The Nazareth Post Office was constructed in 1935 under the New Deal work that expanded post offices throughout the nation.
Used with permission of USPS
The mural, “Cement Industry,” was painted by Miss Ryah Ludins, commissioned in 1938. She was a muralist and painter from New York City, and completed a number of mural projects for the Section of Painting and Sculpture, and well as some for the Mexican government (Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute). See her working on a mural at the link to the Smithsonian.
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All photographs are original images with all rights reserved. Kindly request permission prior to using.
Very nice Federal Style building and beautiful mural. I love the murals that were painted during the WPA.
I love that they were considered “the people’s art” and placed where ordinary people could see them daily–such as in a post office. While it did not always turn out to the satisfaction of a community (e.g., Okolona, MS), those that remain, and particularly in post offices still used as post offices, can instruct us in important ways.