Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Description
The 58′ x 3’4″ oil-on-canvas mural “California Landscape” by Milford Zornes wraps around all four walls of the lobby of the historic Claremont, California post office. The mural was funded by TRAP in 1937.
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Milford Zornes frieze
Milford Zornes frieze
Photo: Gene Sasse © Gene Sasse Milford Zornes frieze
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Mural, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes Artist's Signature, Claremont Post Office
Milford Zornes Artist's Signature, Claremont Post Office
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013Milford Zornes Artist's Signature, Claremont Post Office
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Milford Zornes frieze
Milford Zornes frieze
Photo: Gene Sasse © Gene Sasse Milford Zornes frieze
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Claremont Post Office, Milford Zornes frieze
Claremont Post Office, Milford Zornes frieze
Photo: Gene Sasse © Gene Sasse Claremont Post Office, Milford Zornes frieze
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Claremont Post Office Murals Wall Plaque
Claremont Post Office Murals Wall Plaque
Photo: Gene Sasse © Gene Sasse Claremont Post Office Murals Wall Plaque
Source notes
More photos by Jordan McAlister at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/4238462865/in/photostream/
We welcome
contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
Comment submitted by Maria (Zornes) and Hal Baker:
All of Milford’s papers have been donated to Pomona college in Claremont, Calif. Included in those papers are 4-5 letters from George Biddle and others who worked with Milford when he did the New Deal mural in the Claremont (Calif.) Post Office. There was some disagreement about what they wanted and what Milford wanted to do. Eventually he did what he proposed. They wanted a mural on a large wall of the Post Office and Milford wanted to do a mural around the top of the room. As I recall they were not that happy with the design he submitted either. Eventually all his papers will be archived at Pomona College and available to the public. These letters will be included.
The mural still stands in the Claremont Post office today (almost 80 years later) and is considered a local treasure despite its dated ‘new Deal’ look. Like its creator, Milford Zornes, the painting is relatively unassuming but a perfect and timeless complement to the public space which it decorates. I love the muted colors and the overall tone of the frieze. To me it is what public art ought to be—relevant to the community, telling a story, pleasing to look at and well integrated into the site. I’m glad Zornes won the battle with the bureaucrats to make it a continuous graphic–signifying the never-ending and always evolving story of Claremont.