Post Office Murals -2 (Elgin, Texas)

Julius Woeltz, a native Texan, was commissioned for two Post Office murals in Texas, one in Amarillo and this one in Elgin, a small town 30 miles east of Austin.  He selected work and an abundance of food as a subject of natural interest in this area for his mural entitled Texas Farm.  He wished to portray the essential agricultural activities which were dedicated mainly to the production of grain and feed crops.  I love this mural which shows workers harvesting wheat and picking cotton.  In the background a farmer works with a threshing machine to store the grain in a nearby elevator.  A barn, water tower and windmill are behind him.  In the foreground the sunflowers frame a white rooster overseeing his brood of six leghorn hens.  The overall scene depicts a suggestion of thriving and abundance on a small scale, much different than what most small farms experienced in the very recent Great Depression.

Frequently the Post Office murals are difficult to photograph, being in relatively small lobbies and high along the ceiling.  Often lighting, air conditioning vents and other mechanical apparatus have been added to the building structure which also interferes with a full view.  For the Elgin mural, the artist received $700.

(Historical information for this post has been taken directly from The Texas Post Office Murals by Philip Parisi.)