ADDRESS: 304 South 4th Street, Vandalia, Illinois, 62471
ARTIST: Aaron Bohrod
TITLE: Old State Capitol in Vandalia
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Vandalia 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 the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1936
I arrived prior to the operation hours one weekend in May. I was headed towards Herrin and decided to stop in and see this one. I ended up photographing and viewing the mural through the glass window. It is always a difficult decision to post articles with out complete pictures. I wish I had better ones, but since you get the general idea I’ve decided to post what I have.
What struck me first was the abundance of colors. I like the overall landscape of this mural. The children running with the dog makes for a pleasant subject. At some point I’ll head back to get better detail photos but for now. What are your impressions of this mural? What sticks out for you? Please comment and share below.
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
10/24/2020 UPDATE
It’s taken me three separate visits to finally photograph the mural in the Vandalia, Illinois post office. On Saturday, October 24, 2020 I woke up at 2:00am to drive south to visit 4 buildings. Vandalia was one stop during this road trip. The retail section of this lobby is closed on Sunday’s and during non-business hours. You are able to see the mural through the glass windows. However, my goals were to photograph it without the glass in the way. I’ve now completed that task. I also enjoyed seeing the old construction photos in the bulletin board on display. Enjoy!
Sources
- Personal visit on 5/24/2014, 8/16/2016 & 10/24/2020 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
- The Leader Union
