ADDRESS: 475 East Court Street, Kankakee, Illinois, 60901
ARTIST: Edouard Chassaing
TITLE: Farming
MEDIUM: Wood (carvings)
STATUS: The Kankakee post office is still an active, operating facility and the carvings can be viewed by interested members of the public. They reside in the lobby on the wall above the postmasters door.
YEAR: 1943
The Kankakee, Illinois post office is a large building. When I’m driving around photographing post offices, most often the buildings are the small square one’s you see below in related post. So naturally it was a big surprised when I arrived in Kankakee to find such a large building.
Not one, not two but three wood carvings grace the lobby in Kankakee. Although the title of the wood carving is “Farming” it encompass the three separate pieces you see below.
I found it really difficult to photograph and get good quality images. The lobby lights hang low and get in the way of shooting directly in front of the entire wall. I did my best, and took over 40 photos. How did I do? What do you think? Do you like the wood carvings? Are you more of a mural person or plaster cast artwork fan? Please comment and share below.
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
Sources
- Personal visit on 10/18/2014 by David W. Gates Jr.
- Illinois Post Office Mural Guidebook
- United States Postal Service
- Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal
: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
- Daily Journal
