Archive for July 2006

30 July 2006

Further information on the mystery train shown in the painting. I enquired on a railway newsgroup, and received a very detailed response almost immediately. The internet is an amazing thing!!

This is the message I received from Eddie Bellass, Merseyside, United Kingdom. (Thank you Eddie!!)

"The engine in your picture is the "DeWitt Clinton" of 1831. It is seen pulling a train of stage coach-derived coaches from Albany to Schenectady in the state of New York USA.

Dewitt Clinton (1769 - 1828) was at various times a US Senator, Mayor of New York and later Governor of New York State. He was one of the men behind the construction of the Erie Canal, the owners of which later fiercely opposed the construction of railroads because of the threat to their business."

Here is a picture of the train from Wikipedia - compare this with the painting.

More information here from Wikipedia:

The DeWitt Clinton of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad (M&H) was the first steam locomotive to operate in the state of New York. It began operations in 1831. More information here.

The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States. The railroad was incorporated April 17, 1826 and opened August 9, 1831. On April 19, 1847, the name was changed to the Albany and Schenectady Railroad. The railroad was consolidated into the New York Central Railroad on May 17, 1853.

DeWitt Clinton was the governor of New York State responsible for the Erie Canal. More information here.

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28 July 2006

I received an email from a website visitor about a Jack Coggins painting he had just acquired - he has very kindly allowed me to reproduce an image of it here. I was able to find a reproduction of the painting in my copy of "Great Trains of the World" by Wyatt Blassingame, which was illustrated by Jack. This book was published in 1953, so the painting would have been done about that time, possibly for the book. At first glance it appeared to be a painting of Stephenson's (incorrectly spelled Stevenson in the book) Rocket on one of its public excursions; however it is not, as some research showed.

On the left is an image of the remains of the actual Stephenson's Rocket in the Science Museum, London. This was modified from the 1829 version, mainly by lowering the piston assembly from 35 degrees to 8 degrees, and modifying the firebox and smoke box. On the right is another of Jack's paintings from "Great Trains of the World" accurately depicting the 1829 Rocket. Examining the images, you can see that the Rocket has a 0-2-2 wheel arrangement i.e. no leading wheels, 2 driving wheels, 2 trailing wheels; the locomotive in Jack's painting is 0-4-0 (4 driving wheels only) like the earlier "Locomotion" of 1825. I have been unable to find an exact match for the locomotive that Jack depicts in his painting, so we have to assume that is an melding of several locomotives of the era. But apart from the nit-picking, it's a great painting, in excellent condition and a marvellous acquisition.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Institute of the Arts aka The Wyomissing Institute of Fine Arts will host a Jack Coggins Exhibit from Sept. 8 to Nov. 11. Thursday, September 7 will be a preview party which will pay tribute to Jack. They are trying to locate a knowledgeable speaker for a brief gallery talk and have been in contact with the Mystic Maritime Museum and the Philadelphia Maritime Museum but have been unable to find someone suitable. If anyone has a suggestion of someone they can contact it would be greatly appreciated. Contact Susan Rohn, Executive Director, Institute of the Arts (http://www.institute-of-arts.org/home.htm)

15 July 2006

For some time I have been trying to locate a collection of Jack Coggins original works at a University in Mississippi, mentioned in several biographies. I have finally had success - the papers and artworks are part of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection (more here) at the University of Southern Mississippi.

According to the curator, it at least contains original illustrations from the following books: "Arms And Equipment of the Civil War", "Horsemen of the World", "The Fighting Man", "Flashes and Flags", "Nets Overboard" and original manuscripts from "Hydrospace, Frontier Beneath the Sea" and "The Fighting Man". There are considerable original illustrations as well as original acetate illustrations, color separations, endpapers, and more.

The curator will be doing a more detailed investigation when time permits, and we may be able to acquire some digital copies of the original artworks.

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11 July 2006

Today would have been Jack's 95th birthday.

Through this website, we are trying to make sure that his memory lives on for quite a few more years yet. The accomplishments of too many great artists and craftsmen have faded away and we won't let that happen with Jack Coggins.

Happy Birthday Jack ... wherever you are.

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6 July 2006

I have found some more references to Jack's artworks, so I have more magazines to locate - any assistance would be appreciated.

Pierce, Frank Richardson ... "Cargo for Vladistock." Argosy Weekly, Vol.315, No.1, Feb. 1943, pp. 58-64. Illustrations by Jack Coggins.(Actual cover above left)

Hill, James L. ... "Battle Stations." Argosy Weekly, Vol.315, No.3, April 1943, pp. 72-78. Illustrations by Jack Coggins. (Actual cover above middle)

Lynch, Rolland ... "Seasoned in Sail." Adventure Magazine, Vol.108, No.2, Dec. 1942, pp. 56-64. Illustrations by Jack Coggins. (Typical cover from the 40s above right)

Source for publication information: http://www.its.berkeley.edu/library/cruel

Source for Argosy images: http://www.philsp.com/mags/argosy.html

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2 July 2006

I have managed to win this copy of PM Newspaper on eBay, and it is on its way to Oz. I have not been able to find any copies yet with any of Jack's artwork - I will keep trying.

A few more references about PM - have a look here. I have also bought a copy of the recommended book and Vanity Fair magazine from this site for further research.

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2 July 2006

This painting of Jack's recently sold on eBay. It is an 11" x 15" oil titled "Dory and Sheds", and sold at a bargain price of US$300 - if we were not away from home at the time, we may well have been tempted!

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