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Author Topic: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.  (Read 9433 times)

Offline chowhound

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Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« on: February 02, 2009, 04:55:48 pm »
Were others aware of this mural which is painted on one of the walls of the Riverton Post Office? I only came across it a couple of days ago:

Here’s a link... http://www.wpamurals.com/riverton.htm

Apparently it was painted in the 1940's but for most Brokies, it immediately brings Jack and Ennis to mind.
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2009, 05:07:34 pm »
Quote from: chowhound on February 02, 2009, 04:55:48 pm
Were others aware of this mural which is painted on one of the walls of the Riverton Post Office? I only came across it a couple of days ago:

Here’s a link... http://www.wpamurals.com/riverton.htm

Apparently it was painted in the 1940's but for most Brokies, it immediately brings Jack and Ennis to mind.

Sure enough! And one of the surprise gifts for those of us on the Roundup last June was a beautiful small-scale reproduction of that very mural.  :D
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2009, 05:42:57 pm »
Here's an account of the Roundup visit to the Riverton Post Office.
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Offline Monika

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2009, 06:25:54 pm »
Quote from: Jeff  Wrangler on February 02, 2009, 05:07:34 pm
Sure enough! And one of the surprise gifts for those of us on the Roundup last June was a beautiful small-scale reproduction of that very mural.  :D

It´s one of my favorite possessions :)
again, thanks to the organisers for coming up with that idea :-*


I often look at it and wonder about how much like Ennis and Jack the men in the painting do look. And they are working with sheep and the fact that we don´t see anybode else in the painting, not even in the distance.
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retropian

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2009, 10:50:42 pm »
Yes, I've seen that before. What an amazing coincidence! Or, is it possible the mural was discovered by location scouts before filming began? Even though BBM was filmed in Alberta, they must have scouted Riverton in order to get a sense of what they where trying to approximate. I think the costume designers as well as Ang Lee and the producers must have seen this mural. I mean it is Jack and Ennis up there.
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Offline southendmd

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2009, 10:59:19 pm »
I wonder if it were an inspiration for Annie, who must have seen this in her own research.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2009, 11:02:45 pm »
Annie Proulx has been all over Wyoming and definitely has seen this mural. Also, Ang Lee made a trip through Wyoming. The set designer traveled through Wyoming with Annie Proulx, making lots of notes. I tip my cowboy hat to the set designers, who did an awesome job of making Alberta look like Wyoming (which is quite a challenge, since there are significant differences).
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Offline loneleeb3

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2009, 11:09:37 pm »
That is too cool!
It's also too much like Ennis and Jack to be a coincidence.  :D
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Offline Artiste

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2009, 11:15:01 pm »
Merveilleux!

Marvellous!

May there be more such murals now to be created,
and one Brokeback Mountain and another about Annie's book ??
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2009, 12:13:17 am »
Here is my mural, a gift from EDelMar and Offline Chuck. This picture was taken at the Delfelder Inn in Riverton:

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Offline loneleeb3

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2009, 08:29:22 am »
Quote from: Front-Ranger on February 04, 2009, 12:13:17 am
Here is my mural, a gift from EDelMar and Offline Chuck. This picture was taken at the Delfelder Inn in Riverton:


I LOVE it!!
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retropian

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2009, 06:55:33 pm »
Quote from: Front-Ranger on February 04, 2009, 12:13:17 am
Here is my mural, a gift from EDelMar and Offline Chuck. This picture was taken at the Delfelder Inn in Riverton:



I want one too! Where can one get a decent print?
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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2009, 11:44:58 pm »


    I wonder if anyone has noticed the remarkable resemblance to the picture of Jack up on
Brokeback when he was removing the thorn from the foot of the ewe.  It is almost the same
position that shows him in the mural.  He is holding the sheep in the exact position, but he is
assisting the mothers feeding a lamb in the mural.  It has to be more than a coincidence.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2009, 10:53:09 am »
Quote from: retropian on February 04, 2009, 06:55:33 pm
I want one too! Where can one get a decent print?
This was a special print created by EDelMar and framed by Offline Chuck just for the people who came to the Wyoming Roundup last summer. It took many hours of work to produce the print, because the actual mural hangs at ceiling level in the post office and has a chandelier hanging in front of it. So several views had to be straightened and then pieced together. I don't know of any other copies in existence. You'd think the postal service would issue a stamp, or at least a post card.

The frame was also challenging because it is an odd-size print. Chuck cut the glass himself, stained the wood to match the mural, and cut, nailed, and glued the frames. Those frames would probably be just fine even after a tornado took your house away!
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2009, 11:45:50 am »
Quote from: Front-Ranger on February 05, 2009, 10:53:09 am
The frame was also challenging because it is an odd-size print. Chuck cut the glass himself, stained the wood to match the mural, and cut, nailed, and glued the frames. Those frames would probably be just fine even after a tornado took your house away!

That's good to know! ;D So whenever a tornado hits my house, I'll duck and cover under the picture ;).
Seriously: I cherish it very much. I'm sure we all do!
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Offline Monika

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2009, 12:06:00 pm »
Quote from: ifyoucantfixit on February 04, 2009, 11:44:58 pm

    It has to be more than a coincidence.
It´s like our own little Brokeback Mystery. Very intruiging!
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Offline Monika

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #16 on: February 05, 2009, 12:06:51 pm »
Quote from: Front-Ranger on February 05, 2009, 10:53:09 am
This was a special print created by EDelMar and framed by Offline Chuck just for the people who came to the Wyoming Roundup last summer. It took many hours of work to produce the print, because the actual mural hangs at ceiling level in the post office and has a chandelier hanging in front of it. So several views had to be straightened and then pieced together. I don't know of any other copies in existence. You'd think the postal service would issue a stamp, or at least a post card.

The frame was also challenging because it is an odd-size print. Chuck cut the glass himself, stained the wood to match the mural, and cut, nailed, and glued the frames. Those frames would probably be just fine even after a tornado took your house away!

knowing about all the work behind it, makes it all the more special :-*
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2009, 12:27:47 pm »
Quote from: Front-Ranger on February 05, 2009, 10:53:09 am

The frame was also challenging because it is an odd-size print. Chuck cut the glass himself, stained the wood to match the mural, and cut, nailed, and glued the frames. Those frames would probably be just fine even after a tornado took your house away!


Jesus H.! That man can do anything. ...

I wanna be just like him when I grow up.  ;D
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Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #18 on: February 05, 2009, 12:38:03 pm »

I just found a website about New Deal/ WPA murals and art projects. It lists famous murals by state. The page about Wyoming does include the Riverton post office mural (George Vander Sluis, "Farm Scene" 1942).  The chandelier Lee mentions is clearly visible in the pic on this website.

Here's a link to the general website:
http://www.wpamurals.com/

Here's the link to the page about Wyoming:
http://www.wpamurals.com/wyoming.htm


And, here's a link to the Riverton mural:
http://www.wpamurals.com/riverton.htm


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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #19 on: February 05, 2009, 12:48:47 pm »
Cool, Amanda! You are so resourceful! It musta been a cattle-person who selected and installed that chandelier, LOL!

It's interesting how many strong triangular shapes there are in this mural, beginning with the shape of the central person's ("Ennis'") legs and the line of "Jack's" arm coming down to guide the lamb. Plus all the many triangular lines of the sheep's legs, and the triangular shape of the mountains in the background. Look in between "Ennis'" legs and you'll see...a little black lamb!!
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Offline loneleeb3

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #20 on: February 05, 2009, 01:45:59 pm »
Quote from: Jeff  Wrangler on February 05, 2009, 12:27:47 pm
Jesus H.! That man can do anything. ...

I wanna be just like him when I grow up.  ;D
Who you kiddin?
You ain't never gonna grow up!!  :laugh:
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Offline Artiste

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #21 on: February 06, 2009, 12:44:14 am »
No current artist there to-day?
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Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #22 on: February 06, 2009, 01:31:48 am »

Heya,
Well, the artist who painted the mural was George Vander Sluis.  It's called "Farm Scene" and was made in 1942.

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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2010, 06:40:55 pm »
With the recession, some historic post office buildings are in danger of being closed, sold, or even razed. The Englewood post office has a wonderful mural from 1940 by Boardman Robinson. The Postal Service announced plans to close the building, but public outcry led them to reverse their decision.

No chance of the Riverton PO closing, as it is a busy hub of the community!
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Offline loneleeb3

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #24 on: January 26, 2010, 07:51:05 pm »
I may have missed it, but did anyone ever say where a reproduction could be purchased. I have a beautiful pencil drawing that I would love to put with that.
I want to start my own shrine! I have that and I'm framing the invitations I got to attend the indcution of the shirts into the Autry museum and to the lecture "What ever happened to Ennis DelMar".
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Mural in the Riverton Post Office.
« Reply #25 on: January 26, 2010, 08:29:19 pm »
Oh, goodie!! If you're starting a shrine, be sure to post about it on the thread Eric started:

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,6947.0/all.html

As for a print, you should ask EDelMar if he has one or would print one for you. I'm sure he would. He enjoyed meeting you in San Francisco and mentioned it when we were sending Christmas cards.
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