Hide Article Text (OCR)
THE BURLINGTON (N.C.) DAILY TIMES-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1949anions PotvinI?.. •DrawingcromertaIciiorsBY DON METCALFThose viewing the famous $300.-000 Potvin exhibit of wood carvings now' on display next to the Bamby Bakery on East Front Street are fascinated by the lifelike quality of the depicted scenes, and most of the spectators return for a second and third look. The j exhibit is sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.I of the violin maker, travels with the exhibit and acts as mechanical j director of the complicated machinery used in animating the characters.Moise Potvin, a French-Cana-dian violin maker, spent 24 years in carving the 12 scenes with a pocket knife, and used 92 differ-This exhibit, which has often been called ‘an education within itself,” is now on its fourth world tour, and reports indicate that it has been well received wherevei it has gone.The most amazing feature of thedisplay is the infinite care for detail which Potvin exercised in ci stating the scenes. Th* excellent de-ent types of wood obtained from ,ta^ combined with partial anima-all parts of the w-orld.Potvin was born in Quebec. Canada, and carved four of the scenes there before coming to theUnited States and settling in Rhode Island where he completedthe exhibit.The carvings were first put on tour in 1903, and have been on the road at various intervals since that time, according to Ralph E. Delrae of Atlantic City, N. J., executive director of the exhibit. Potvin accompanied his creation in its early days on the road until excessive age prevented his travelling.The aged wood carver died at his home in Rhode Island lastDecember after making 100 violinsin addition to the scenes makingthe exhibit.At present Tony Potvin, brothertion. gives the scenes a lifelike quality which would rival the reallife scenes in authenticity.The scene which seems to be the favorite of the spectators isthat of “The Village Blacksmith.” In this scene two horses nod their heads and switch their tails while the blacksmith shoes one of them. A dog sits with lolling tongue. Two checker players make moves on the board, shake their heads while concentrating and pound the table in anger. Another blacksmith pounds a piece of metal on theanvil causing sparks to fly. A farmer sits patting his fo..t v hiie waiting for his horse to be shod. A worker drills holts in a wagon wheel as the wheel revolves. Another worker works the force, and a smail boy sharpens skates onithe grindstone.I Tins scene of a blacksmith shop j in operation has more moving j parts than any of the others in the exhibit, and this probably explains its popularity The shop is so true j to life, according to the executive director, that an old blacksmith once told him that it looked more natural than any real shop he has even seen.Other animated scenes include“New Year’s Eve in Canada” which is said to represent Potvin's family preparing for the big event in the kitchen of their home, “A Little Bit of Ireland” which shows an Irish family performing various chores in the farmyard, and“Story W'itnout Words” which shows a needy family- in a drab room with cracked plaster walls In the latter scene, the father takes a drink from a bottle at in-tervals and hangs his head as thealcohol overcomes him. the mother and daughter are wearily washing clothes, the baby sleeps in the cradle, the cat licks dirty dishes piled high in the sink, and a mouse steal furitively from a hole in the wall and dashes back after apparently receiving a scare.The carving of Samson and theLion, showing the mightiest ofmen engaged in a struggle with Ike km.’ of beasts, has won 32 first prizes for wood carvingsthroughout the world, according to Diiector Delrae.Other scenes are “The One-Piece Bathing Suit.” showing thereactions of small town residents • to a girl on Ihe street in a bathing suit. ‘Home, Sweet Home, showing a famil\ of the Victorian age in various poses in the parlor; Roosevelt's Cabinet of 1933. showing the cabinet members seated around a table with Roosevelt at the head; ‘The Face On the Barroom Floor,” showing the spurned lover drawing the face of his sweetheart upon the floor while a group of men at the bar look on; “The Last Supper,” showing Christ and the twelve apostles seated around a table in the upper room; ”M. Potvin, Violin Maker,” showing the wood carver at work in his shop; and ‘‘Stampede of the Texas i Longhorns,” showing 70 stampeding longhorns headed for destruction over a cliff w hile three mount-ed cowboys rush to stop them.Potvin also painted all of the oil paintings found throughout theexhibit, indicating that he was an artist with the brush as well as theknife.The showing of the exhibit has no admission charge, but voluntary contributions are accepted from spectators. Proceeds from these contributions will be used for various civic causes.The Pot\ in exhibit is scheduled to remain here until Sunda1i1Vi1a\ihv\nbt;u\.\haiU(oi
Newspaper Details
Burlington Daily Times News
Burlington, Iowa, US
Thu, Mar 17, 1949
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 13 Nov 2022
Other Publications Near Burlington, Iowa
Mississippi Posten
Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye and Telegraph
Iowa State Gazette
Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye
Burlington Tri Weekly Telegraph
