Own a piece of history

An original John F. Gould painting will be raffled off to benefit Museum Village

MONROE — Museum Village, in collaboration with the Bethlehem Art Gallery, is raffling off one of John F. Gould’s original paintings, “The McQuoid Engine #3,” at the annual Museum Village Benefit Gala on Nov. 8, held at Falkirk Estate and Country Club in Central Valley.

The museum will receive 50 percent of the proceeds for its educational programs.

There will be three prizes awarded:

30 x 40 “McQuoid Engine #3” framed original painting under glass valued at $20,000.

24 x 30 McQuoid framed and matted giclee print non-glare glass and acid free backing

18 x 24 McQuoid framed and matted giclee print non-glare glass and acid free backing.

The painter
John F. Gould (1906-1996) was born in Worcester, Mass., and had a long career in art, both as an artist and an art instructor. He studied art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and later instructed there for 22 years.

He was a prominent illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post for more than eight years and an illustrator for many national corporations. He was partial to historical subjects and his oil and watercolor paintings are in many private collections.

The inspiration
The inspiration for his painting, “The McQuoid Engine #3,” came from Gould’s boyhood memories and a book written by Charles Radzinsky on the history of the Middletown Fire Department.

The horse drawn steamer was operated by the McQuoid Company #3 on East Main Street in Middletown from 1907 until its retirement. The setting of the painting is known as “Franklin Square” in 1915, showing East and North Main Streets and the famous Pronks Corner.

This information was obtained from the files of the Middletown Historic Society.

The museum
In 1940 the steamer was sold to Lane Construction Company for use in the Monroe Grade Crossing Project. It was later purchased by Rosco Smith for the old Museum Village.

Museum Village is a living history museum preserving a vast collection of eclectic, 19th century artifacts for educational purposes. Using these artifacts and reproductions, we provide hands-on experiences and exhibits illustrating the transition from a rural to an industrial culture and economy in America, provoking thought and discussion about history. www.museumvillage.org

Museum Village is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Educational Institution.

Essential information
Tickets are $100 and a maximum of 300 tickets will be sold.

A free 5 x 7 framed print will be given with each ticket purchase

You may purchase your tickets by calling the Museum at 845-782-8247/8248 or by stopping at the main office at 1010 Route 17M, Monroe, NY 10950.

By using your credit or debit card, an additional donation will be made to the Museum as a part of the GiveBack program through First Financial Merchant Services.

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