Most of the Post Office works of art were funded through commissions under the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture (later known as The Section of Fine Arts) and not the WPA.

"Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as "the Section," it was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer, businessman, and artist, the Section's main function was to select art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all people." from "Articles from EnRoute : Off The Wall: New Deal Post Office Murals" by Patricia Raynor

Source:
Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal
by Marlene Park & Gerald E. Markowitz

Thanks to Jimmy Emerson who contributed the photographs.

Check out the Post Mark Collectors Club (PMCC) Photo page at: http://www.postmarks.org/photos

For additional information about the recovery of the Tracy murals, contact the Tracy Historical Museum, 2302 N. Bessie Ave., Tracy, CA, Phone: 209-832-7278. Museum Hours: Sunday, 1 pm to 4 pm; Monday, 10 am to 2 pm.

December 17, 2005 Tracy Press Article about the Missing Murals of Tracy, California (http://www.tracypress.com/local/2005-12-17-missing.php) - pdf copy (29.7 kb)

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