Post offices with artifacts

Union City Indiana Post Office

November 28, 2021 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 102 W. Pearl St., Union City, Indiana 47390
ARTIST: Donald M. Mattison
TITLE: Country Cousins
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Union City 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 a wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1935

Union City is a perfect example of the lighting I prefer when I arrive for a site visit. The sun is shinning perfectly on the front of the building. I have deep blue skies. This is the perfect scenario and thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Union City.

In addition to have a great mural, Union City also has some great historical photos on display. Someone also took the time to create a wonderful bulletin board of postal history. This is a nice touch for visitors.

As info, the reason all the images of the old photos are on an angle was to avoid the glare. Each picture was in a glass frame. This made it difficult to photograph and see the old photo. Taking my pictures at various angles helped to eliminate the glare and allow us to see more of the old photos.

David W. Gates Jr.

Union City IN Post Office 47390 Mural Center

Union City IN Post Office 47390 Mural Signature

Union City IN Post Office 47390 Mural Right

Union City IN Post Office 47390 Mural Left

Union City IN Post Office 47390 Mural Detail

Union City IN Post Office 47390 Artifacts

Sources

Personal visit on 11/23/21 about 12:17 PM by David W. Gates Jr.
Indiana Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
United States Postal Service
(affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
(affiliate link): A Simple and Vital Design: The Story of the Indiana Post Office Murals: John C. Carlisle

Dunkirk Indiana Post Office

November 27, 2021 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 123 W. Commerce St., Dunkirk, Indiana 47336
ARTIST: Frances Foy
TITLE: Preparation for Autumn Festival
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Dunkirk 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 a wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1936

What a beautiful building and the mural is a great example of Frances Foy’s work. I’ve always enjoyed the two murals in the West Allis, Wisconsin post office and this is another example of her work.

Kudos to the postmaster and staff for seeing the building and lobby in great shape. It also smells nice. I noticed one of those room scented plug-in things on the wall. Two plants hanging from the vestibule.

Not only do you have a great building and mural, but you also have some great historical photos on display. I took a picture of each one, but because they are behind glass, it was hard to not get glare in the photo. So each picture I took has an awkward angle. I felt taking the pictures at an angle would at least allow you to see the old photo better. Did I do a decent job? Please comment below.

David W. Gates Jr.

Dunkirk IN Post Office 47336 Mural Center

Dunkirk IN Post Office 47336 Cornerstone

Dunkirk IN Post Office 47336 Mural Right

Dunkirk IN Post Office 47336 Mural Signature

Dunkirk IN Post Office 47336 Mural Detail

Sources

Personal visit on 11/23/21 about 10:59 AM and 06/30/2023 about 10:56 AM by David W. Gates Jr.
Indiana Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
United States Postal Service
(affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
(affiliate link): A Simple and Vital Design: The Story of the Indiana Post Office Murals: John C. Carlisle
Parma Conservation (https://parmaconservation.com)

Pendleton Indiana Post Office

November 11, 2021 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 137 W State St, Pendleton, Indiana 46064
ARTIST: William Kaeser
TITLE: Loggers
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Pendleton 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 a wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1941

The historical plaque is what stood out for me when I visited Pendleton. It was getting late and it wasn’t even 5:00 PM. The days are getting shorter.

This is a well maintained building, which also has a nice historical picture of the building in the lobby. There are two medallions on the wall in the lobby.

David W. Gates Jr.