ADDRESS: 22 North Eddy Street, Sandwich, Illinois, 60548
ARTIST: Marshall Maynard Fredericks
TITLE: The Family
MEDIUM: Terra-cotta (relief)
STATUS: The Sandwich 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: 1941
So I decided to visit in July and I guess the town was having their 4th of July parade. Needless to say it was very congested in and around the post office during my visit. I didn’t even try to stick around for an un-obstructed photo of the building. I knew it was going to be next to impossible because of the parade. The photos I did get are shown below. Luckily, it’s not terribly far and I imagine I’ll be back in the future to get better exterior photos.
I’m trying to remember who mentioned the history of this one. Evidently, I must have spoken to one of the postal employees because I learned that this one was painted over when the lobby was remodeled. At least that his the story I heard. This individual also mentioned at one point the original terra-cotta relief was painted in color. The horse was painted brown, the pigs were pink and sheet had black noses painted eyes etc.
So I’m asking myself, who would have ordered the painters to just paint over the art and just turn the walls completely white? Further more what painter must have been desperate or followed those orders and painted over the entire piece? I’m shocked and bit surprised. It also appears this might have been done many years ago judging by how dusty or dirty the top of the piece is. I’m not angry as much as I’m just disappointed. When I visit these buildings my wish is to see they as they were when initially installed. So I hope I’m not sending the wrong message of being mad, just disappointed.
Anyway, enough venting for now. Does anyone out there have pictures of the original before it was painted over? Have you seen this before it was painted all white? Please comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
Sources
- Personal visit on 7/05/2014 & 11/16/2020 and 04/26/2023 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
