- City:
- Kankakee, IL
- Site Type:
- Art Works, Sculpture and Bas Relief
- New Deal Agencies:
- Arts Programs, Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA)
- Artist:
- Edouard Chassaing
Description
The post office contains three wooden reliefs by Edouard Chassaing. They were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in 1934.
The work consists of 3 separate works of a pig, turkey, and duck(?) flanked by a farmer carrying a bushel of corn and a female farmer(wife) carrying a large shock of wheat.
Edouard Chassaing was born in France and immigrated to the United States, primarily working in Illinois. This work was a wood relief, but he is best known for reinforced concrete works.
Source notes
Park and Markowitz, Democratic Vistas, Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal, 1984.Site originally submitted by Charles Swaney on April 11, 2013.
At this Location:
Contribute to this Site
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.
Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site
Janet Fiore
Great to find this information. Several years ago I asked the post office staff on two occasions about the reliefs and asked if they part of The New Deal. Three-four employees were asked and not one had any knowledge of the history of the impressive wood figures. One employee told me he would ask around and get back with me. Never did. So, they likely didn’t know the history of their building either. Just one tiny example of our ignorance of and total disregard for our place histories. I’m sure only a tiny percentage of the Kankakee, Illinois area people know about this historical building and its contents.
Glad to have found the Living New Deal Project. Information there will put more meaning in future trips.