NORMAN ROCKWELL - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 03/18/1969 - HFSID 67459

NORMAN ROCKWELL
In 1969, Rockwell tried to gain rights for his art from the Curtis Publishing Company, which published The Saturday Evening Post. He wrote this letter to Doubleday & Co. about the negotiations and enclosed a copy of his request to Curtis Publishing Company.
Typed letter signed "Norman/Rockwell" in blue ink, with two other signatures in unknown hand in blue and red ink. 1 page, 7x10¼, on Rockwell's personalized stationery. March 18, 1969. Addressed to Mr. William G. Thompson, Doubleday & Co., Inc., 277 Park Ave., New York, New York. In full: "Dear Mr. Thompson: I think this legal opinion of Mr. Manges is good news. Don't you think so? At the suggestion of Mr. Manges I have written, in his exact words, the enclosed letter to Curtis Publishing Co. Sincerely yours,". In the accompanying letter, 8½x11, addressed to the Curtis Publishing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rockwell asks the company to reassign American book rights and foreign rights of his work to him. The Curtis Publishing Company published The Saturday Evening Post, for which Rockwell created over 300 covers. Rockwell (1894-1978) is an American artist and illustrator best known for his realistic and humorous scenes of small town life in America. He painted over 300 covers for the Saturday Evening Post from 1916 to 1965 after beginning his career at age 18 as an illustrator for Boy's Life. His art, drawn with attention to detail, had an air of simplicity and sentimentality. Rockwell's popularity grew because his art seemed to be, for everyday Americans, a mirror-image of real life. His subjects ranged from American presidents to Mark Twain characters to the man who delivered his mail. Rockwell's work was also published in several other magazines and on numerous calendars, and his paintings portraying "The Four Freedoms" were distributed as morale-builders and to promote the sale of Victory Bonds during WWII. Rockwell published his autobiography, Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Illustrator, in 1960. Lightly toned and creased. Letters have been folded in three and unfolded. Torn staple holes in upper left corner. Pinhole in top of signed letter. Otherwise in fine condition.