THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT commissioned over 1,100 murals for the embellishment of post offices nationwide. Wisconsin received 35 of these murals. After nearly 86 years, the story of their existence is elusive and often overlooked. Gates’s research of the correspondence between the artists and government tells of how the murals were developed and eventually installed in small towns throughout Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Post Office Murals is packed with fascinating details:
- 130 full-color images of the murals
- 70 images of the buildings and cornerstones
- Full-color map with the location of each town
- The history and story of each mural
Written to educate and to promote these wonderful Depression-era works of art and buildings, Wisconsin Post Office Murals is a must-have for any New Deal, history, art historian, or post office enthusiast. If you’ve ever been to any of the 35 post offices written about here and asked yourself, Why is there a mural in the lobby or Who is the artist who painted the mural on the wall, this is the book for you.
Finalist in the 2019 MIPA book awards.
What others are saying:
An informative and visually striking guide to public art at its most democratic. — Kirkus Reviews
The book is described by the author as a tour guide to Wisconsin’s post office murals. As such, it is the perfect travel companion for those seeking out the unique character of some of Wisconsin’s communities. But it is so much more. This book perfectly illustrates the customs, heritage, and history of Wisconsin’s small towns as seen through the eyes of artist of the New Deal.”
—L. Robert Puschendorf, Nebraska State Historical Society (retired); author, Nebraska’s Post Office Murals: Born of the Depression, Fostered by the New Deal
This book would be a fantastic addition to any library, private or public. Hopefully, a copy will be placed in every Wisconsin school. It is a joyful book. The text is educationally sound, and the colorful photographs are a fine example of paintings and other artwork of that era.”
—Howard Hull, University of Tennessee (retired); author, Tennessee Post Office Murals
