New Deal buildings or New Deal murals or artwork.

Ladysmith Wisconsin Post Office

August 31, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 212 Miner Ave. W. Ladysmith, Wisconsin 54848
ARTIST: Elsa Jemne
TITLE: Development of The Land
MEDIUM: Fresco (mural)
STATUS: The mural is no longer viewable, having either been destroyed or painted over. None of my research has confirmed the fate of this artwork. There is an original black and white photograph on file at the National Archives, College Park Maryland for viewing.
YEAR: 1938

Last week I was up in Wisconsin volunteering on the Ice Age Trail. When I finished on Sunday I though I’d drive up to Ladysmith. I was excited when I first saw the building. It is a classic WPA era building with the signature corner-stone on the lower left of the building.

When I initially looked into this one I noticed it was listed as having a mural. When I visited it was a Sunday and the building was closed. I tried to peer through the windows but could not see the mural. So while I was sitting outside, I checked my phone and found out this one had been painted over. “Painted Over” I said out loud to myself. How could artwork like this be painted over?

For a look at what the mural once looked like please visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

I know absolutely nothing about the circumstances surrounding the history of this building or the mural that once graced the lobby. So Ladysmith is another one of those post office I’ll need to re-visit and research more. I have a burning desire to find out what the mural looked like and maybe just maybe gain enough interest to maybe find out if its possible to recover it. If the painting can’t be recovered, I wonder if it would be possible to have another local artist re-create the mural as a sort of reminder what was once there. Food for thought as I sit here and think about it.

Does anyone else know about the Ladysmith Wisconsin Post Office? Does anyone happen to have any old photographs of this building or the mural that once existed here? I’d love to hear from you?

Thanks for stopping by,

David W. Gates Jr.

Ladysmith Wisconsin Post Office 54848 Cornerstone

Sources

Personal visit on 7/26/2012 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
Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) (https://americanart.si.edu)

Rock Falls Illinois Post Office

August 11, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 210 2nd Avenue, Rock Falls, Illinois, 61071
ARTIST: Curt Drewes
TITLE: Farming by Hand, and The Manufacture of Farm Implements
MEDIUM: Plaster (reliefs)
STATUS: The Rock Falls post office is still an active, operating facility, and the reliefs can be viewed by interested members of the public. They reside in the lobby on the same wall as the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1939

Welcome to another Saturday edition. Saturday’s I like to highlight older post office buildings most often these were created during the depression era of the 1930’s. My favorites have murals in the lobby or some other form of artwork. The Rock Falls is special in that it does not have a mural but rather plaster cast reliefs as artwork.

I’m not sure what to make of this one? I’m happy to see an older building but the front Blue Shade just doesn’t do anything for me. It almost looks as if this was an afterthought to get the name of the post office out in front where people can see it.

I also remember this being a challenge to photograph. One of the reasons for this is because the sun was setting behind the building, so naturally this sort of block out the front of the building and makes it darker and more difficult to see. What I end up doing is walking closer to the building and try to cut out the sun so it does not shine right into the camera. I think it turned out pretty good. What do you think?

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

Rock Falls Illinois Post Office 61071 Art "Farming by Hand"j Close up Curt Drewes

Rock Falls Illinois Post Office 61071 Art "Farming by Hand" Curt Drewes Plaster Cast

Rock Falls Illinois Post Office 61071 Art "The Manufacture of Farm Implements" Curt Drewes Plaster Cast

Rock Falls Illinois Post Office 61071 Art "The Manufacture of Farm Implements" Close up Curt Drewes

Rock Falls Illinois Post Office 61071 Cornerstone

Sources

Personal visit on 3/20/2012 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

Crawfordsville Indiana Post Office

August 4, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 300 E. Main St., Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933
TITLE: Indiana Agriculture
ARTIST: Frank Long
MEDIUM: Mural
STATUS: The Crawfordsville post office is still an active, operating facility, and the mural can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the lobby on a wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1942

Welcome to another featured post office of the day. The Crawfordsville, IN was another stop during a recent trip to Indiana. This was awesome stop. Great mural and wonderful old building.

Updated images from a trip in 2021. wow! time flies and they’ve removed the name of the city from above the front entrance.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.