A mural in the former Post Office in Rockville, MD, is one of five from across the nation to be featured in the new Post Office Murals stamp release.
The “Sugarloaf Mountain” mural was painted in 1940 by Judson Smith (1880-1962). The oil-on-canvas painting depicts a mountain visible from Rockville with farm fields in the foreground.
The former Rockville Post Office was built in 1938 as part the Depression-era public building program. The building was transferred to the city in 2008 and is now home to the Rockville City Police Department.
During the 1930s and 1940s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration commissioned artwork in Post Offices throughout the United States to provide jobs to artists and to illustrate the history and culture of local communities.
The Post Office Murals pane features five paintings from this era. The stamps will be available April 10 at Post Offices and usps.com.
This is the fourth of five articles spotlighting the Post Office Murals stamp artwork. Previous stories highlighted “Antelope,” “Mountains and Yucca” and “Kiowas Moving Camp.” Tomorrow: “Air Mail.”