US Post Office, Cleveland

The crown jewel of Cleveland in 1912 was the new US Postal Building and for this jewel the leading muralist of the day was commissioned to decorate it.

Millet painted 35 images depicting the various methods by which mail has been delivered throughout the world, from the American Pony Express to the camel riders of Arabia. Land, sea and air deliv­eries are all represented by Millet’s “Mail Delivery” series, presenting a global embrace that celebrates the exchange of mail as a cor­nerstone of civilized life, regardless of race, nationality, religion or culture.

The murals were completed in 1911 and fixed to the walls of the post master’s office on the second floor: a grand, 950-sq, ft. corner-office space that unfortunately was not visited by the general public. There the murals remained, outlasting the Federal Building’s post office itself, which was relocated to a larger space in 1934. In 1955; additional space had to be allotted to the federal courts, and the murals were taken down from the walls and stored away in the building. And largely forgotten.

The Federal Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, but the rebirth of the “Mail Delivery” murals didn’t begin until the 1980s, thanks to the intercession of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

The following PDF details the multi-million dollar restoration that was undertaken to preserve the 35 Millet murals:  https://mckaylodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/MILLET-MURALS-AT-METZENBAUM-CH.pdf

https://mckaylodge.com/rebirth-public-art