Norman Rockwell 1894-1978

American Magazine
Acquired by the present owner, 1948

Norman Rockwell is considered one of the most influential visual communicators of the twentieth century and is known for his unique ability to encapsulate an entire narrative through a single image.  While much of his subject matter is rooted in his idealization of American life and his observation of the social mores of small town America, some of Rockwell’s best and most poignant compositions address issues our country has faced during times of crisis. 

Rockwell was commissioned to paint Hoodlum Street to accompany a story by the same title by Don Tracy for the May 1947 issue of American Magazine.  Tracy tells the story of a young boy named Arnold who, desperate to earn money to buy a .22 repeater from the local store, musters the courage to ask for his own paper route from the crotchety Mister Regan.   Regan asks the young boy if he can fight, and when he stammers yes, he is told to head to Cherry Street on the Hill, a seedy area which is the backdrop of countless juvenile street fights and various acts of petty crime.  Rockwell captures the moment in which Arnold, with his small, crouched frame clutching his stack of papers, hesitantly approaches the ominous alleyway to meet the motley crew of ‘Cherry Streeters.’  Rockwell deftly employs a myriad of small details and props to illustrate Mr. Tracy’s story and, as Thomas Buechner notes, “Although he records precise moments, he wants the viewer to know what has just happened or what will happen next” (Norman Rockwell: A Sixty Year Retrospective, New York, 1972, p. 114). 

Like many Rockwell images, Hoodlum Street succeeds as an accessible illustration for a story on more than one level.  While Tracy’s tale makes no mention of World War II, and in fact takes place two years after the end of war, Rockwell includes a clear headline referring to the second draft and Nazi aggression.  Arnold’s honest reaction of fear, in the face of the looming bullies adopts new meaning in this context as a metaphor for American youth sent abroad to face the dangers of war.  Laurie Norton Moffatt writes, “Whether it is the proud strength of Rosie the Riveter, the democratic principles in The Four Freedoms, the injustice of bigotry in The Problem We All Live With, or the hopes and struggles of growing up in Girl at Mirror, Rockwell’s paintings powerfully portray the universal truths, aspirations and foibles of humanity.  His work is part of the fabric of America, and at its best it reflects our most fundamental beliefs about who we are as a people.” (Norman Rockwell, Pictures for American People, “The People’s Painter,” p. 26)