Data and Links

Our family has owned many of the paintings and other artwork by Elizabeth, but a few years ago we donated many of them to the Hockaday Museum in Kalispell,Montana.
There are numerous historical articles available at the Montana Government site Excellent PDF article here from the Fall 2004 issue by Glen Chamberlain Wonderful Montana Art Museum located in Helana Auction and Gallery sales history on E. Lochrie
”The Fur Traders” St. Anthony, Idaho Post Office “Painted in 1939, can also be dated from an historical detail in the mural: tepees shown are made of skin. The scene must have been shortly before 1860 when the buffalo herds became practically non-existent. In 1988 the canvas was removed from the wall for needed cleaning. Then the mural received a great honor: the Smithsonian borrowed it for the summer, to be exhibited in a special showing of New Deal Art at the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.” A Half Century of Paintings by Elizabeth Lochrie By Betty Lochrie Hoag -McGynn 1992
"News From the States” Dillon, Montana Post Office Painted in 1938 “The Pony Express has just delivered a newspaper which is spread open on the ground. Around it are gathered cowboys and Indians. One of the latter is Chief Bird Rattler (also called Double Scalper) who died in 1937; including his portrait was Elizabeth's tribute to her friend. In the distance a sheepherder and his flock establish the date of the scene as shortly after 1878, when the first sheep were brought into Montana Territory.” A Half Century of Paintings by Elizabeth Lochrie By Betty Lochrie Hoag -McGynn 1992
”On the Oregon Trail” Burley, Idaho Post Office “This was painted in 1937. It shows a line of oxen-driven wagons with pioneers moving toward the viewer. Some of the townsmen wanted the artist to include a view of Mt. Harrison standing at one end of the valley. Other people insisted on seeing the Snake River at the other end of the valley. Elizabeth pleased everyone by juggling Nature a bit to include both landmarks. While preparing this mural Elizabeth had an unusual "learning experience." She drove her car out on the desert floor to study the terrain. Unloading her watercolor tubes, brushes and jars of water, the artist sat down on the sand to begin sketching. Seconds after she had removed a lid from the first water jar, the bugs began to swarm?all kinds of bugs, large and small, buzzing and stinging. When lizards and toads appeared Elizabeth began to visualize snakes too. She returned to town and her motel to get crayons and charcoal for her next desert research.” A Half Century of Paintings by Elizabeth Lochrie By Betty Lochrie Hoag -McGynn 1992
Smithsonian American Art Museum Post Office New Deal Artwork Most of the Post Office works of art were funded through commissions under the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture (later known as The Section of Fine Arts) and not the WPA. Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as “the Section,” it was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer, businessman, and artist, the Section’s main function was to select art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all people. The following 3 murals are still in existence today and there are links for more information.
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Excellent write up by Jennifer Li 09/14/2016
Elizabeth Lochrie

Data and Links

Our family has owned many of the paintings and other artwork by Elizabeth, but a few years ago we donated many of them to the Hockaday Museum in Kalispell,Montana.
”The Fur Traders” St. Anthony, Idaho Post Office “Painted in 1939, can also be dated from an historical detail in the mural: tepees shown are made of skin. The scene must have been shortly before 1860 when the buffalo herds became practically non-existent. In 1988 the canvas was removed from the wall for needed cleaning. Then the mural received a great honor: the Smithsonian borrowed it for the summer, to be exhibited in a special showing of New Deal Art at the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.” A Half Century of Paintings by Elizabeth Lochrie By Betty Lochrie Hoag -McGynn 1992
© Unless otherwise noted, all images, and other web elements are copyright protected ©2018 Doane Hoag - doanehoag.com
top of page
Post Office New Deal Artwork Most of the Post Office works of art were funded through commissions under the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture (later known as The Section of Fine Arts) and not the WPA. Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as “the Section,” it was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer, businessman, and artist, the Section’s main function was to select art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all people. The following 3 murals are still in existence today and there are links for more information.
"News From the States” Dillon, Montana Post Office Painted in 1938 “The Pony Express has just delivered a newspaper which is spread open on the ground. Around it are gathered cowboys and Indians. One of the latter is Chief Bird Rattler (also called Double Scalper) who died in 1937; including his portrait was Elizabeth's tribute to her friend. In the distance a sheepherder and his flock establish the date of the scene as shortly after 1878, when the first sheep were brought into Montana Territory.” A Half Century of Paintings by Elizabeth Lochrie By Betty Lochrie Hoag -McGynn 1992
Smithsonian American Art Museum
”On the Oregon Trail” Burley, Idaho Post Office “This was painted in 1937. It shows a line of oxen-driven wagons with pioneers moving toward the viewer. Some of the townsmen wanted the artist to include a view of Mt. Harrison standing at one end of the valley. Other people insisted on seeing the Snake River at the other end of the valley. Elizabeth pleased everyone by juggling Nature a bit to include both landmarks. While preparing this mural Elizabeth had an unusual "learning experience." She drove her car out on the desert floor to study the terrain. Unloading her watercolor tubes, brushes and jars of water, the artist sat down on the sand to begin sketching. Seconds after she had removed a lid from the first water jar, the bugs began to swarm?all kinds of bugs, large and small, buzzing and stinging. When lizards and toads appeared Elizabeth began to visualize snakes too. She returned to town and her motel to get crayons and charcoal for her next desert research.” A Half Century of Paintings by Elizabeth Lochrie By Betty Lochrie Hoag -McGynn 1992
There are numerous historical articles available at the Montana Government site Excellent PDF article here from the Fall 2004 issue by Glen Chamberlain Wonderful Montana Art Museum located in Helana Auction and Gallery sales history on E. Lochrie Excellent write up by Jennifer Li 09/14/2016
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