Post Office Mural – Greybull WY

The fresco “Chuck Wagon Serenade” was painted by Manuel A. Bromberg in 1940. It was a winner of the Treasury Section’s 48-State Post Office Mural Competition.

Annals of Wyoming:

In June, 1939, the Treasury Section conducted a national competition from which 48 paintings were selected, one for a post office commission in each of the states. The December 4th issue of Life magazine carried a brief story on the contest and reproduced the 48 winning designs. Manuel Bromberg’s painting, “Chuck Wagon Serenade,” was picked for Wyoming’s new post office in Greybull; Bromberg, a 22-year-old artist studying at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, had exhibited his painting widely and had done murals for the Section in both Oklahoma and Illinois. The Greybull commission was for $840 and with the Life article, Greybull residents had a preview of their new mural. From civic clubs in Greybull came notes of protest, the tone of which is indicated by this excerpt:

“Many exceptions have been taken to the proposed mural. Including such things, as the peculiar looking individuals supposed to be cowboys, the background of rather uncertain description and the lack of any feeling to the picture.”

Unlike the other Section commissions done in Wyoming, the Bromberg painting had no direct link with the immediate locale; a prairie scene of cowboys singing to the accompaniment of harmonica and guitar, the mural was the product of the artist’s own imagination. The theme is universal rather than local, the figures stylized, not overtly realistic. Writing from Washington, Rowan came to the defense of the painting. To one of the critics he pointed out that it had been chosen in a competition “open to every American artist,” that its design was truly distinguished and that its details could, of course, be tailored to the Wyoming locale. Made aware of the tensions, Bromberg assured Rowan that he would strive to win over the local people and that he would be “extremely cautious with the authenticity of the costumes and the region.

Thanks to his prize-winning design, Bromberg worked with few suggestions from Washington. The mural was first exhibited at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and when he had seen pictures of it. Rowan commended the artist; “The work seems to us authentic in feeling, beautiful in painting quality, vital in design and distinctive in mood.” The mural was installed on September 4, 1940; the postmaster thought it a “real work of art”, and that it would be appreciated by most of the people in the area. Bromberg too was pleased with the outcome:

“The entire staff of the post office have been more than kind and happy about the mural; they assisted me no end with the installation. The postmaster is delighted and the natives of the Town, as much as I could gather from their comments seemed more than satisfied. Which makes for a happy ending.”

Not so happy a note was the young artist’s economic plight. Correspondence with the Section in the course of the commission suggests that his financial status was most precarious. The first segment of his commission pay he used to cover old debts; the Greybull assignment itself had kept him from qualifying for local relief payments, yet on a day-to-day basis he was without “financial sustenance.” In a final letter to Rowan, the artist sketched a situation which plagued many artists during the depression:

At this point I am tempted to burden you with personal troubles (financial) …. I realize that you must receive many such letters. So when I say I am in great need of the final payment and another commission I know you won’t take it too lightly. Believe me it irks me to annoy you about such matters.

Post Office Mural – Ogallala NE

This oil-on-canvas mural entitled “Long Horns” was painted by Frank Mechau in 1938.

“Painted in muted green, gray, and brown tones, the mural depicts a cowboy driving a herd of longhorns. The cattle occupy almost the entire foreground of the mural with crowded shapes that suggest the enormity of the herd. The artist utilized elongated shapes for the horse and cattle, particularly in the animals’ heads which imparts a sense of motion. The cowboy is almost devoid of features which emphasizes the landscape and directs the viewer’s gaze into the scene. The broad sweep of the landscape reinforces the sense of the vast plains. The mural was cleaned and restored by an art conservator under contract with the U.S. Postal Service, and it is in excellent condition.”
(https://communitydisc.westside66.org)

Post Office Mural – Anson TX

The historic Anson post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: an oil-on-canvas mural entitled “Cowboy Dance,” painted by Jenne Magafan in 1941. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

Post Office Mural – Giddings TX

The historic post office in Giddings, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural, titled “Cowboys Receiving the Mail,” completed in 1939.

Post Office Mural – Odessa TX

The mural “The Stampede” by Tom Lea was painted for the historic former post office building in Odessa, Texas. The work, which has since been relocated to the city’s current post office, was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. A sign in the post office says that this mural was inspired by the song “Little Joe the Wrangler.”

Post Office Bas Relief – Hereford TX

“On the Range,” a painted wood carving, was created in 1941 by Enid Bell for the then-new Hereford post office with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

In 1967, a contractor remodeling the post office took this piece home. The GSA tracked it down but kept it in storage for years. It was returned to Hereford in 1973, and “On the Range” is once again housed at the post office. It can be found in the inner, retail lobby.

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum: Bugbee Murals – Canyon TX

Harodl Bugbee completed two murals for the museum. “The Cattlemen” was completed with funds from the PWAP in 1934. “Ranch Headquarters” was completed in 1940 with support from the WPA Federal Art Project.

Post Office Mural – Canyon TX

The Canyon, Texas post office mural “Strays,” painted by Francis Ankrom, was sponsored by the Section of Fine Arts. The mural, which was completed and installed in 1938, went through multiple iterations of subject matter proposals and sketches before “Strays” was finalized.

Project folders at the National Archives in College Park, MD show that Ankrom had sketched the following alternative ideas for the Canyon post office mural: “In Defense of the Mail,” “Rout in Palo Duro,” and “Onward Texas.” These alternative visions are presented below.

Post Office Mural – Sulphur OK

The mural “Romance of the Mail” was completed with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1941, when it was installed in in Sulphur, Oklahoma’s historic post office building. The mural was restored in 2006.

Post Office Mural – Hamilton TX

This fresco secco mural “Texas Rangers in Camp” by Ward Lockwood was completed with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1942.