Mail Service in the Tropics 

Rockwell Kent made this painting of the Mail Service in the Tropics, though the exact date and location remain unknown. It depicts a scene of labor and exchange within a tropical setting. The image employs visual codes of race and class. The figures, presumably local workers, are shown handling U.S. Mail with a mixture of anticipation and deference. The U.S. Mail boxes and airplane in the background speak to the socio-political and economic structures of mid-century America, a time of increasing globalization and US influence in the world. Kent was known for his social and political activism, and this artwork may be a commentary on the relationship between the United States and its southern neighbors. To fully understand Kent’s intentions, we need to delve into the social history of the time. This could mean researching U.S. foreign policy, the history of the postal service, and the representation of tropical environments in American art and popular culture. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.