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The Early Book Illustrations of Norman Rockwell

By Steven Lomazow, M.D.

After nearly forty years of collecting, including the contribution of my original

collection in 1979 to the Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge that formed

the basis for the 1986 catalogue raisonné, Norman Rockwell, A Definitive

Catalogue, by Laurie Norton Moffatt (see p. xvii of that volume for the

attribution), I can now state with reasonable surety that the entirety of Rockwell’s

contributions to books in the first ten years of his career have been identified.

The initial task of accumulating a comprehensive list involved a tortuous amount

of painstaking research. Rockwell was a notoriously poor record keeper,

compounded by a 1943 fire in his Arlington Vermont studio that destroyed most

of whatever paperwork he retained. At the time I first became involved, he was

still alive but his memory had failed him. Even with the added convenience of the

internet, with its comprehensive bookselling sites and eBay, it took nearly thirty

years to reproduce a second collection, adding only four additional illustrations.

The purpose of this work is to supplement the Catalogue with additional

bibliographic information and some additional notes on collectible aspects. I will

not reproduce the illustrations but instead refer to them by catalog number.

The format is organized chronologically.

Steven Lomazow, M.D. West Orange, New Jersey May 2010

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(1) Tell Me Why Stories by Carl H. Claudy.

New York: McBride Nast &Co., 1912

Moffatt B5-B12

First printing November 1912. (left)

Second printing July 1913. (center) Lacks blue color highlights on cover

Third printing October 1915. Robert M. McBride & Co. Entitled “Tell-Me-

Why Stories About Mother Nature”. Text and illustrations are identical to

previous printings. Slightly smaller (6 x 8 3/8 as opposed to 6 ¼ x 9 ¼).

This is Rockwell’s first published work. The illustration signed 1911 (Moffatt M1) cited in

the 1947 Norman Rockwell Illustrator allegedly for a history book was probably never

published. Copies are scarce and usually sell between $300 and $600

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(2) The Maid of Middies’ Haven by Gabrielle E. Jackson.

New York: McBride Nast & Co., December 1912

Moffatt B1-B5

This is among the hardest to find of the early books. Rare.

(3) Tad Sheldon’s Fourth of July by John Fleming Wilson.

New York: Sturgis and Walton, October 1913.

Reprinted 1919: McMillan and Company.

Moffatt B204, S96, S115, S120

Quite rare. Three of the four illustrations had been used for earlier stories in Boys’ Life.

Rockwell had assumed the art editorship in 1913. The hats on the cover appear to be by

Rockwell as well. Rockwell fondly recalled his exploits with Wilson in his 1961

autobiography.

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(4) The Boy Scout’s Hike Book by Edward Cave.

Garden City and New York: Doubleday Page & Company, 1913.

Moffatt B13-B111

(5) The Boy’s Camp Book by Edward Cave.

Garden City and New York: Doubleday Page & Company, 1914.

Moffatt B112-B167

These two non-fiction manuals were illustrated for the Boy Scouts as part of

Rockwell’s association with them. They are of special interest to Boy Scout collectors

and relatively easy to obtain.

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(6) African Game Trails by J. Alden Loring.

New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1914.

One illustration by Rockwell (of eight in total) not in Moffatt, opposite page

258.

(7) Trail of the Hawk by Sinclair Lewis.

New York & London: Harper and Brothers, September 1915.

Later Grosset and Dunlap reprint edition (right).

Moffatt B168

This is the first of the fine frontispiece illustrations for Harper’s by Rockwell and the most highly

sought by collectors of twentieth century fiction due to its author, the second book published

under his real name. First editions sell for a relatively modest amount but the dust jacket,

containing the Rockwell frontispiece illustration is exceedingly rare and valuable.

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(8) The Red Arrow by Elmer Russell Gregor.

New York & London: Harper and Brothers, September 1915.

Moffatt B170-B173

(9) Jan, a Dog and a Romance by A.J. Dawson.

New York & London: Harper and Brothers, October 1915.

Moffatt B169

(10) Danny the Freshman by Walter Camp.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company 1915

Moffatt B174-B177

Interestingly, the front cover illustration is by Rockwell’s soon to be fellow Post artist,

J.C. Leyendecker. This is the first association of Rockwell with D. Appleton publishers.

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The Barbour Sports Series

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Rockwell’s associated with Ralph Henry Barbour and D. Appleton publishers for a series of five

sports related works of juvenile fiction, each containing four illustrations, making a very

attractive set. By far the hardest to obtain is the last, Keeping his Course, possibly because the

illustration was wrongly attributed to Walt Louderback on the title page and the publishers

limited circulation. These volumes came in dust jackets, which are quite rare.

(11) The Lucky Seventh by Ralph Henry Barbour.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1915.

Moffatt B 182-B185

(12) The Secret Play by Ralph Henry Barbour.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1915.

Moffatt B178-B181

(13) The Purple Pennant by Ralph Henry Barbour.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1916.

Moffatt B186-B189

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(14) A Voice in the Wilderness by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz.

New York & London: Harper and Brothers, 1916.

Later Grosset and Dunlap reprint edition (dust jacket illustrated).

Moffatt B190

(15) Don Strong of the Wolf Patrol by William Heyliger.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1916. Blue Cloth

Second Printing 1919. Red Cloth.

Moffatt S274, S255, S261, S275

A reprint of the story originally serialized in Boy’s Life between May 1915 and March

1916. It the last of the fiction books to be acknowledged on the title page with

Rockwell’s middle initial on the title page. He soon dropped it from his professional

signature (the “P” stood for Perceval, his mother’s maiden name).

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(16) This Way to Christmas by Ruth Sawyer.

New York and London: Harper and Brothers, October 1916.

Moffatt B191

(17) Hitting the Line by Ralph Henry Barbour.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1917.

Moffatt B 196-B199

(18) The Plattsburgers by Arthur Stanwood Pier.

Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1917.

Moffatt S734, S736, S737, S741

A book edition of the story originally serialized (with many additional illustrations) in

Youth’s Companion between April 19th and June 21st 1917.

(19) Scott Burton, Forester by Edward G. Cheyney.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1917.

Moffatt B192-B195

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(20) Scouting With Daniel Boone, by Everett Tomlinson.

Garden City and New York: Doubleday Page and Company, 1917

Later Every Boy’s Library Boy Scout Edition (dust jacket illustrated)

Moffatt S187, C23, S176, S180, S177, S181, S182, S 183

This story was originally serialized in Boy’s Life between June 1914 and January 1915

(21) Keeping His Course, by Ralph Henry Barbour.

New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1918.

Moffatt B 200-B203

(22) Lads Who Dared by Raymond Comstock.

New York and London: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1918

Frontispiece and illustration opposite page 332 not in Moffatt.

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(23) Boy Scouts Courageous edited by Franklin K. Matthews.

New York: Barse and Hopkins, 1918

One illustration by Rockwell (opposite page 204) not in Moffatt

(24) Peggy Stewart, Navy Girl at Home by Gabrielle E. Jackson.

New York and London: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1920

Moffatt B205

After this book Rockwell illustrated a few random dust jackets and classic works of Mark Twain

and Benjamin Franklin. While he continued to regularly illustrate stories for magazines, until

very late in his career his collaborations for books of original fiction were over.