Rockwell Remembered

Norman Rockwell, although known in popular culture as a painter, never referred to himself as an artist, but rather as an illustrator.  From behind the camera, he had the meticulous eye of a film director, as almost all of his works were traced from photographs.

Journalism 101

Circa 1946

In 1946, Norman Rockwell paid tribute to a great American institution: the country newspaper.  His painting, which appeared in the May 25 issue, captured life in the office of the Monroe County Appeal of Paris, Missouri.  It was accompanied by drawings of 76- year-old editor Jack Blanton with his staff of five, producing the weekly paper for its 3,000 subscribers.  The photograph over the editor's desk is of B.F. Blanton, his father, who founded the paper.  To the right is a Gold Star Flag that commemorates Jack's grandson who would have succeeded as editor if he had survived WWII.  To the far right is the artist, himself, entering the editorial office. The Monroe County Appeal is still published today.  In 1950, Jack explained the secret of the paper's survival to TIME magazine ..

You run a Tom, Dick and Harry paper, like I have for 60 years and you begin to see it's the warm and simple things that make the news people hunger for the most.

Jack Blanton

The Knothole

Circa 1958

Even the name, Norman Rockwell, looks like it's carved in wood!

On Leave

Circa 1945

Gone Fishing

Harmony (Swift's Baby Food)

Circa 1956

The Runaway

Circa 1958

The Plumbers

Circa 1951

Before the Shot

Circa 1958

Mistletoe and a Milky Way

Circa 1961

Henry Ford, the Boy Who Put the World on Wheels

Circa 1952

New Television Antenna

Circa 1949

A Little Boy Writing a Letter

Circa 1920

Country Boy Eating Corn

Circa 1945

Good Land

Circa 1916

Young Love

Circa 1949

Going and Coming

Circa 1947

Travel Experience

Circa 1944

Happy Birthday, Miss Jones

Circa 1956

Rockwell intended this particular painting to be a tribute to his own eighth-grade teacher who had encouraged him to draw. Gathering a local model and students, Rockwell used a real grammer school classroom in Stockbridge as his reference.

Marriage License

Circa 1955

Girl at Mirror

Circa 1954

Saying Grace

Circa 1951

The 2013 sale of Saying Grace for $46 million (including buyer's premium) established a new record price for an original Rockwell painting. 

Choirboy

Circa 1954

Family Grace

Circa 1938

The Soda Jerk

Circa 1953

Rockwell brought his son, Peter and a group of classmates from Putney, Vermont to be photographed modeling for The Soda Jerk.  The idea was based on Peter's own experience manning soda fountains for a summer job.  Rockwell had each of his subjects photographed individually and combined them for the final composition, placing them in a setting assembled from photographs taken in a nearby diner.  

Optician, Boy With New Glasses

Circa 1956

After the Prom

Circa 1957

Missing Tooth, The Checkup

Circa 1957

Trumpet Practice

Circa 1950

Going Out

Circa 1933

A Boy and His Dog

Doctor and Doll

Circa 1942

The Farmer Takes a Ride

Circa 1953

Circa 1963

The Homecoming

Circa 1949

Canine Solo

Circa 1963

Boy Meets His Dog

Circa 1985

Tattoo Artist

Circa 1944

Snowman

Circa 1950

Swimming Hole

Circa 1945

Merry Christmas, Grandma ... We Came in Our New Plymouth

Circa 1951

Secrets

Circa 1942

Prom Dress

Circa 1949

Young Love

Circa 1949

Jury Room

Circa 1959

Census Taker

Circa 1940

Spring Flowers

Circa 1969

The Gossips

Circa 1948

Four Sporting Boys

Circa 1951

A Day in the Life of a Boy

Circa 1952

Norman Rockwell

..an American treasure..

 

 

This is the Sun's Corona seen during a total eclipse.

All of North America will see at least a partial solar eclipse on April 8.  For those in the path of the total eclipse the duration of totality will be up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, almost double that of The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017.  The 2017 total solar eclipse was witnessed by about 20 million people from Oregon to South Carolina and the upcoming 2024 Great American Eclipse is sure to be witnessed by many millions more!

In the United States, totality will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. and will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m.  If you've never seen a total solar eclipse before, put it on your bucket list and mark the date!  It is truly a breath-taking sight.  You won't regret traveling to see the Sun's corona, while you stand in the shadow of the moon!  

Simply put, a total eclipse of the Sun is the most beautiful sight you will ever see in the sky.  Nothing can prepare you for the amazing sight when the sky suddenly darkens and the Sun's corona shines in the sky.  No photograph can capture the stunning beauty of a total solar eclipse, you must see it for yourself!

The major cities of New York inside the path of total solar eclipse are Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.  Niagara Falls will be a special attraction for eclipse visitors wishing for a scenic viewpoint.  The total solar eclipse will visit New York State on April 8, 2024 beginning at 3:16 with the final exit of the Moon's shadow from the New York State at 3:29!

Through New York State the speed of the Moon's shadow will accelerate from about 2210 miles per hour to about 2735 miles per hour!  

There are only 13 states that will experience totality.  They are as follows:

Texas, Okahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  31 million people in the United States already live inside the path of totality.  Solar eclipses can be viewed safely.  The rules are simple.  Use only ISO-certified-safe solar eclipse glasses.  Keep them on while the Sun is not yet fully eclipsed.  Once the sky suddently turns dark and the solar corona appears, then you can take off your eclipse glasses to look at the Sun's amazing corona.  

The moon's shadow first touches Mexico at Mazatlan.  Then it travels northeast through Mexico and enters the United States at Texas, cuts a diagonal path all the way across the country to Maine and then visits the maritime provinces of Canada.  Several major cities inside the path are San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, Akron, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Montreal.  

Many metropolitan areas will be close to the path yet not in the path of totality.  Among the cities on the Eastern Seaboard will be New York City, Boston, Washington DC and Philadelphia.  They are all within 200 miles of the path of totality!  Depending on the weather forecast, there will be a massive number of people leaving those cities towards the path on the day before and day of the eclipse.  

The link below gives details regarding other totality States .. 

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024

Please be advised during the eclipse strange shadows and changes in lighting may confuse pets.  Keeping them indoors will prevent them from getting scared, disoriented or even blind.  Cats and dogs have gotten accustomed to artificial light that living in homes, they are not as affected as some of the wildlife.  The lack of light may wake up some animals that are awake during the night.