Christmas with Norman Rockwell

I was reading an article today about a Norman Rockwell exhibit opening today, at the LDS Church history museum in Utah. It reminded me of a Christmas book my daughter bought for me a few years ago, that was titled with Norman Rockwell. My copy is dated 1977 and shows a bit of wear on the outer jacket.

It's not your typical Christmas book, with crafts and recipes, it's more like a compilation book of great stories, poems, music and photos from some great classics. It has writings from William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott and many more. In addition to all the writings, it has 95 Norman Rockwell pictures. When I pulled out the book, I realized, like many I've grown up seeing the photos of Norman Rockwell, but not really knowing the story or Norman Rockwell. So my goal tonight was to look up some history and research some of his Christmas paintings. I've come to the conclusion, I enjoy his silly side. I enjoy those silly moments in life he represents. Here are a few examples.

 

To me, these really represent the love and smiles that seem to flow at Christmas.

Some of my choices are repeated, but here's a wonderful slide show, that shows a large portion of his Christmas collection.

In Stockbridge, Massachusetts, his hometown, they even do a life like recreation every year of his famous painting "Stockbridge, Main Street at Christmas". You can also visit the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, where they house the largest collection of his work. 

If you'd like to learn more about "America's Painter", here's a LINK to a great video from the Bio channel. 

And last, but not least, of course in today's society, fans can find ANYTHING on Facebook. So if you'd like a daily dose of Norman, you can join the Fan Page.