ADDRESS: 200 Smith Avenue, East Alton, Illinois 62024
ARTIST: Frances Foy
TITLE: The Letter
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The East Alton post office is still an active, operating facility, and the mural can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the retail section of the lobby above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1936
I had awesome weather in early May of 2015. I decided to head out and grab a few Illinois post offices. The best part about the East Alton building is that it’s right in the middle of the neighborhood.
To be honest it almost threw me off as I was driving around to find it. The majority of the time buildings like this are in business districts or on a main road through town. Not the case for the East Alton building.
Prior to visiting I did a little research about the mural. In fact it’s one of the smaller murals I’ve come across. Typically you see murals that span the width of the lobby in a building of this size.
In fact I have a hard time calling this one a mural. I would describe it more as a painting than an actual mural, due to its physical size.
Additional notes, the retail lobby was closed when I visited. The images below were taken through the glass doors. I think they turned out pretty good.
I really like the light colors and nature feeling this mural gives exhibits. What do you like about this painting/mural? Please comment and share below.
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
Sources
- Personal visit on 5/03/2015 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
- Parma Conservation
- Illinois Country Living
