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Ancient Method of Communication by Kenneth Washburn
Photo CreditCarol M. Highsmith Photography
Ancient Method of Communication
Photo CreditCarol M. Highsmith Photography

Ancient Method of Communication

Artist
Year1938
Classification painting
Medium oil on canvas
Dimensionsmaximum: 57 x 45 1/4 in. (144.8 x 114.9 cm)
Credits Commissioned through the Section of Fine Arts 1934 -1943
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Location
  • The Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts commissioned this series of eight murals for the U.S. Post Office in Binghamton, New York.  Installed in 1938, they reflect the rich and varied history of the Binghamton area and the importance of the mail as a means of communication.




    On the North Wall, Modern Worker in Industry and Modern Worker in Agriculture reflect local industry and agriculture.  Known as the "Triple Cities," Binghamton, and adjacent Endicott and Johnson City formed a "Valley of Opportunity," which served as a beacon to European immigrants looking for work in America in the early 20th century.  Endicott Johnson shoe factory and the International Time Recording Company (later IBM) historically made Binghamton a vital center of industry.  The city's position at the convergence of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers, made the valleys of Binghamton a rich and fruitful farming area.  On the South wall, Modern Method of Communication contrasts a modern mail carrier with Ancient Method of Communication where a Biblical Noah and a young boy, with the Ark in the background, release carrier doves. Installed on the West and East Walls, Communication by Earth, Communication by Water, Communication by Air, and Thrift and Postal Savings System pay tribute to the progress achieved by the Postal Service through exalted scenes illustrating the varied means by which the post is delivered.  Each mural, placed over an archway, depicts a means of communication, be it the locomotive, airplane, or ship.  Three of the four murals are accented by the insertion of a mailbag or pouch under the archway, almost as though the objects themselves were engulfed in the scene above them.