Archive for March 2007

March 29, 2007

I found this little item at the Berks Art Alliance site. This is the first award from the legacy left by Jack to be administered and awarded by the Wyomissing Institute of Arts.

To read details of the schoolhouse tragedy and Bruce Becker's involvement from his website, click here.

March 26, 2007

I received my copy of SAGA magazine, March 1952, with Jack's artwork on the cover. This illustration was for one of the featured stories, "The Icy Lash of the Sea". As a bonus, there is a two page illustration with the story as well, which I have scanned and linked to the image on the Miscellaneous Magazine Covers page.

March 16, 2007

Jack Coggins's wife, Alma Woods, died at their home on March 4, 2007. The following is an obituary from the Reading Eagle of March 16, 2007.

Alma Wood-Coggins

Alma Wood-Coggins, well-known Berks County painter, died March 4, 2007, in her residence near Hill Church in Pike Township. Wood-Coggins, 82, was the wife of Jack Banham Coggins, who died in January 2006.

Wood-Coggins was born May 24, 1924, in Canton, Bradford County, a daughter of Fred Wood and Essica Ortha Monahan. She grew up on a dairy farm near New Albany in Bradford County, and graduated from New Albany High School in 1943.

In 1944, she left for New York City and worked as a fashion model for one year for designer Mainbocher. She became a photographers’ fashion model and worked for many photographers, including Hurrel, Rawlings, Penn, Leon Bruno and Body and Richard Avedon.

Her photographs appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, Brides Magazine and Ladies Home Journal as well as in many national ads for Cartier, Sweetheart Soap, Phillip Morris cigarettes and many others.

In 1946, she was chosen as one of the 10 best models and represented the New York Uptown Dressmakers Association in a six-week fashion show tour of South America. She represented the Couturier Department of Henri Bendel.

She married artist-author Jack Coggins in 1948 and moved from New York City to Berks County soon after. She raised purebred goats during the period 1954 to 1960 and her goats were known throughout the country as record holders in milk production.

She did her first drawing in 1964 and was given an art education by her husband Jack. She attended his classes at Wyomissing Institute of Fine Art, in Wyomissing, and she showed at many galleries, not only in Eastern Pennsylvania but also Maryland and New York City.

She painted in both oils and pastels and was particularly fond of flowers, animal studies and landscapes. She also did some portraits.

She won the Elizabeth Morse Genius Award for her oil painting titled “Hill Farm” in an exhibition held at Pen and Brush in New York City, which prize was announced at an awards dinner held at the club on April 14, 1998.She received numerous other awards and participated in many juried art shows. She was authorized to use the prestigious initials O.P.A. on her works.

Humanity Gift Registry in Philadelphia was in charge of arrangements.

Here is a poem in memory of both Jack and Alma from the Coggins family in Australia.

March 3, 2007

The PM newspaper from March 23, 1941 has arrived and I have added it to Newspaper PM. Since the article may be of interest, I have reprinted it in full as well as reproducing the images.

I have added some more images of Jack's paintings, and created a second "Art" page to fit them into. Another new item has arrived - "The Seven" a book with cover art by Jack which has been added to the collection of images - and I am awaiting the arrival of the June 1948 Yachting Magazine with Jack's art on the cover.