Tom Lee Rost, Jr. (1909-2004)

“No biographical information was found.” That is the statement on the website of the Museum of Wisconsin Art’s research department under the heading for “Tom Rost.” That is unfortunate, because Rost’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obituary can readily be found online. Here are some details from it. Rost’s family moved to Milwaukee from Indiana when he was young. He attended high school in Milwaukee and attended Milwaukee State Teachers College (MSTC) from 1926-1930. He was an artist/illustrator at a local Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in the early 1930’s (Camp Honey Creek). Rost told me he did similar work at the Boerner Botanical Garden in Hales Corners, Wisconsin; that is, making drawing of the work projects there. In 1936 he began working for the Milwaukee Journal as an illustrator (He told me that Robert Von Neumann got him that job) and stayed there until 1945. During the war years he created many military maps for the newspaper. After the war he moved to New York City to work as a commercial artist. After five years, he moved back to Milwaukee and cofounded an advertising and illustration firm. During this time Rost worked as a freelance commercial artist, creating a number of magazine covers for the likes of “Field and Stream” and other similar publications.

I first met Rost in the 1990’s. I was searching for information on Wisconsin artists of interest to me, and I just looked him up in the phone book. I found someone with his name, but not knowing if it was the same person, I sent a letter of polite inquiry. With it, I sent a list of artists whose work I sought. He turned out to be the person I was looking for and I got a speedy reply from Rost. He invited me up for a visit and we got along well. He told me my list of artists “brought back a flood of memories.” He said he had forgotten many of those artists, but I could see in his eyes that he remembered much, too. We chatted for some time. I ended up buying some of his prints from the 1930’s, as well as some prints he got from other artists in “art trades.” We met several more times. One time I asked him about a specific print of his that showed CCC workers peeling potatoes in the camp kitchen. He remembered the print, but said they were all gone. Then he thought for a moment and said that he still had the block and offered to pull a new print for me. I readily accepted. Not long after, I visited again and he gave me the print. What a fantastic experience for me. At that time Tom was about ninety years of age, and I think he enjoyed pulling the print as much as I did receiving it.

What Rost’s obituary didn’t say was that he created well regarded WPA murals that can still be found in three Midwest post offices; two in Wisconsin---Elkhorn (1938) and Lancaster (1940), and one in Paoli, Indiana (1939). He also created a number of prints for the WPA, but the exact number is uncertain. He was a charter member of the Wisconsin Printmakers, a group that originated in 1935. His prints can be found in two of their Wisconsin Artist Calendars, 1936 and 1937. He exhibited numerous times with the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors and at the Wisconsin Salon in Madison, Wisconsin in the 1930’s. He also exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago and other institutions.

 

Tom Rost  "Excavators"   woodcut  11.25"h x 15"w  1934

Tom told me this was his favorite print.

 

 

Tom Rost "Camp Honey Creek"   woodcut  4"h x 6"w  1934

 

 

Tom Rost   untitled (Newspaper Seller)  woodcut  5"h x 8"w  no date

 

 

Tom Rost  "Winter Farm Chore"  woodcut  11"h x 14.25"  1933

 

 

Tom Rost  untitled (Outside the Factory)  woodcut  11"h x 13.25"w  1934/35

I have two of this print. One is dated 1934 the other 1935.

 

 

Tom Rost  untitled (Mixing Cement)  woodcut  12"h x 15.5"w  1934

 

 

Tom Rost  "Dump Wagon"  woodcut 10.75"h x 14.24"w  no date

 

 

Tom Rost  "Quarry at Grafton" (Grafton, Wisconsin)  woodcut  4"h x 6"w  no date

I have seen this print with the title "Lime Kiln".

 

 

Tom Rost  "Lunch Hour"  woodcut  8"h x 10"w  no date

 

 

Tom Rost  "Caulkers"  woodcut  6.5"h x 8.75"w  1934

 

 

Tom Rost  "Peeling Potatoes"  woodcut  10"h x 8"w  no date

I think the original date was 1934. Rost printed this in the late 1990's but I don't know if it is considered a restrike, since it was pulled by the artist himself.