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The Depression era fine arts inventory owned by the Postal Service™ was commissioned during the 1930s and 1940s under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal.
Postal murals and sculpture were produced under the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts.
In the words of President Roosevelt, it would be art that was:
...native, human, eager and alive... that was painted for the people of this country by their own kind in their own country, and painted about things they know and look at often and have touched and loved.
To achieve this end and encourage unrecognized talent, artists competed anonymously in national and regional competitions. Runners-up often received commissions for smaller buildings.
The Section of Fine Arts commissioned approximately 1,200 murals and 300 sculptures for Post Office facilities between 1934 and 1943. About 1,000 murals and 200 sculptures remain in postal facilities today.
The murals and sculpture form a vital part of America's national heritage. Recognizing the importance of this collection, the Postal Service is making every effort to preserve and safeguard it for future generations.
For more information on New Deal murals and sculpture, contact:
Dallan C. Wordekemper, CPM®
Federal Preservation Officer
United States Postal Service
4301 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22203-1861
(703) 526-2779
Fax (703) 526-2701
dallan.c.wordekemper@email.usps.gov
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