Vermont - Arlington, Bennington and Manchester

September 4, 2109 - September 7, 2019

Rockwell lived just a bit outside of the town of Arlington, VT and used many of the local residents as models for his paintings.

Rockwell's home outside Arlington.

To reach Rockwell's home we crossed over the Battenkill river on this covered bridge.

One wall of a Norman Rockwell Exhibition in Arlington.

 Just a few of his wonderful Saturday Evening Post covers. What an amazing artist he was.

April 29, 1922

April 24, 1926

November 8, 1947

unknown date

May 23, 1953

Rockwell's work was often used in advertising campaigns by well known companies.

 

Clockwise from upper left:  Kellog's Corn Flakes, Sun-Maid Raisins, Central Marine Power Company, Goodwill Industries, Skippy Peanut butter (last two).

An old schoolhouse was moved to Bennington and added onto the Bennington Museum.
Some things you'll never see in today's schools: cursive writing is no longer taught in our schools.

Some things you'll never see in today's schools:  Boys in suits and ties and girls in dresses.

Some things you'll never see in today's schools: maps - geography is no longer taught in our schools.

Some things you'll never see in today's schools: virtually any kind of punishment would now be thought of as child abuse!

Rules for Teachers/Rules for Students - how quaint!

And I thought roller blades were a modern invention.
Just the other day we saw someone zooming down a sidewalk on a pair this looked very much like these.

If you didn't have a headache before you started making lace - you'd soon have one!

The first large scale production pottery company in New England began in Bennington, NH.
I just love these large old jugs and this museum had a wonderful collection of them.
The shapes and decorations are so interesting and unique.

Hildene House - the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Lincoln to live to adulthood.  He became a lawyer and eventually worked for the Pullman Car Company.  After it's founder (George Pullman) died Robert became the head of the company.  He had visited the Manchester, VT area with his family after his father died and fell in love with it, coming back years later to build this "summer" home.

Front of Hildene House in Manchester, VT.

You can always count on seeing fabulous furniture in the old homes of wealthy individuals.
This beautiful clock, table and lamp are in the entrance hall of the home.
The details of the wood paneling add so much to the home.

Such a beautiful buffet.  That's a silver tea and coffee service in the middle with silver lamps on each side.

The dining room with a portrait of Robert Todd Lincoln over the mantle.

The parlor

A very unique and beautiful book case in the parlor.

clockwise from bottom left:  Robert Todd Lincoln, his mother Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln and Robert's wife Mary Harlan Lincoln.

Guest bedroom.

right side of the kitchen

Left side of the kitchen

Stairway to second floor.

Stairway detail.

Robert Todd Lincoln's bedroom.

Robert Todd Lincoln's library.

Mary Harlan Lincoln's bedroom

Mary Harlan Lincoln's sitting room.

Formal garden at the rear of the home.

Left side and rear of the home.

Rear of the home from beyond the formal gardens.

Sunbeam - a restored 1903 wooden Pullman Palace Car
A Pullman Palace Car was basically the private jet of it's day.
Some individuals owned their own Pullman car but for the most part they were
temporarily rented by rich individuals or companies. 

The seating area made into a bed as you can see below.

A cupboard above the seating area unlocked and pulled down to make another bed.

Detail of the cupboard above the seats which made into an upper berth.
As you can see - the restoration work done on this car was first rate.

Mount Equinox between Manchester and Arlington, VT.  The mountain is owned by the Carthusian Order of Monks which is based in France.  The land was a gift from a generous donor.  They have a monastery on the property which is not accessible to tourists. The order is characterized by "searching for God in silence and solitude, in the intimacy of the heart."

Two views from the top of Mount Equinox.