ADDRESS: 44 Obert St., South River, New Jersey 08882
ARTIST: Maurice Glickman
TITLE: Construction
MEDIUM: Wood (relief)
STATUS: The South River post office is still an active, operating facility, and the relief can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the lobby on the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1940
Hey David, I thought you said these were murals? Well, you are correct, but some post offices received other forms of art such as wood carvings, reliefs and even stone.
South River is unique in that it received a wood relief created by artist Maurice Glickman. Murals are great, but it’s really nice to see other forms of art mediums.
Obviously the ADA ramp was installed years after the building was completed. What prompted the construction on the right side of the building and not the left side, I have no idea. But it would have made more sense to put it on the left side of the building. That way the railing wouldn’t have covered up the cornerstone. I did my best and took several pictures from different angles to see this one.
Note to self, the lobby was open very early so I was able to get in and out quickly.
David W. Gates Jr.
“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”
Sources
- Personal visit on 5/22/21 about 6:20 AM by David W. Gates Jr.
- (affiliate link) New Jersey Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
- United States Postal Service
- South River Historical & Preservation Society has a nice video about their post office history. (https://youtu.be/WWAhjG2yVqE)
- NJ.com N.J. post offices showcase Depression-era public art – nj.com
- (affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
- South River Historical & Preservation Society: https://youtu.be/WWAhjG2yVqE