Washington, D.C.
During the summer of 1998, the National Postal Museum displayed an exhibit entitled "Our Town: Post Office Murals of the New Deal Era", showcasing the post office murals.
Here are some photos from that exhibit:
This photo was at the entrance to the exhibit. It depicts Edward Bruce (seated) and jury reviewing entries in the 48 State Competition held in 1939. Selected entries went on to become post office murals.
This photo shows the installation of a mural in a post office. Most
of the murals were not frescos but painted on canvas and then glued
to the wall of the post office! Many are located above the door of
the post master's office.
This is an excerpt of a letter to Edward Bruce from the postmaster in
Pleasant Hill, Missouri expressing appreciation for the new
mural.
The exhibit divided the murals into themes. The first of these themes
depicted was "Customers and Communities" as depicted by this
mural.
Another theme was "History" as depicted by these
murals.
Some of the murals even depicted scenes from the history of the U.S.
postal service, as seen in this exhibit.
Many of the post office murals depicted scenes from agriculture and
industry.
Visit the National Postal Museum Website for more information about
the U.S. postal system!
