English
Norman Rockwell (1894 – 1978)
The new American LaFrance is here!, 1971
Advertising illustration for A-T-O, Inc.
Oil on canvas
Private Collection
©Norman Rockwell Family Agency. All rights reserved.
For the last 25 years of his life, Norman Rockwell lived in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and depicted small-town life in his illustrations, often using the town as his backdrop.
One location he depicted, the old firehouse, was featured in this illustration featuring the American LaFrance Fire Truck, originally published in an annual report of the company that manufactured the truck.
The firehouse building was erected in 1898 with its large door and its distinctive bell tower looking out over Elm Street. Rockwell’s illustration emphasizes that the arrival of the brand-new red fire truck is big news for the residents of Stockbridge as parents and kids come running to see it. The new truck dwarfs the older fire truck parked by its side and Rockwell suggests that it is anyone’s guess if this modern vehicle with all the new bells and whistles will even fit inside this quaint old building.
The fire house served the community well for three quarters of a century. However, by the 1970s it was clear that newer fire trucks, like the one shown here, had outgrown the size of the station. Not surprisingly, during the time the image was published, the town of Stockbridge was planning for and constructing a modern brick fire station located about a block away.