The Postal Service is the owner and proud guardian of over 1,000 murals and sculptures commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts from 1934 to 1943.
Learn more about the history of New Deal Art in Post Offices. PDF | RTF
Photographing New Deal Art in Post Office™ facilities for personal use
At the discretion of the local Postmaster the U.S. Postal Service allows individuals to take low resolution photographs of New Deal Art from public areas of Post Office facilities as long as no disruption is caused. Low resolution is defined as an image with a maximum of 72 dpi and no larger than a four-by-five-inch output to end use. Additional equipment, aside from the camera itself, such as a tripod, lighting, or scaffolding cannot be set up without prior authorization from Rights and Permissions. Additionally, Postal Service employees or customers may not be depicted in the pictures.
These images may not be used for commercial uses or reproductions of the murals into posters, fine art prints, greeting cards, stationary, postcards, clothing, or other merchandising items such as magnets or coffee mugs or other materials for resale. Further, the murals may not be used in a manner that is likely to be viewed as derogatory, offensive, obscene, in violation of "hate crime" laws or otherwise likely to shock or offend the community or in such a way as to bring the Postal Service, its officers, or employees in to public disrepute, scandal, or ridicule.
Credit Language for Non-Commercial Use Only
If you display pictures you have taken of Post Office artwork in a non-commercial setting (for example, on a personal Web site or in an educational article), credit must be given to the U.S. Postal Service. The following language must be placed in close proximity to the mural photograph:
"Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved."
If you are unsure whether your use of the mural constitutes "non-commercial use," please contact Rights and Permissions for guidance.
Commercial Use and Availability of Electronic Images
Any use of mural images by a commercial entity or by a nonprofit entity for profit-making, commercial purposes requires approval from the Rights and Permissions office. The U.S. Postal Service does not have electronic files for all New Deal Art images. In some cases, when an electronic image is unavailable, the Postal Service allows high resolution photographs to be taken of the artwork for use in publishing and limited commercial use. All such requests must be directed to the Rights and Permission office and a license agreement must be executed prior to any pictures being taken.