"
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"Early Indian Life on Analostan Island"
"Early Indian Life on Analostan Island"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Early Indian Life on Analostan Island"
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"Captain John Smith Meets the Massawomeck Indians"
"Captain John Smith Meets the Massawomeck Indians"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Captain John Smith Meets the Massawomeck Indians"
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"Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
"Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Tobacco Picking in the Late Colonial Era"
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"Robert E. Lee Accepting Command of the Armies in Virginia"
"Robert E. Lee Accepting Command of the Armies in Virginia"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Robert E. Lee Accepting Command of the Armies in Virginia"
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"An Old-Fashioned Picnic at Great Falls"
"An Old-Fashioned Picnic at Great Falls"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"An Old-Fashioned Picnic at Great Falls"
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"Arlington Polo Players at Fort Myer"
"Arlington Polo Players at Fort Myer"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Arlington Polo Players at Fort Myer"
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"Apple Harvest"
"Apple Harvest"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Apple Harvest"
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"Early Indian Life on Analostan Island"
"Early Indian Life on Analostan Island"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Early Indian Life on Analostan Island"
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"Captain John Smith Meets the Massawomeck Indians"
"Captain John Smith Meets the Massawomeck Indians"
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM Used with permission of the United States Postal Service©. All rights reserved.
"Captain John Smith Meets the Massawomeck Indians"
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
SUBMIT MORE INFORMATION OR PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THIS SITE
See book on these murals and the artist. “Apple Picking, Tobacco Harvesting and General Lee” by Toby McIntosh [email protected]
https://virginianewdealart.com