Post Office Art in Wyoming

Post Office Art in Wyoming

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The Fertile Land Remembers Louise Emerson Ronnebeck 1938, oil on canvas Casper, WY

This painting is an example of how challenging it can be to track down some of this artwork. It was originally displayed in a 1938 Post Office building which has since been converted to government offices and is not accessible to the public. Fortunately, it has been moved to the new Dick Chaney Federal Office Building very near its old location. It took quite a bit of searching on Google to find it but it was worth the effort.

I provided two different exposures to pick up the subtle "shadows of the past".

Wyoming has a lot of appreciation for its past and most remnants are well preserved. There is a lot to see beyond Yellowstone and even though things are spread out, travel is fast. My travel blog travelingoldtrails.blogspot.com has two postings, "The Oregon Trail From Fort Kearny to Fort Bridger" and "The Oregon Trail from Fort Bridger to Fort Hall" which highlight Wyoming's role in developing the trails that helped open the West.

My first encounter with Post Office Art was in Helper, Utah but I really became an enthusiast for the subject when I was in Kemmerer, Wyoming doing research for my book Kemmerer Moon. While walking around getting a feel for the town, I noticed a brick building that I knew had to be a Depression era Post Office.

USPS Kemmerer, WY

Sure enough, when I ventured inside I was richly rewarded.

Excavation Eugene Kingman, 1938, oil on canvas

This area of Wyoming is nicknamed "fossil country" and the artwork depicts the discoveries at nearby Fossil Butte NM.

Tertiary Aquatic Life Eugene Kingman 1938 oil on canvas

Cretaceous Landscape Eugene Kingman 1938 oil on canvas

There are three more of these Post Offices in Wyoming which I look forward to visiting next time I'm in the northern part of the state.