Celebrating our Nation's Post Offices
ADDRESS: 300 N. Eastman St., Harvard, Illinois 60033
The first time I visited this post office was in the winter and I didn’t get very good pictures. One drawback of photographing in the winter months. Fast forward to 2012 and I re-visited and took some better pictures.
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
ADDRESS: 210 2nd Avenue, Rock Falls, Illinois, 61071
ARTIST: Curt Drewes
TITLE: Farming by Hand, and The Manufacture of Farm Implements
MEDIUM: Plaster (reliefs)
STATUS: The Rock Falls post office is still an active, operating facility, and the reliefs can be viewed by interested members of the public. They reside in the lobby on the same wall as the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1939
Welcome to another Saturday edition. Saturday’s I like to highlight older post office buildings most often these were created during the depression era of the 1930’s. My favorites have murals in the lobby or some other form of artwork. The Rock Falls is special in that it does not have a mural but rather plaster cast reliefs as artwork.
I’m not sure what to make of this one? I’m happy to see an older building but the front Blue Shade just doesn’t do anything for me. It almost looks as if this was an afterthought to get the name of the post office out in front where people can see it.
I also remember this being a challenge to photograph. One of the reasons for this is because the sun was setting behind the building, so naturally this sort of block out the front of the building and makes it darker and more difficult to see. What I end up doing is walking closer to the building and try to cut out the sun so it does not shine right into the camera. I think it turned out pretty good. What do you think?
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
ADDRESS: 113 N. Main St. Tampico, Illinois 61283
Can anyone tell me what Tampico is known for? Yep you guessed correctly if you answered Ronald Reagan’s boyhood hometown. This was an interesting stop for me.
I pulled up in front of the post office but it was busy and there were several cars out front. So I casually got out to stretch my legs and to get some close up pictures. Not too long after I was waiting around a man pulled up in a van full of stuff.
He apparently saw my tripod setup and observed me taking pictures of the building. As we were chatting he asked me if I’d like a souvenir as a reminder of Tampico. I wasn’t sure what to say or where this was going but I said sure! (Jim) whose name I found out later went to his van and pulled out a small John Deer tractor toy. As it turns out Jim cleans houses for a living and had just finished cleaning one prior to visiting the post office. He offered me the tractor and I eagerly accepted. It’s one of these cool metal tractors which I always thought were cool. Now by sure luck and being in the right place at the right time I’m given this one.
I think my face lit up and I acted like a child but I didn’t care, this thing is cool. I now have it in my front room on display. To most people its just a tractor, but to me its a symbol of the generosity of others. I’m happy to have met Jim. He also offered me several facts about Tampico, like there is a small museum in town. It was closed at the time I visited but it’s talking to the locals and meeting people like Jim that makes my job of photographing post office so much fun. Thanks Jim!!
David W. Gates Jr.
