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Show h:5tory h5tory : of ofa a F FU11@US U11@US @ ihamkg ! $ w g ' ttJjfe ! , BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON WATS RI RIe e , ThanJ.sgivwg ThanJsgivwg Thanksgiving ThanJ.sgivwgay Thanksgivingay . W W by that Thanksgiving aywill ,111 111 will , ill soon so0 " be here hcre'nay hcrenay ' , ay that you'll youll ' beg beat beg best be bee t ay be sure ? e at st a certain ccrtam pIcture pIcturefrequcntly picturefrequently picturefrequently g ' ' frequcntly frequently . You've Youve seen seenW books bool.s bools . , , times-m times m tlmes-l11 tlmes l11 times-ill ill - ymany ' ,1111ny 1111ny nnny many y ) r , rk rtispapers 111 in m magannes magaiuies 71"f 71f " " , ' , m in mf inr ' " rvspaper3'ln rvspaper3ln spapcrs tispapers ' , k f r displays , 111 in i school ' Ci Crun cIn e\- e c\- c erin \ ' . - - stores It's Its one oneleClca's onefcnca's onefcncas art i [ /In In / rin run leClca's leClcas erlca's erlcas ' ' fawntc favorite fa , onte pIctures pIcturesecauSC picturestl picturesecause 1 1erlca's tl , ecauSC ecause it has been 1 1eproor icpro- icpro cpro- cpro 1epro- 1epro icproor cproor - - \ | or displayed so regularlyd regularly Iid d Thanksgiving ThanJ.sgIvmg ThanJsgIvmg Tlianksglving . time tune , It Itecome itu itecome it'ecome itecome u ' ecome almost a as < > mucha muchI much a aol I 1 of tint th1t tilt dayas day as roast roast.y roasty . . . , pumpkin pumpJ.m pumpJm pulnpkln . pie and cran- cran eran- eran eransszuce cranSt1ce cranKsuicc - - Ks-uicc Ks uicc sszuce S\t1ce S t1ce St1cee ' \ - ie Ksuiccie sszucee e celebration of ThanJ.s- ThanJ.s Thanks- Thanks ThanJ.sg Thanks4 Thanks-l.r Thanksl.r Thanks l.r lr . - - 4 g . DayIS Day is a distinctively distinctivelyscan dlstmctIvely distinctivelyncan ncan scan institution nstItutlon . . There- There Theret There-It There It - - t would seem appropnate appropriate appropriate.all appropriateall 1 \ lall . all of the symbols con- con cond cond con-d con d - , ; d vith "Ith Ith witli " it should also be t 1 - ' . So this pIC- pIC pie- pie - pie - 2 'Jfn Jfn ' man fan ; early carly American Amencan scene scened scenei d have li-ivp li ivp - been the productn product productn 1 ' , n American artIst anisi and anded anded anued ed in 111 this tll1S thus country But IttIt itt it itt * tIt t It " i\as i as was \ as pam painted ted by an anIshman anishinan anishinan Ishman ishinan in 111 England Lngland , and andfshmen andfshmen [ shmen fshmen gazed ga7ed gaged upon it long longre longe e it had the admiring admInng ap- ap apI apt ap-i\ ap i apiof - - \ I t of American Americana eyes . . brge rge Henry Boughton was wasame wasame wasame ame and his painting pamtmg , whIch whIchdestmed whichdestined whichdestined destmed destined to becoma becom become such a aIte aite a'ite aite ' Ite m 111 in America , was first firstm firstut firstn in m ut London at the Royalka Boyal Royal n ka kan kaRr Rr ) r 8 : : I I f 4 4F F . a r 4 4I 4t I ' t . : a , , 5 5I 5W 5f f I I W l lF F jh jhwR -/wR wR - ' / wRirr ? td.y tdy td.yx td.yPRISCILLA . x irr I . PRISCILLAemy's PRISCILLA PRISCILLADemy's Demy's Demys emy's emys ' exhibit eAhlblt in m 1867 . . When Whenhton Whenhton Whenthton hton painted pamted it he'had hehad he * . ' had no noof noof noi noiof of associating it with the thencan thencan thencan | ncan Thanksgiving Day celtion cel- cel celbon cel-tion cel tion - - bon tion nor did he ever dream dreamIt dream'it dreamit . symbolhat ' It would become a symbol symbolat at celebrahonoreover celebrationoreover celebration celebrahon celebrationpreover oreover preover , he gave it an en- en end endifferent en-y en y - - d different ferent title hUe from the thee theie e by which we know it He Hed HeIt Hed Heit Hea d it "Early Early " Puritans of New Newd Newland d Going to Worship Armedrotect Armedatect Armed rotect atect Themselves From Fro'11 Fro11 ' In- In Inand Inand In-s In s - and Wild Wlld Beasts " But we weleans weleans wencans leans , preferring preferrmg "some- "some some "someshort "someshort "someshort " - - [ short and snappy , " even evene evenie e titles tltles of our historical PICshortened pieshortened pic- pic pie- pie picshortened - ( , shortened that to "PUrI- "PUrI PUrI "Pun-.Gomg Pun.Gomg "Pun Pun .Gomg Gomg " - - . Gomg Going "PUrIGomg "PuriGoing to Church " Then wIth withe e disregard for the hIstOrIcal hIstOrIcalrence historicalfence historicalfence rence fence between the PUrItansthe Puritansthe Puritans the Puritansthe changedtItle Pilgrims , we changed changed.title changedtitle . tItle to the one by WhlCh which WhlChlcture whichicture whichPicture lcture icture is now best known- known - knownms knownuns known-trims known trims - uns ms Going to Church Church"apiration Churchapiration . . " Painting.course Paintingcourse pirahon piration for the PamJmg Patii4mg . course thet thelumSelf thehimself , it's its ' possible posslble that the himself lumSelf disregarded the therence therence theKnee rence between those two twos twoPS s of Massachusetts pio- pio pia - - pICwas piewas pioFor piaFor For the theme of the pIC- pIC pie- pie pic-LWas pic LWas - was suggested to him hun by a .J J . d ; ' 0P , 0 . l lrsW 4/ywd 4 ywd / H Ha W rsW a aArc Arc " ( rte h ' , "tar tar "tart " a t 44 44r ' r tt \ t tw a f 4\ 4 4c + . ' c 311 311L L w I t tx4 x4 x4M x4yi.f ) yi.f yif M , . ; r f i 1 1r 1t(1 t(1 t1 ( 1 i if it t ore a + / J JM : - m:4 : : : M . u . . n _ " ' _ _ . " ' _ . _ BARL EARLY Y PURITANS or OF NEW ENGLAND GOING TO WORSmp WORSIHP AR ARIED ARMED \IED IED \ TO PROTECT THEM THEM- . - THEMSELVES SBLVES SELVES rROlU FROM INDIANS AND WILD BBASTS BEASTS BBASTSPilgrIms BEASTSPilgrims ( PilgrIms Gomg Going to Church ) I I I I rather than the Puritans , so per per- perhaps perhaps perhaps - haps his Jus was the oiigmal olIgmal oiiginal error errorIn errorin errorin In using usmg the , word \ ord "PurItan PurItan "Puritan"rather Puritanrather " " rather than "Pilgrim Pilgrim " " m In the thehtle thetitle thetitle htle title of his Jus famous painting pamtmg and andire andwe ire , . e Americans unconsciously cor cor- corrected cor- cor corrected corrected - - rected that erIor en or for him 111m in re- re renammg renammg re renaming - - naming nammg ItIn itIn it itIn In regard to those other plC- plC pie- pie plCtm pietuies pic-tuies pic tuies - tm tuies es , it is interesting to note notethat notethat notethat that Boughton painted one wJuch which wJuchmIght whichmight winchmight mIght better have been associat assocIat- assocIated associated associated - - ed with Thanksgiving Thanksglvmg than Ius his Ius"PIlgrIms his"Pilgrims his"Pilgrims hisPilgrims "PIlgrIms PIlgrIms " Going to Church Church"It ChurchIt " It is the one he called "The The "TheFIrst "TheFirst "TheFirst TheFirst " FIrst Thanksgiving ThanhsglvIng m ill AmerIca Americareproduced " " ( reproduced in this tIns article arhcle ) but butfor butfor butfor for some reason it has never be- be become become be become - come soell so \ well \\ell ell hell \ known kno.n knon , . nor so pop pop- popular popular popular - ular as any of his other paint pamt- pamt paint- pamtIngs paintings paintings - ings of life hfe among the PilgrIms PilgrImsPerhaps PilgrimsPerhaps PilgrimsPerhaps Perhaps the fact that theie thele are areno areno areno no women in it may account forthat for forthat forthat that Boughton was especIally especIallyI especIallysuccessful especiallysuccessful especiallysuccessful successful m In painting female fig- fig figI figures fig figures - ures and the appeal of most of ofhIs ofhis ofhis hIs pictures , notably his "Pil Pil "PIl- "PIlgrIm "Pilgrim "Pilgrim " - grim Exiles Exlles , " "The The " Two Fare Fare- Farewells Farewells Farewells - wells , " "Return Return " of the Mayflow Mayflow- Mayfiow- Mayfiow Mayflower Mayfiower - - er , " "John John " Alden and PrIscilla Pnscilla"and Pnscillaand " and "Pnscilla Pnscilla "PrIscIlla PrIscIlla " , " is due largely largelyto to the women depicted m ill themBoughton themBoughton them themBoughton Boughton was born m ill Norfolk NorfolkEngland , England , m ill 1833 When he was wassu wassix wassix su six . years old his family famlly came cameto cameto cameto to America and settled in Alb Albr'Y AlbyiyN r'Y rY ' y , NY N Y , where he passed his IllS youth youthHIS youthHis youthHis HIS parents intended him for a abusmess abusmess abusiness busmess career but he showed showedhttle showedlittle showedlittle httle little interest in that and spent spentmost spentmost spentmost most of his spare time hme makIng makIngI makingpen makingpen pen and ink sketches Once when whenhe " whenhe hen henhe he went to a general store to buy buyfish buyfish buyfish fish hooks hoohs his eye was attracted attractedto to some tubes of oil 011 colors and andhe andhe andhe he bought them instead mstead WIth WIththem Withthem Withthem them he produced a painting pamtmg paintmg on onan onan onan an old piece of canvas and thIS thismarked thismarked marked the beginning begmnmg of "hat hat what "hatI "hatwas whatwas " whatwas was destined to become a dIs- dIs dIstIngUIshed distinguished dis distinguished - - tinguished career as an artist arhst arhstFrom artistFrom artistFrom From that time hme on he contin contm- contm contmued contmued continued - - ued to paint , in an unsystematIc unsystematicway way , however . . Realizing the need needfor needfor needfor for technical techmcal training , he suc suc- succeeded succeeded succeeded - ceeded m ill selling sellmg several of Ius his IuspaIntIngs hispaintings hispaintings paIntIngs in Albany and wIth wIththe withthe withthe the money obtained thus he went wentto wentto wentto to London to study . After a few fewmonths fewmonths fewmonths months he returned to Albany Albanyand Albanyand Albanyand and subsequently moved to New NewYork NewYork NewYork York city where he remained for fortwo fortwo fortv/o fortv o two / years and soon made him lurn- lurn him- lurnself himself himself - self known as a landscape paint pamt- pamt paint- painter pamtere painter - ere ereHe er . . He also worked as an illus IHus- IHus IHustrator illus- illus illustrator illustrator - - , trator , one of his commIssIOns commissionsbeing commissionsbeing : bemg being the illustrations Illustrahons for Wash Wash- Washington WashI Washmgton Washington - I ington mgton Irvmg's Irvmgs Irving's Irvings ' "Legend Legend " 0 o ofSleepy f fSleepy fSleepy Sleepy Hollow . " In 1858 he eA- eA ex- ex eArublted exhiblted ex exhibited - hibited rublted hiblted his first picture , "WInter WInter "WInterTWIlIght "WinterTwilight "WinterTwibght WinterTwibght " TWIlIght " at the National Nahonal Acad Acad- Academy Academy Academy - - emy of Design and was frequent frequent- frequently - ly represented there , being made madean madean madean an academician in 1871 . Returns to England . In the meantime meantune , however , he hehad hehad hehad had left New York for study ill m illParIS mParis mPans ParIS and travel on the contment continent contmentand continentand continentand and m In 1861 he returned to hIs hIsnatIve hisnative hisnative natIve land and settled m In Lon Lon- London Lon- Lon London London - - don . . But he took back with hima huna huma hun hum a great fondness for the Umted United UmtedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States , where he had spent hIs hIsboyhood hisboyhood hisboyhood boyhood , and this emotional emohonal at- at - . , . . " " " " > " ' " . " > n R w5 M V / P ' . fL fLw5 x xr q NyJ NyJyf yf / X l ; ; * r Sv etMyrP ' * r3 r3S S ' " ' haloN halo halou f y o oYb It Qr N $ ( Yb Ybf u w wy S SH H k > X " rt p ( r tiq q r 1 ti f fr fr A AusfaaY . . . ' . "r4 r4 " , q'r qr ' R + / i1 ' M h .A A .ATILE usfaaY ilAiSC h TILE FIRST THANKSGIVING IN AMERICA age . , in "PilgrimWhich .Bartlett's .Bartletts Bartletts . Bartlett's Bartletts ' "Pilgrim Pilgrim "PI1grIm PI1grIm " 1 fewes wl wlch Which " " ch - " reads cciuh : ; "The The " me few lew.un lewun es were almost ISolated be- be be . beconnected . . d.be dbe . , - . connected cotineeted connectedonly cotineetedonly only - by hnd lid lind d "tuksd * i i6 . ' long -6 6 - " " miles "tuks tuks " : pathway through the theM ' . . . The M g prog grog through prothe cavalcade pro- pro gro- gro - - the , forest to the ch ? , the , , thelnarnage lnarnage marriage Procession ProcessionWht arnage arrlage processlo processIon " could couldi Wht couldought ought " of ofIn 0 f ! In those frightful ) frIghtfulVas \Vas Vas was \ w"1 w1 often death deathshot thsh shot of Interrupted by hy 'f f y ' " " n Other some InvIsIble invisiblei picalt pICdealt dealtWIth dealt alt Boughton ughton pieI pic- pic pie- pie - - I , ' wuh WIth the Pilgrims tachment included not only the theAmerIca theAmerica theAmerica AmerIca of his own tune tIme but extended ex- ex extended ex extended - tended back to the romantic era eraof eraof eraof of the first fast settlement on the theshores theshores theshores shores of the New World . Those Thoseadventurous Thoseadventurous Thoseadventurous adventurous days were very real realto realto realto to him rum and because of his re- re reconstructIve reconstructive re reconstructive - - . ' constructive imagination imagmatIon and an anart anart art with which wruch to express it , he hehas hehas hehas has made them very real to later latergeneratIons latergenerations latergenerations generatIons of Americans . In Infact Infact Infact fact , it is not too much to say saythat saythat saythat that Boughton's Boughtons ' paintings pamtmgs , more morethan morethan morethan than any other single smgle force torce , have shaped the ideas of AmerIcans AmerIcansconcermng Americansconcerning Americansconcerning concermng concerning the kind hmd hind of people peoplewho peoplewho peoplewho who settled New Engl England Engldnd nd and andmade andmade andmade made it 1t easy for them to visual vlsual- vlsual visual- vlsualI.lC visualize visualize - ize I.lC IlC . the life hfe of those pioneer tImesCertaInly timesCertainly times timesCertainly Certainly it is true that we get geta a more vivid impression of those thoseearly thoseearly thoseearly early New Englandeis Englandels from fromBoughton's fromBoughton's fromBoughton's fromBoughtons Boughton's Boughtons ' famous pamtmg painting paintingwhich , whIch whIchIS is seen so often at Thanks Thanks- ThanksgIVIng Thanksgiving Thanksgiving - giving , than we do from Bart- Bart Bartlett's Bartlett's Bart-lett's Bart lett's letts - - lett's letts ' words which provided the theInspIratIon theinspiration theinspiration InspIratIon for it Boughton set to towork towork towork work workon on this tll1S picture in 1866 and andfimshed andfinished andfinished RoyalAcademy's RoyalAcademys RoyalAcadem RoyalAcademy fimshed finished it m ill time for the Royal Academ Academy } 's s ' exhibit eAhlbtt : the next nc\.t nc.t nc .t t " \ . year yearIt yearIt yearIt It was his Ius only contribution contnbutIon to tothat tothat tothat that exhibit e\.hlblt e.hlblt e .hlblt hlblt " \ . but it was enough enoughto to establish estabhsh his Ius reputation as a areal areal areal real artIstConcermng artistConcerning artist artistConcerning Concerning Concermng it one English crit crIt- crItIC critic critic - ic said " . "The The " pathos and dra dra- dramdtIc dramatic dramatic - matic mdtIc strength of the compositionand composItIon composItIonand compositionand and the vigor of the techmcal technical techmcaltreatment technicaltreatment technicaltreatment treatment made this tlus work mark mark- markedly markedly markedly - edly successful and put Mr MrBoughton MrBoughton MrBoughton Boughton finally among the most mostpromment mostprominent mostprominent promment prominent of the younger artIsts artIstswIth artistswith artistswith wIth orlgmalldeas original ideas and skill much muchabove muchabove muchabove above the average " But even evenmore evenmore evenmore more illuminating IllumInatmg is he comment commentof of |
