Eagles - Chicago, IL - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

The Uptown Station Post Office is located in Chicago’s famous Uptown neighborhood at 4850 N. Broadway. It was interesting to research this site.

The exterior entrance is flanked by imposing eagles, sculpted by Croatian-born Paul K. Kufrin. Kufrin immigrated to Chicago and opened an art school in 1910 at Division and La Salle Street. He lived and had his studio in the south Lawndale area until his death in 1973.

Dimensions: approx. 6 ft. x 50 in. x 52 in.; Base: approx. 81 x 50 x 52 in.

The inscription below the left eagle reads: JAMES A. FARLEY/Postmaster General/JOHN M. CARMODY/Federal Works Administrator/W. ENGELBERT REYNOLDS/Commissioner of Public Buildings/LOUIS A. SIMON/Supervising Architect/NEAL A. MELICK/Supervising Engineer/HOWARD LOVEWELL CHENEY/Consulting Architect/1939. Below the right eagle it reads: UPTOWN STATION/CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Each inscription has three compass stars carved to its right.

See other waymarks for this site for additional information about the Art Deco nature of the building and the WPA murals inside. Also an interesting article at (visit link) from the Uptown Chicago Resources website.

TITLE: Eagles ARTIST(S): listing says Unknown but should read Paul K. Kufrin DATE: none listed but s/b after het building was completed in 1939 MEDIUM: Polished gray granite. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS IL000097 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Uptown Station Post Office 4850 N. Broadway Chicago, IL DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: Sculptor is Paul K. Kufrin. I had a lead that they were done by him and confirmed this from his obituary in the Chicago Tribune dated 11/9/1973.

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