AV 48 Ohio Post Office Artwork Collection

              AV 48
Ohio Post Office Artwork Collection
Page 1
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Manuscripts/ Audiovisual Collections
AV 48
Ohio Post Office Artwork Collection
( 1988)
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Number:
AV 48
Title:
Ohio Post Office Artwork Collection
Creator:
Connie Girard
Dates:
1988
Media:
Photographs, safety film negatives, transparencies and 35mm slides
Quantity:
0.50 cubic feet
Location:
Ohio Historical Center
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COLLECTION
When elected President in 1932 Franklin Roosevelt promised Americans a “ New Deal” and created public works programs to provide jobs for the millions of unemployed people, including artists. The government commissioned ten thousand unknown and established artists to create murals, paintings, photographs, posters, prints and sculpture. The goal was not only to employ artists, but also to bring fine art into the daily lives of all people.
The Public Works of Art Project ( PWAP) was funded for six months in 1933 – 1934. The PWAP was succeeded by the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture. Organized in 1934 the Section of Painting and Sculpture operated until 1943. Under the auspices of this organization sixty- six new Ohio post offices received artwork. The majority of the post offices were located in small towns. Post offices were chosen as a location for artwork because, particularly in small towns, they were centers of community activity. Most of the painted murals or murals in plaster relief created are realistic images reflecting the history, common activities or major industries of the communities in which the post offices are located.
Source:
Markowitz, Gerald and Marlene Park. “ Not By Bread Alone, Post Office Art of the New Deal.” Timeline. June- July 1989, p. 2- 19.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
Thirty murals or plaster reliefs installed in twenty- five Ohio post offices between 1937 and 1943 are represented in this collection. Connie Girard photographed the artwork in 1988. The collection contains 78 black and white photographs of each mural and color