“Norman came to Stockbridge. He needed a photographer. He hired me.”
That is how Henry W. (Bill) Scovill describes his start as Norman Rockwell’s official photographer. The 40-year-old Scovill, who took the photos appearing on this page [in 1954] and also in the Saturday Evening Post, has worked with Rockwell since the latter moved to Stockbridge from Vermont last year.
Contrary to popular belief, many noted artists use photographs as time-savers when painting, instead of posing their subjects “for lengthy sittings.” Also, photographs enable rapid action “to be frozen” and later translated onto the canvas.
Rockwell, according to Scovill, uses photos almost exclusively when working on Post covers.
Rockwell goes to infinite lengths to perfect his covers via photography, Scovill reveals. For example, last Easter’s cover alone entailed 90 different photographs in seven separate locations and two different models used; and at the end, the cover was revised four times before Rockwell considered it adequate.
Rockwell and Scovill go “on location” frequently to take photographs for covers and for the numerous commercial paintings done by the artist for national corporations. Berkshire County has been used in many of these, and Scovill sees no chance of local scenes and subjects ever running out.
Scovill reports he knew little about photography until he came to Stockbridge several years ago. He praises Howard Babbitt Jr. of Pittsfield for teaching him the fundamentals of the art. His association with Rockwell, adds Scovill, has given him a unique “postgraduate” course in photography.
In addition to the Rockwell job, Scovill is on the staff of the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, where he is an instructor in photography.
His specialty, however, is personnel work. He has an M.A. degree in clinical psychology from Yale University, and a background of three years’ personnel experience with the Bell Telephone Laboratories.
This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle.
