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You are here: Home / Archives for James Watrous

James Watrous

Post offices that have artwork by the artists James Watrous

Wisconsin Post Office Mural Artists

October 18, 2017 By David W. Gates Jr.

Artist Frank Buffmire - Black River Falls Post Office Mural
Artist Frank Buffmire – Black River Falls Post Office Mural

A total of twenty-eight artist created murals in thirty-five Wisconsin Post Office buildings during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Seven of the artist received multiple commissions as noted below. The artist and their awarded sites as listed below.

We have found having a list such as this is convenient when performing research at the National Archives Records and Administration. Any researcher will reveal, that finding information is part of the fun, somethings what you are looking for is catalogued by the artist name. Other times the research materials you need may be cataloged by the city or town, and so on.

Having a list to refer to is helpful on your journey of discovering these wonderful treasures in our nations post offices.

Wisconsin Post Office Mural Artists

  1. Berlin – Raymond Redell*
  2. Black River Falls – Frank Buffmire
  3. Chilton – Charles W Thwaites*
  4. Columbus – Arnold Blanch
  5. De Pere – Lester W Bentley
  6. Edgerton – Vladimir Rousseff*
  7. Elkhorn – Tom Rost*
  8. Fond du Lac – Boris Gilbertson*
  9. Hartford– Ethel Spears
  10. Hayward – Stella E Harlos
  11. Hudson – Ruth Grotenrath
  12. Janesville – Boris Gilbertson*
  13. Kaukauna – Vladimir Rousseff*
  14. Kewaunee – Paul Faulkner
  15. Ladysmith – Elsa Jemne
  16. Lake Geneva – George A Dietrich
  17. Lancaster – Tom Rost*
  18. Mayville – Peter Roiter*
  19. Milwaukee – Frances Foy
  20. Neillsville – John Van Koert
  21. Oconomowoc – Edward Morton
  22. Park Falls – James Waltrous
  23. Plymouth – Charles W Thwaites*
  24. Prairie Du Chien – Jefferson E Greer
  25. Reedsburg – Richard Jansen
  26. Rice Lake – Forest Flower*
  27. Richland Center – Richard Brooks
  28. Shawano – Eugene Higgins
  29. Sheboygan – Schomer Lichtner
  30. Stoughton – Edmund D Lewandoski
  31. Sturgeon Bay – Santos Zingle
  32. Viroqua – Forrest Flower*
  33. Waupaca – Raymond Redell*
  34. Wausau – Gerritt Sinclair
  35. West Bend – Peter Roiter*

There are a total of  28 artist that were commissioned artwork in Wisconsin in regards to post offices.

A few of the artists received multiple commissions and have art in more than one building. The following artists have two or more murals in Wisconsin.

  • Raymond Redell – Berlin and Wapaca
  • Charles W Thwaities – Chilton and Plymouth
  • Vladimir Rousseff – Edgerton and Kaukauna
  • Tom Rost – Elkhorn and Lancaster
  • Boris Gilbertson – Fond du Lac and Janesville
  • Forrest Flower – Rice Lake and Viroqua
  • Peter Rotier – Mayville and West Bend

New Deal Artists Biographies NARA
New Deal Artists Biographies NARA
New Deal Artists Biographies NARA

Sources

  • David W. Gates Jr. on site visits to each location.
  • Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
  • Wisconsin Post Office Murals by David W. Gates Jr.
  • National Archives Records and Administration, College Park Maryland
  • Who was who in American Art, 1564-1975: 400 years of artist in America, Peter H Falk; Audrey M Lewis, Georgia Kuchen, Veronika Roessler, Madison, CT, Mount View Press. 1999.
  • Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover]  Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz

Filed Under: Artist, Artwork, NARA, New Deal, Post Office, Wisconsin Tagged With: Arnold Blanch, Artist, Boris Gilbertson, Charles W Thwaites, Edmund D Lewandowski, Edward Morton, Elsa Jemne, Ethel Spears, Eugene Higgins, Forrest Flower, Frances Foy, Frank Buffmire, George A Dietrich, Gerrit Sinclair, James Watrous, Jefferson E Greer, John Van Koert, Lester W Bentley, NARA, New Deal, Paul Faulkner, Peter Rotier, Raymond Redell, Richard Brooks, Richard Jansen, Ruth Grotenrath, Santos Zingale, Schomer Lichtner, Stella E Harlos, Tom Rost, Walter Vladimir Rousseff, Wisconsin

Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office

November 10, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

Park Falls WI Post Office 54552
Park Falls WI Post Office 54552

ADDRESS: 109 1st St. Park Falls, Wisconsin 54552
ARTIST: James Watrous
TITLE: Flambeau River Fight
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS:  The Park Falls Post Office is still active and the mural decoration remains viewable by the public. It resides in the lobby on the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1938

Park Falls is another post office gem. It has also been dedicated a National Historical Site in 1996. The building itself is quite impressive standing several stories. I was told by the friendly postal working that it also housed several government offices when it as first built.

Park Falls also houses one of the largest murals I’ve seen. (See Photographs) Legend has it two logging company’s fought each other for the privilege of driving their logs down the Flambeau river.

As I visited I was also greeted by a very friendly postal worker. I started asking about the mural and he proceeded to tell me all about the mural and the artist. Even before I read the mural description, he was quick to tell me about the legend of the two logging companies.  He mentioned back in those days being the first down the river could possibility mean the difference of getting paid or not getting paid. I guess back in those days the wood mills only took in so much wood and thus only paid for so much lumber. If you were last to get to the mill you may not get paid. This is the story I heard from the postal worker. Whether this is legend or fiction I’m unknown but a great story.

The postal worker I met also mentioned that a previous postmaster at some point wanted to paint over or have the mural taken down because it was so violent. I’m certainly glad he or she changed their minds. Although it is a violent depiction of our past it’s still a wonderful painting and is also a reminder of the way life used to be.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

Lumberjack Fight on the Flambeau River by James Waltrous, photo credit David W. Gates Jr.

Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Artifacts
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Boxes
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Cornerstone
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Mural Right Side bottom
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Mural Left Side
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Mural Description 54552
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Mural Center
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Lobby Bulletin
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Historical Plaque
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Historical Award 1996
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Mural Right Side
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office, Artists James Watrous Signature
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552 Old Photos
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552 Old Photos
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552 Old Photos
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office 54552
Park Falls Wisconsin Post Office Mural 54552

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

Sources

  • Personal visit on 7/27/2012 by David W. Gates Jr.
  • Wisconsin Post Office Murals by David W. Gates Jr.
  • Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
  • United States Postal Service 
  • (affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover]  Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
  • National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Reference Number (00001238).
  • National Archives Records and Administration Identifier Number (106779307).
 

Filed Under: Artifacts, Artwork, Cornerstone, Historic, New Deal, Post Office, Wisconsin Tagged With: Artifacts, Artwork, Cornerstone, Historic, James Watrous, Mural, New Deal, Post Office, Wisconsin

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