“Way of Life” is a mural painted by artist George Harold Fisher in 1938 for the Chelsea, Michigan, post office. Commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts during the New Deal era, this artwork reflects the government’s effort to support artists and bring art to public spaces during the Great Depression. ?
The mural portrays a family engaged in traditional domestic activities, symbolizing the values of hard work and community integral to American life at the time. The father sharpens a tool, the mother operates a spinning wheel, and the child reaches toward a sheaf of wheat, representing agriculture and self-sufficiency. ?
Originally installed in Chelsea’s historic post office, the mural was relocated to the current post office building in August 2009. It remains accessible to the public, viewable through a glass window in the PO box lobby, which is open 24/7. ?
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