Illinois Sites

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Loading the Packet" painted by Fay E. Davis in 1940.

The post contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Rail Roading" painted using egg tempera on gesso in 1942 by Arthur H. Lidov.

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Clinton in Winter" painted by Aaron Bohrod in 1939.

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural "Chicago, Railroad Center of the Nation" painted by Elizabeth Tracy in 1940. In the 1930’s, many jobs programs were created to help those who were struggling during the depression. The Federal Arts Project under the WPA was a program that employed artists. Murals were a large part of the Federal Arts Project of the New Deal. The Section of the Fine Arts commissioned many artworks like these to be created for federal buildings, such as post offices, and this mural in particular is a great statement about the city of Chicago...

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "The Stage at Dawn" painted in 1937 by Carlos Lopez.

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural "The Letter" painted by Frances Foy in 1936. Two elderly women meet at the front gate of a house with surrounding flowers, reading a letter, sharing the time. Park and Markowitz noted that she often portrayed women at the center of the work and used delicate colors and forms. As with the nearby Wood River work, this is more of a large easel work rather than a large mural, though the subject matter lends itself well to this scale. Frances Foy was born in Chicago and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago...

"Located at the East Moline post office is a mural entitled “Early Settlers of Moline along the Mississippi” by Edgar Britton. Created in 1936, this mural is considered a “fresco." Britton was born in 1901in Kearney, Nebraska. He studied at the University of Iowa from 1918-1920 and was a student of Grant Wood’s from 1920 to 1924. Britton completed seven mural projects for both the WPA and the Section, including a mural in the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. While he is best known for his murals—and was, in fact, Director of the mural division of the Illinois Art...

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Mining in Illinois" painted by William Schwartz in 1937.

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural "There Was Vision" painted by George Melville Smith in 1938.

Artist William Schwartz painted this mural titled "Old Settlers" for the Fairfield post office in 1936, under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The mural “White Fawn” by artist Miriam McKinnie (Hofmeier) was commissioned by the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts in 1939 to be placed at the Forest Park Post Office. The history of the mural began in 1880, when the original White Fawn was built. The original White Fawn, a side-wheeler steamboat, was built by the sons of Ferdinand Haase, Leo G. Haase and William F. Haase, to be used as an excursion boat at the Haase home on the Des Plaines River. Ferdinand Haase, a pioneer settler who came to the area in 1851, founded Haase Park in 1880. A...

Aaron Bohrod painted this oil on canvas mural, entitled "Breaking the Prairie--Log City, 1837," in 1938 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the Galesburg post office lobby. "Galesburg, IL was a planned community, established in 1837 by Presbyterian minister George Washington Gale who lead his parishioners from Oneida, NY. The purpose of their colonization of the prairie was to bring religion and education to the frontier. When they first arrived in Galesburg, these 50 families built a temporary town, 'Log City' in which they lived as they built their permanent homes and an early version of...

"When the federal government commissioned a mural for the post office in 1941, the painter, Manuel Bromberg, had to work out the subject matter with the people of the town. The title of the mural is 'Fish Fry in the Park.' "The mural embellishes the Geneva post office, built by the New Deal in 1938. Located within the Central Geneva Historic District , which contains 68 historic buildings (including Frank Lloyd Wright’s P. D. Hoyt House), the post office was a busy place for decades. But years ago, as part of a nation-wide strategy to abandon large downtown post offices, the...

Gustaf Dahlstrom painted this oil on canvas mural, entitled "Illinois Farm," in 1936, for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the lobby of the Gillespie post office.

The post office contains a 1937 Treasury Section of Fine Arts mural by Dan Rhodes entitled "Settlers Building." The mural depicts a group of settlers constructing a house.

This mural entitled “On the River” by Edmund D. Lewandowski was painted in 1941. It was one of the 48-State post office mural competition winners. The title for this mural is mistakenly listed as "Threshing Grain" in several sources. It is thought that an initial sketch was of a threshing grain scene. Medium: oil on canvas

"The mural in the photo above, titled “George Rogers Clark Confers with the Indians Near Herrin, Illinois” was painted by Gustaf Dalstrom and installed in the Herrin post office originally on May 27, 1940.  It was rededicated May 26, 2011, after a 47-year absence. In 1964 the lobby was renovated, and the mural was noted as being destroyed during the project.  The assistant postmaster at the time, Paul Popham (now deceased), salvaged the mural from the dumpster, however.  As there seemed to be little community interest in the mural, Paul's son, Tom Popham, took the mural with him when he...

The historic post office in Lemont, Illinois houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Canal Boats," an oil-on-canvas mural commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and completed in 1938.  

The tempera mural "Lewistown Milestones" was painted by Ida Abelman and installed in the Lewistown, Illinois post office in 1941. The New Deal Art Registry notes that the mural "can be seen 24-7 through a glass window."

"Located at the Moline post office is a mural entitled "Ploughshare Manufacturing" by Edward Millman. Created in 1937, this mural is an “egg tempera on gesso” ... Born in Chicago in 1907, Edward Millman attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later became the chief illustrator for the Chicago Evening American. He is regarded as one the most productive Depression-era muralists in Illinois, creating post office murals in Decatur, Moline, and Chicago. The mural located in Moline--“Ploughshare Manufacturing”—has been described as “depict laborers…in a dramatic and dynamic scene where workers and machines almost struggle with each other”"

The mural "Rural Scenes—Wakurusa Valley" was painted in 1941 by Irene Bianucci as a Section of Fine Arts-funded work. Itwas installed in the lobby of the historic Mount Carroll post office.

The mural "The Growth of Mount Morris" was completed with New Deal funds in 1939.

Henry Bernstein completed this tempera-on-plaster mural, entitled "The Covered Bridge," in 1941 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the Mt. Sterling post office lobby.

"George Martin's Home Overlooking Old Naper Hill," a mural painted by Rainey Bennett in 1941, was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and was installed in what is now Naperville's Washington Street post office (and a bank). The mural has since been relocated to what Naperville's new main post office.

This Section of Fine Arts mural the "Barn Yard" was created by artist Zoltan Sepeshy in 1942. It is a tempera painting on wall board. A recent local article (pictured below) describes the mural: "The next time you visit the Nashville Post Office to mail a letter or get a stamp, lift up your head and look at the mural on the west wall above the post office boxes... The local mural, entitled, 'Barnyard.' depicts this area's agricultural heritage. Painted in 1941 by Zoltan Sepeshy, the mural is of significant historical value."

The post office contains a 1938 Section of Fine Arts mural by Albert Pels entitled “Development of the State Normal School.” Normal IL is the home of Illinois State University, formally the Normal School, a school for the education of teachers. The work shows the process of teaching children and adults in reading, mathematics, and music with the student graduating to the right side and assuming work on the far right. The work is partially obscured by construction. Albert Pels was born in Cincinnati, OH and studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy, the Art Student’s League, Beaux Arts, and the American School....

This tempera-on-plaster mural "The Pioneer and Democracy" by David Cheskin was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The historic post office in Pittsfield, Illinois houses an example of New Deal artwork: a mural entitled "Champ Clark Bridge," sponsored by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

Rainey Bennett completed this oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Hart Fellows, Builder of Rushville," in 1939 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the Rushville post office lobby.

Ralf Henriksen painted this oil on canvas mural, entitled "Going to Work," in 1941 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the lobby of the Staunton post office.

The post office contains a 1935 Section of Fine Arts mural by Aaron Bohrod entitled “Old State Capital in Vandalia, Illinois.” Idyllic vision of the old state capital in Vandalia, Illinois with men walking to the side door which is open and children and dogs playing on the yard. The capital is an intimate building closely surrounded by the downtown square. Large trees and lawn enhance the idyllic nature of the scene. Aaron Bohrod was born in 1907 on the west side of Chicago. He studied at the Chicago Art Institute for 2 years and then went to the Student’s Art League...

The post office contains a 1939 Section of Fine Arts mural by James Daugherty entitled "Illinois Pastoral." This is a strong mural showing people involved in agriculture, interesting in that the people are shown as most important, having a great deal of energy and bright colors, whereas the land, corn and other agriculture products are in the background. Although the mural has been exposed to sunlight for many years, the colors are vibrant. James Daugherty was born in North Carolina, but his family moved frequently to Indiana, Ohio, and then to Washington, DC where he studied at the Corcoran School of Art....

This painting "In the Soil Is Our Wealth" by Raymond Breinin was completed with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1938.

The post office contains a 1937 Section of Fine Arts mural by Archibald Motley entitled "Stagecoach and Mail." Project Description: Unusual work in that it is more of an easel-type painting that is placed in the post office. The scale is excellent and has interesting non-representational elements such as the tree roots and the tree branches. The rear wheels are oversized in relation to the remainder of the coach. Archibald Motley was born in New Orleans of Creole and African American ancestry. His family moved to Chicago, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. He devoted his work to portraying Black subjects...

The Decatur post office contains several Treasury Section of Fine Arts murals by Edward Millman, Mitchell Siporin and Edgar Britton. The murals were completed in 1938. Three different halls in the post office contain murals by each artist respectively. Edward Millman Murals: One hall contains a series of three murals, consisting of two panels each, by Edward Millman. The murals are titled “Early Pioneers,” Social Consciousness,” and “Growth of Democracy in Illinois.” The murals show early pioneers and the development of social consciousness, but do so by showing the suffering of soldiers, Indians, blacks, and the common man. A judge or politician dressed...

"J. Theodore Johnson is best known for the four murals he created for the Oak Park post office in Chicago" (https://americanart.si.edu). The murals were funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in 1939. Each depicts a historically significant moment in the area's history.

Section of Fine Arts plaster relief entitled "Means of Mail Transportation" created by Edouard Chassaing in 1937.

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.

The post office contains a unique terra-cotta relief sculpture by H. Arnold Newell. Entitled "Post Rider," the piece was funded by the Section of Fine Arts in 1941.

Bernard J. (Tony) Rosenthal completed a wood carving, entitled "Coal Mining," in 1941 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The work is installed in the lobby of the Nokomis, Illinois post office.