The new mural in Washington, DC, honoring USPS retiree Roger “Buck” Hill is the latest example of a postal-themed public art project. Here are six others.
1. “Statue of the Mail Carriers.” This Milwaukee artwork stands near the site where the National Association of Letter Carriers was formed in 1889. The artist sculpted the bronze work that depicts three letter carriers from different eras: 1889, 1939 and 1989. The statue’s inscription reads: “In honor of the men and women who have delivered for America in rain, sleet, and snow.”
2. “Barefoot Mailman.” This bronze statue, located in Hillsboro, FL, pays homage to James “Ed” Hamilton and others who delivered mail along the “Barefoot Mailman Route,” a 68-mile trek from Palm Beach, FL, to Miami. The route, which existed in the late 1800s, took six days to complete by foot and rowboat roundtrip.
3. John Thompson memorial. Between 1856 and 1876, John “Snowshoe” Thompson carried mail along a 90-mile route between Genoa, NV, and Placerville, CA. During the winter months, he used homemade skis carrying as much as 100 pounds of mail across treacherous snowbanks. A bronze memorial statue stands in Genoa, and depicts Thompson on his snowy route wearing his skis.
4. Pony Express statue. The Pony Express traveled a nearly 2,000-mile route that stretched from California to Missouri, making the trip on horseback in 10 days. It operated from 1860-1861, although only the last four months was it a U.S. Mail contract route. This statue was dedicated in St. Joseph, MO, in 1940 to commemorate the service’s 80th anniversary.
5. “Air Mail” mural. This mural, located inside the Piggott, AR, Post Office, is one of five artworks featured on the Post Office Murals stamps released this year. The “Air Mail” mural was installed in 1941 and shows mail being loaded onto an airplane to highlight the importance of airmail in connecting American communities.
6. “Special Delivery.” Sculptor Seward Johnson creates artworks that celebrate everyday activities. One such work stands in Spring Lake, NJ, and shows a letter carrier on his delivery route dressed in a realistic postal uniform, complete with a mailbag and dog spray.