MTFCA Forum

I have a feeling Charlie Russel wasn’t a motoring enthusiast.

Rich, you sent me down the rabbit hole. Always learning something on this forum. Charles Russell was born, and learned to ride in St Louis before traveling to Montana. I wonder if he ever crossed paths with another Missouri artist, George Caleb Bingham. (Any relation?)

“Uncle George” died in 1879, when Charlie was a mere lad of 15. By the time of his death, George had long since given up painting for a career in . . . politics, so it’s unlikely there was any connection, artistic or otherwise. My forbears hailed from New England before emigrating to the West i the 1840s, so no direct connection there either.

I also find it’s a lot of fun to go down rabbit holes ! You can learn the most interesting things !

To go a bit further down the rabbit hole, the Great Falls Skunkwagon was a chapter of the Montana Pioneer and Classic Auto Club. They have hosted a Swap Meet in Great Falls, MT for several decades where I found many Model T and other parts. Great Falls is also the home of the C.M. Russell Museum,
400 13th Street North. Our local club traveled 400 miles en-masse to that meet for many of those years and enjoyed the museum and other points of interest there.
It is our loss that Charlie didn't catch the old car bug. Maybe they weren't old enough yet.

Rich E and Rich B, it is always a pleasure to read your posts.Skunkwagon Is a new one on me! Even today amid Ev's and hybrid cars, the term fits for a T. A fresh roadapple, on the other hand, can have a earthy sweetness, if you are acustomed.

Charles Russel lived for a while in Jerseyville Illinois at the Hazeldell farm. I have been there a few times when they had a Victorian Festival there. Those were some good times. They had steam engines, and the local gas engine club had a display and even a Civil War reenactment
I once went to Helena Montana to get a Model T engine. While there I called Stan Howe and had lunch with him. After that I went to the Charles Russel Studio Museum. It is funny where this hobby can take you.

I love it when artists paint their own studio, have a look at the minuscule paintings he reproduced !
Sometimes there are 'Easter Eggs' hidden where they changed little details as a inside joke, In the Netherlands we call it the "Droste Effect" after a famous chocolate brands advertisements

Charlie was a curmudgeon who saw times change in the blink of an eye. He was to be honored as “one of Montana’s leading pioneers” at one point. I believe he turned it down, with a scathing critique of “pioneers”. I doubt if he embraced the automobile and the changes it wrought. His acceptance of it was probably more like a cease-fire. Here’s one that illustrates his point of view :

The quote: “A pioneer is a man who turned all the grass upside down then strung bob-wire over the dust that was left, poisoned the water, cut down the trees, killed the Indian who owned the land, and called it progress.”

Yup, Charlie definitely wasn’t in tune with what the 20th Century had to offer.

A more recent Montana artist is Gary Carter. He painted cars, trains, wagons and stagecoaches in interesting situations much as Russell and Remington. He ended up in Montana near West Yellowstone. I met him at a car get-together. He knew my Aunt and Uncle well. He enjoyed hotrods, fly-fishing and trains among many things.