The Norman Rockwell Window Washer

Chehalis man waxes nostalgic about his brush with Norman Rockwell: The Tacoma Art Museum is now featuring an exhibit of Norman Rockwell's iconic work that evokes memories of a simpler time. For Jim Stafford of Chehalis, it evokes memories of his past connection to the famed artist. "(Rockwell) was my hero to start with," Stafford said. "Art was the Saturday Evening Post."

Rockwell's illustrations donned the covers of 323 Saturday Evening Posts - one of the first magazines to reach a million subscribers. Fifty years ago, back when Stafford was a budding artist, he wrote Rockwell a letter asking if he could visit. He got a letter back: "I'd be glad to have you stop in any time." "Oh I was a little stunned, quite," Stafford said of receiving the answer.

Stafford said when he arrived, Rockwell looked at him and said, "you'll do." "I said, 'Do for what?' and he said 'Do for a Post cover I'm working on,' oh my," Stafford said. That session became the September 1960 cover - the window washer with a wink. Rockwell was known to to make the models make faces or wink. "Really put a wink in it, twist your face," Stafford said. "(I) had hair in those days so I looked better."

The illustration puts the young serviceman in the company of presidents, movie stars, and good ole everyday folks. But it didn't get Jim any more modeling gigs. "No, Hollywood overlooked this old guy," Stafford said. But not Steven Spielberg, who bought the original oil. Stafford says has another story about this piece - he says Rockwell tried to set him up with the secretary. "He tried to line me up with her, he says 'take my car, boy she's a looker,' " Stafford said. But Stafford told Rockwell he couldn't afford the gas or girl. "Well, when I saw the picture (of her), I realized I should have," she said.

Stafford earned $30 posing for the painter and some priceless Rockwell recollections. "Scenes of life gone by, simpler older days," he said. The exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum runs through May 30.

The Saturday Evening Post was a US magazine published weekly. It ran from 1821 to 1969. The publisher claimed the Post was descended from The Pennsylvania Gazette founded in 1728 by Benjamin Franklin even when the magazine's first issue was published over three decades after Ben Franklin's death. The Post was also host to the rise to fame of cover illustrator Norman Rockwell.