Perfectly preserved government-funded art
It took the artist Boris Deutsch about five years to paint the 11 half-circle panels called Cultural Contributions of North, South and Central America, in the still-functioning Terminal Annex post office. Completed in 1944, the project was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, which oversaw the artworks created to enhance public buildings. Compared to the Work Projects Administration (WPA), the goal of which was work relief (thereby resulting in artworks of wide-ranging quality), the Treasury Section chose their artists carefully, through a prestigious competition. Deutsch was among those selected.
Boris Deutsch was born in Lithuania in 1892. Drafted into the Russian Army during World War I, he deserted after realizing he was incapable of killing. After fleeing across Asia, he ultimately ended up in Los Angeles. Shortly after his arrival, he won the Terminal Annex commission.
Info
Address The US Post Office – Los Angeles Terminal Annex, 900 N Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Public Transport Any Metro line to Union Station, then a .2-mile walk | Getting there Paid on-site lot and metered street parking | Hours Mon–Fri 10am–5pm & Sat 9am–1pm| Tip Visit the Avila Adobe (10 Olvera Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012). Built in 1818, it’s the oldest standing residence in Los Angeles, and is open to the public as a museum.
The first six lunettes depict indigenous people making pottery, weaving, dancing, and playing music, and the surrounding mission of Junipero Serra. The following panel shows people traveling west. The next four abruptly turn to modern day, portraying the 200-inch Hale Telescope, physics class, telephone operators, and military men in “Defense of America.”
If you study panels eight through ten, you’ll notice a woman who appears in all three. She’s the wife of the astronomer, a physics teacher, and also the lady in red in the “Communication” panel. This raven-haired woman is Deutsch’s wife, Riva.
Deutsch made his frescoes to last. That meant no oil and no casein. So, he came up with his own solution: egg yolk. He mixed it with a few drops of water and concentrated dry pigment. The concoction worked. It was thin and absorbed into the plaster, therefore there was nothing to crack and flake off. The deep earth tones are as rich today as they were when freshly painted.
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