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  8. Frank Mechau

Frank Mechau

Dangers of the Mail

1937
oil on canvas
72 1/2 x 162 in. (184.2 x 411.5 cm)
Commissioned through the Section of Fine Arts, 1934-1943
FA13B
Photo by Carol M. Highsmith

Dangers of the Mail

Pony Express

1937
oil on canvas
72 1/2 x 162 in. (184.2 x 411.5 cm)
Commissioned through the Section of Fine Arts, 1934-1943
FA13A
Photo by Carol M. Highsmith

Pony Express

In a document Mechau provided to the Section of Fine Arts in November, 1937, the artist described historic incidents in which Indians attacked armed stage coaches in search of horses, guns, ammunition, and war booty, and to collect scalps. In Dangers of the Mail, Mechau depicted just such a scene. The artist, recruited and championed by Section Assistant Director Edward Rowan for his stylistic daring, wrote that he intended “to create an imaginative reconstruction of a massacre into a pattern of forms.” The mural was admired by art critics, who praised its “stirring formal patterns” and “compelling mood,” and described it as “spectacular and exhilarating.” However, the violent subject matter—Native Americans attacking a stagecoach party, including several nude women, at least two of whom are about to be scalped or strangled—has disturbed many in the decades since its unveiling. (See thematic essay below: “Controversy Then and Now”)

Below Dangers of the Mail, Mechau produced five smaller scenes related to the Indian Wars and the Pony Express. Below these, he included the names of 21 Native American leaders, including spokesmen for peace and education—such as Spotted Tail and Plenty Coups—as well as warriors who led the resistance against white settlement of the West—such as Sitting Bull and Ink Paduta. The list also features the famous Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse and his comrades Little Big Man and Red Cloud. Along the sides of both murals Mechau painted Indian designs that he discovered during his research at the Salt Lake City library. Mechau’s inclusion of Native American names and designs indicates a desire to pay respect to the indigenous tribes. However, these elements have been overshadowed by the aggressive, stereotypical representation of American Indians in the large mural.

The 1860s were crucial years for American westward expansion and exciting days for the United States Post Office Department. Settlers flooding westward, mining the land and seeking opportunity, necessitated increased mail delivery. Beginning in 1857, private stagecoach companies delivered letters from St. Louis to San Francisco. From April, 1860, until October, 1861, riders of the famed Pony Express raced from the plains to the coast, traveling 75 to 100 miles daily and changing horses at relay stations set ten to fifteen miles apart. The riders’ dedication in traversing the rough western landscape underscores the importance of communication in the rapidly growing nation. These same years saw great strife throughout the country. While the Civil War raged in the East, the Indian Wars—dating back at least 40 years—continued to take the lives of settlers and Native Americans in the West. Frank Mechau’s murals depict dramatic and violent incidents related to the Pony Express and westward expansion.

The Pony Express, though short-lived, has become a classic symbol of the American West. In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the daring exploits of famous riders like Buffalo Bill Cody were romanticized in dime novels and Wild West shows. In November, 1937, Frank Mechau presented his personal history of the Pony Express to Section leaders. In this text, Mechau acknowledged white aggression and praised the expertise of the Comanche horsemen who taught white riders, even as he described the threats that Indians posed to Pony Express riders, going so far as to delineate which Indians were friendly to whites and which were hostile.

In Pony Express, Mechau likewise paid tribute to the Pony Express while recognizing the turmoil that it produced. The central panel shows the changing of horses at a division point. Above both Pony Express and Dangers of the Mail appear the names of towns along the route of the Pony Express, beginning with San Francisco and ending with St. Joe. Below Pony Express, Mechau listed the names of heroic Pony Express riders, including the celebrated Pony Bob Halsam, who made the longest uninterrupted ride of the Pony Express (round trip 380 miles in 36 hours during the Pyramid Lake War) and Jim Moore, who rode 280 miles in just under 15 hours. Mechau also inscribed the names of Western frontiersmen like Kit Carson—who became a popular dime novel character while also overseeing the mistreatment of thousands of Navajos—and the famous gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok.

For Native Americans, the Pony Express represented the loss of tribal land, food sources, and sovereignty, and its presence in the West led to clashes and armed conflict. Below the main panel of Pony Express, Mechau included a series of pictures illustrating indigenous responses to the threat of the Pony Express, including a scene of Native Americans stealing horses from a station and one of a Native American taking the mochila, or mail bag, from a rider. The ambushing of stations, especially after the Pyramid Lake War of 1860, contributed to the demise of the Pony Express.

Controversy Then and Now

Mechau’s murals have provoked controversy since before they were unveiled in September of 1937. In March of that year, the designs were published in Time magazine and drew some pointed criticism. Harry Galbraith, a Colorado news reporter, alleged historical inaccuracies in the paintings. He wrote to Postmaster General James A. Farley that the male figures, horses, and architecture appeared modern rather than historical; that the long rifles held by the settlers in Pony Express should have been Colt revolvers and sheath knives; and finally, that the scalping depicted in Dangers of the Mail would only have been performed after the victim was unconscious, a gruesome but relevant point.

Others were outraged by the indecency of the female nudes in Dangers of the Mail. This issue grew in intensity until Mechau and Section Assistant Director Edward Rowan appeared on Capitol Hill to defend the work. Rowan argued that the nudes were relatively small, were “abstract” and “utterly impersonal,” and should be considered “symbolic motifs.” In these years, abstraction was related to the modernist movement in art, itself believed by many Americans to be a breach of propriety.

Nonetheless, Mechau was allowed to proceed with his designs, with the condition that he stress historical accuracy. The murals received great praise in some quarters. The press described them as dramatic, poetic, imaginative, and stirring. The president of the Museum of Modern Art, purchased one of the studies for the museum, and it was shown in May 1938 at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris. Section director Edward Bruce stated, “Frank Mechau’s paintings alone would have justified the entire PWAP program!” However, condemnation continued. Perhaps most significantly, Commissioner for the Bureau of Indian Affairs John Collier criticized Dangers of the Mail in October 1937. He poked fun at Mechau’s claim that the women were not being scalped, only “roughly handled,” and he called the mural “a slaughter against pioneer women.”

Sixty years after their debut, Mechau’s murals again stirred heated debate when employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—which now occupies the building—objected to the violence of Dangers of the Mail and the stereotypical depictions of both American Indians and women. In the context of a federal workplace, the murals were cited as creating a hostile work environment. GSA, which oversees the building and its art, consulted with experts, EPA employees, and members of the public, and found opinions to be split: many called for the removal of Dangers of the Mail from the building, while just as many opposed removing or covering the art. A comprehensive interpretive program was created in consultation with both Native Americans and Frank Mechau’s children.

Mechau’s murals and the controversies surrounding them serve as important reminders. First, they vividly render the tragedy of the Indian Wars of the 1860s; second, they recall the degrading stereotypes and social hierarchies that were widely accepted in the 1930s; and finally, they emphasize the difficulties of addressing these issues, and the role of art in public buildings, even today. The murals are evidence that bold art and problematic subject matter often go hand in hand.

Frank Mechau is one of eleven artists whose murals are featured in the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building. Access to the Clinton Building is restricted, however tours are available through the U.S. General Services Administration. For more information, please contact artinfo@gsa.gov.

Frank Mechau (1904-1946)

Frank Mechau was born and raised in Colorado. He studied art at Denver University and the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to Paris to paint, immerse himself in the contemporary art scene, and study the early European masters. Returning to the United States three years later, Mechau exhibited paintings in prominent East Coast venues, produced eleven murals for public buildings, and devoted himself to teaching young artists at schools including the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center and Columbia University. Mechau was awarded three Guggenheim fellowships in the 1930s and, due to his great love of the American West, was the first American artist to remain stateside on his fellowship. In June, 1943, he was appointed by the War Department to document military activities in and around the Panama Canal region. Mechau’s paintings reside in the collections of various museums, including the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Frank Mechau, “Dangers of the Mail.”

“Dangers of the Mail.” Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.

Frank Mechau, “Pony Express.” Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.

“Pony Express.” Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.

“Dangers of the Mail.” Photo by GSA.

“Dangers of the Mail.” Photo by GSA.

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Last updated: Jan 21, 2024
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    • Have at least 35 percent of its employees live in a HUBZone

    See Title 13 Part 126 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.

  • A GSA SmartPay card that is an individually billed account. The cardholder is invoiced for purchases and the cardholder is responsible for payment and then the agency reimburses them. It is the most common for travel cards. See more on how to recognize card types.

  • A type of contract when the quantity of supplies or services, above a specified minimum, the government will require is not known. IDIQs help streamline the contract process and speed service delivery.

  • A fee paid by businesses who are awarded contracts under Multiple Award Schedule to cover GSA’s cost of operating the program. The fee is a fixed percentage of reported sales under MAS contracts that contractors pay within 30 calendar days following the completion of each quarter.

  • An investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The law provides funding for LPOE modernization projects that will create new good-paying jobs, bolster safety and security, and make our economy more resilient to supply chain challenges.

  • A written agreement entered into between two federal agencies, or major organizational units within an agency, which specifies the goods to be furnished or tasks to be accomplished by one agency (the servicing agency) in support of the other (the requesting agency).

  • A facility, also known as a border station, that provides controlled entry into or departure from the United States for persons or materials. It houses the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal inspection agencies responsible for the enforcement of federal laws related to entering into or departing from the U.S.

  • An employee who is responsible for preparing, negotiating, awarding and monitoring compliance of lease agreements.

  • Criteria used to select the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price. Solicitations must specify that award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors.

  • The rate of reimbursement for driving a privately owned vehicle when your agency authorizes it. Current rates are at gsa.gov/mileage.

  • Long-term governmentwide contracts with commercial firms providing federal, state, and local government buyers access to more than 11 million commercial products and services at volume discount pricing. Also called Schedules or Federal Supply Schedules.

  • The standard federal agencies use to classify business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.

  • A family of six separate governmentwide multiple award, IDIQ contracts for management and advisory, facilities, technical and engineering, logistics, intelligence services, research and development, environmental, and enterprise solutions.

  • A formal, signed agreement between GSA’s Public Buildings Service and a federal agency for a specific space assignment.

  • Services performed under a contract with a federal agency that include:

    • Cemetery maintenance
    • Electrical systems and energy management control systems
    • Elevator inspection and maintenance
    • Energy management and audit services
    • Fire alarm and fire suppression system maintenance
    • Janitorial
    • Landscaping and snow removal
    • Marine vessel maintenance and repair services
    • Painting
    • Pest control
    • Plumbing or pipe fitting
    • Refrigeration or heating, cooling, and air conditioning
    • Smart buildings
  • A daily allowance for lodging and meals and incidental expenses, or M&IE, which federal agencies use to reimburse their employees on official travel.

  • An identification card that allows credentialed government personal to access facilities, computers, or information systems. May also be referred to as HSPD-12 card, LincPass, Smart Card, or CAC.

  • Furniture and equipment such as appliances, wall hangings, technological devices, and the relocation expenses for such property.

  • Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual. Get our agency's privacy policies and practices as they apply to our employees, contractors, and clients.

  • You should only drive a privately owned vehicle for official travel after your agency evaluates the use of:

    • A common carrier
    • A government-furnished vehicle
    • A rental car

    When your agency has determined a POV to be the most advantageous method of transportation, you are authorized reimbursement for mileage and some additional allowances (parking, bridge, road and tunnel fees, etc.).

  • Approvals from GSA’s congressional authorizing committees, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for proposed capital and leasing projects that require funding over an annually established threshold.

  • Region 1 (New England): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

    Region 2 (Northeast and Caribbean): Northern New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

    Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic): Delaware, parts of Maryland, Southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, parts of Virginia, West Virginia

    Region 4 (Southeast Sunbelt): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

    Region 5 (Great Lakes): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

    Region 6 (Heartland): Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

    Region 7 (Greater Southwest): Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

    Region 8 (Rocky Mountain): Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

    Region 9 (Pacific Rim): Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada

    Region 10 (Northwest Arctic): Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

    Region 11 (National Capital): Washington, D.C., area including parts of Maryland and Virginia

  • Formal agreements between GSA and a federal agency customer where GSA agrees to provide goods, services, or both, and the federal agency agrees to reimburse GSA’s direct and indirect costs. The customer portal for RWA information is called eRETA at extportal.pbs.gsa.gov.

  • A document used in negotiated procurements to communicate government requirements to prospective contractors (firms holding Multiple Award Schedule contracts) and to solicit proposals (offers) from them.

  • A document used to communicate government requirements, but which do not solicit binding offers. Quotations submitted in response are not offers. The Multiple Award Schedule order is the offer, and then the contractor can do something to show acceptance, like ordering supplies or contacting subcontractors.

  • An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • Be a small business
    • Be at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans
    • Have one or more service-disabled veterans manage day-to-day operations and also make long-term decisions
    • Eligible veterans must have a service-connected disability
    • Permanently and totally disabled veterans who are unable to manage the daily business operations of their business may still qualify if their spouse or appointed, permanent caregiver is assisting in that management

    See Title 13 Part 128 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.

  • An SBA designation for businesses that meet size standards set for each NAICS code. Most manufacturing companies with 500 employees or fewer, and most non-manufacturing businesses with average annual receipts under $7.5 million, will qualify as a small business.

    See Title 13 Part 121.201 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.

  • To improve and stimulate small business utilization, we award contracts to businesses that are owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. We have contracting assistance for:

    • 8(a) Business Development contractors
    • Historically underutilized business zone
    • Service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses
    • Small businesses
    • Small disadvantaged businesses
    • Veteran-owned small businesses
    • Women-owned small businesses
  • A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to business that meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • Be a small business
    • The firm must be 51% or more owned and controlled by one or more disadvantaged persons
    • The disadvantaged person or persons must be socially disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged

    See Title 13 Section 124.1001 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.

  • The basis for the lease negotiation process, which becomes part of the lease. SFOs include the information necessary to enable prospective offerors to prepare proposals. See SFO minimum requirements.

  • Specific supply and service subcategories within our Multiple Award Schedule. For the Information Technology Category, a SIN might be new equipment or cloud services.

  • An online system at sam.gov, which the U.S. Government uses to consolidate acquisition and award systems for use by contractors wishing to do business with the federal government. Formerly known as FBO.gov, all contracting opportunities valued over $25,000 are posted at sam.gov.

  • When you use a government purchase card, such as the "GSA SmartPay" travel card for business travel, your lodging and rental car costs may be exempt from state sales tax. Individually billed account travel cards are not tax exempt in all states. Search for exemption status, forms and important information.

  • The finishes and fixtures federal agency tenants select that take a space from a shell condition to a finished, usable condition and compliant with all applicable building codes and standards.

  • A statute that applies to all Multiple Award Schedule contracts, unless otherwise stated in the solicitation or contract, which requires contractors to sell to the U.S. Government only products that are manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the U.S. or a TAA-designated country.

  • Vendors report transactional data — information generated when the government purchases goods or services from a vendor — to help us make federal government buying more effective.

    See our TDR page for which SINs are eligible and which line-item data to submit.

  • A unique number required to do business with the federal government.

  • An indicator of how efficiently a federal agency is currently using space, it is traditionally calculated by dividing the usable square feet of the space, by the number of personnel who occupy the space.

  • A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • Be a small business, as defined by the size standard corresponding to any NAICS code listed in the business’s SAM profile
    • Have no less than 51% of the business owned and controlled by one or more veterans
    • For those veterans who are permanently and totally disabled and unable to manage the daily business operations of their business, their business may still qualify if their spouse or appointed, permanent caregiver is assisting in that management

    Get a full list of eligibility requirements.

  • A governmentwide acquisition contract exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses to sell IT services such as:

    • Data management
    • Information and communications technology
    • IT operations and maintenance
    • IT security
    • Software development
    • Systems design
    • New and emerging technologies
  • The amount of solid waste, such as trash or garbage, construction and demolition waste, and hazardous waste, that is reused, recycled or composted instead of being put in a landfill or burned.

  • A GSA program designed to promote recycling and reuse of solid waste.

  • A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • Be a small business
    • Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
    • Have women manage day-to-day operations who also make long-term decisions

    See Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.