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Charles Umlauf

Charles Umlauf

Illinois Post Office Mural Artists

By

Harry Sternberg
Harry Sternberg

The following is a list of all the artists that created murals in Illinois post offices during the New Deal. As I’ve been doing my research I felt it might be helpful for others so I decided to write-up an article with my findings.

If you ever visit the National Archives in Washington DC, then you may notice this comes in handy. Some of the records and files are organized by state. Other records are organized by the name of the artists.

I found it useful to have a listing of both. So here it is.

Illinois Post Office Mural Artist

  1. Abingdon, Illinois – Newell Hillis Arnold
  2. Berwyn, Illinois – Richard Haines
  3. Brookfield, Illinois – Edouard Chassaing
  4. Bushnell, Illinois – Reva Jackman
  5. Carlyle, Illinois – Curt Drewes
  6. Carmi, Illinois – William Davenport Griffin
  7. Carthage, Illinois – Karl Kelpe
  8. Chester, Illinois – Fay Elizabeth Davis
  9. Chicago, Former Chestnut – Frances Foy
  10. Chicago, Former Chestnut – Gustaf Dalstrom
  11. Chicago, Kedzie – Peterpaul Ott
  12. Chicago, Lakeview – Harry Sternberg
  13. Chicago, Logan Square – Hildreth Meiere
  14. Chicago, Morgan Park – John Theodore Johnson
  15. Chicago, Uptown – Henry Varnum Poor
  16. Chillicothe, Illinois – Arthur Herschel Lidov
  17. Clinton, Illinois – Aaron Bohrod
  18. Decatur, Illinois – Edward Millman
  19. Decatur, Illinois – Edgar Britton
  20. Decatur, Illinois – Mitchell Siporin
  21. Des Plaines, Illinois – James Michael Newell
  22. Downers Grove, Illinois – Elizabeth Tracy
  23. Dwight, Illinois – Carlos Lopez
  24. East Alton, Illinois – Frances Foy
  25. East Moline, Illinois – Edgar Britton
  26. Eldorado, Illinois – William Samuel Schwartz
  27. Elmhurst, Illinois – George Melville Smith
  28. Evanston, Illinois – Robert Isaiah Russin
  29. Evanston, Illinois – Armin Alfred Scheler
  30. Fairfield, Illinois – William Samuel Schwartz
  31. Flora, Illinois – William Davenport Griffin
  32. Forest Park, Illinois – Miriam McKinnie Hofmeier
  33. Galesburg, Illinois – Aaron Board
  34. Geneva, Illinois – Manuel Abraham Bromberg
  35. Gibson City, Illinois – Frances Foy
  36. Gillespie, Illinois – Gustaf Dalstrom
  37. Glen Ellyn, Illinois – Daniel Rhodes
  38. Hamilton, Illinois – Edmund D. Lewandowski
  39. Herrin, Illinois – Gustaf Dalstrom
  40. Homewood, Illinois – Maurine Montgomery Gibbs
  41. Kankakee, Illinois – Edouard Chassaing
  42. Lemont, Illinois – Charles Turzak
  43. Lewistown, Illinois – Ida Abelman
  44. Madison, Illinois – Alexander Raymond Katz
  45. Marseilles, Illinois – Avery Johnson
  46. Marshall, Illinois – Miriam McKinnie Hofmeier
  47. McLeansboro, Illinois – Dorothea Mierisch
  48. Melrose Park, Illinois – Edwin Boyd Johnson
  49. Moline, Illinois – Edward Millman
  50. Morton, Illinois – Charles Umlauf
  51. Mount Carroll, Illinois – Irene Soravia Bianucci
  52. Mount Morris, Illinois – Dale Nichols
  53. Mount Sterling, Illinois – Henry Bernstein
  54. Naperville, Illinois – Rainey Bennett
  55. Nashville, Illinois – Zoltan Sepeshy
  56. Nokomis, Illinois – Bernard J. Rosenthal
  57. Normal, Illinois – Albert Pels
  58. Oak Park, Illinois – John Theodore Johnson
  59. O’Fallon, Illinois – Merlin F. Pollock
  60. Oglesby, Illinois – Fay Elizabeth Davis
  61. Oregon, Illinois – David B. Cheskin
  62. Park Ridge, Illinois – George Melville Smith
  63. Peoria, Illinois – Freeman Schoolcraft
  64. Petersburg, Illinois – John Winters
  65. Pittsfield, Illinois – William Samuel Schwartz
  66. Plano, Illinois – Peterpaul Ott
  67. Rock Falls, Illinois – Curt Drewes
  68. Rushville, Illinois – Rainey Bennett
  69. Salem, Illinois – Walter Vladimir Rousseff
  70. Sandwich, Illinois – Marshall Maynard Fredericks
  71. Shelbyville, Illinois – Lucia May Wiley
  72. Staunton, Illinois – Ralf Christian Henricksen
  73. Tuscola, Illinois – Edwin Boyd Johnson
  74. Vandalia, Illinois – Aaron Board
  75. Virden, Illinois – James Daugherty
  76. White Hall, Illinois – Felix Oscar Schlag
  77. Wilmette, Illinois – Raymond Breinin
  78. Wood River – Roxana, Illinois – Archibald Motley Jr.
New Deal Artists Biographies NARA
New Deal Artists Biographies NARA
New Deal Artists Biographies NARA

Sources

Paulding Ohio Post Office

By

Paulding OH Post Office 45879
Paulding OH Post Office 45879

ADDRESS: 121 West, Jackson Street, Paulding, Ohio, 45879
ARTIST: Charles Umlauf
TITLE: Industry
MEDIUM: Wood (relief)
STATUS: The Paulding post office is still an active, operating facility, and the relief can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the lobby on the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1940

Thanksgiving 2015 was spent with my wife’s side of the family. This involved driving out to Ohio. Since I like to make the most of my long distance trips I selected Paulding, Ohio as one of our stops on the way home. Honestly, it was just on my list of buildings to visit. I had no idea it had a wood caring let along a very large wood carving.

I was completely surprise and I guess that is another reason I took 75 pictures during this visit.

I only know of a few large wood carvings. Greenville, Tennessee and now Paulding, Ohio. I have to say this adds a very nice variety to our collection of artwork.

There are several reason I like the carvings. First I don’t think they need to be refinished or restored like a mural. Murals tend to fade and become discolored over time. Where as a wood carving tends to just age slowly. If that makes any sense.

What do you know about large wood carvings? Do you like this one? What can you tell use about it? Please comment and share below.

David W. Gates Jr.

Paulding Ohio Post Office 45879
Paulding Ohio Post Office 45879 Lobby
Paulding Ohio Post Office 45879 Cornerstone
Paulding Ohio Post Office 45879
Paulding Ohio Post Office 45879
Paulding Ohio Post Office 45879
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Center
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail
Paulding Ohio Post Office Carving 45879 Detail

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“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”

Sources

Former Morton Illinois Post Office

By

Former Morton IL Post Office 61550
Former Morton IL Post Office 61550

ADDRESS: 120 North Main Street, Morton, Illinois, 61550
ARTIST: Charles Umlauf
TITLE: Spirit of Communication
MEDIUM: Stone (relief)
STATUS: The relief no longer resides in the original building shown here. It was moved to the new building on Jefferson Street. It resides in the retail section of the lobby and is best viewed during business hours.
YEAR: 1939

Welcome to today’s featured former post office from Morton, Illinois.

So this is one of those cases where the art is no longer in this building. So then what do I do? Do I include the sources at the bottom of my articles as I normally do with building that do have art?

Those are decisions I have ponder as I create articles on former post offices buildings. Especially when the art no longer exist here.

The stone cast was moved to the new building on Jefferson St.

What do you know about the art moving to the new building? Please comment and share below.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

 

“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”

Sources