It Happened in Woodstock [Paperback]

Anita M. Smith (Author), Smith/Blelock (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967926815 | ISBN-13: 978-0967926810 | Publication Date: February 1972

Popularized and updated version of Anita M. Smith's classic, Woodstock: History and Hearsay. Completely executed in reverse lithography, with cobalt blue ink. Tells the story of Woodstock, New York from the time of the Amerindian up through the 1969 Woodstock Festival, drawing on history, legend, and the actual words of local artists. Contains over 70 illustrations, including halftones, a map, and original work by such well-known artists as George Bellows, John F. Carlson, Konrad Cramer, Lucille Blanch and Henry Mattson.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anita M. Smith (1893-1968) was born into a prominent Philadelphia Quaker family, and began taking art lessons at the age of 16. In 1910 she embarked on a study-journey with her mother through Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. The tour allowed her to visit museums, galleries and archeological sites to observe classical and contemporary styles of art. She also took art instruction in Paris, Cairo, Verona and Rome. In 1912, with money intended for a ball gown, she journeyed to Woodstock for the first time. She continued her studies with William Merritt Chase, Frank DuMond and John F. Carlson, and she began to paint seriously. Today her work is classified as impressionist and post-impressionist, and she is best known for her landscapes. Her art hangs in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and her paintings have been exhibited throughout the country in such places as the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design, and the J. B. Speed Museum.

In 1934 AMS embarked on a second career, as an herbalist. By 1938 she had over sixty herbs under cultivation and clients across the continental United States—including such corporate accounts as H.J. Heinz. In that year she self-published As True As the Barnacle Tree and was later dubbed "Herb Lady of the Catskills" in an article that appeared in the New York Herald Tribune. The Second World War intervened, and AMS helped her country by constructing a plane spotter post on her property at Stonecrop. From 1941 to 1942 she was the Chief Observer and served 1200 hours.

In 1945 Columbia Professor of History James T. Shotwell prevailed upon AMS to compile the service record of all Woodstockers who had fought in the war. With this effort she began a third career as a writer/historian. She drew on her personal files and conducted a great deal of additional research, and by 1959 was able to publish the town’s first official history: Woodstock History and Hearsay. Shotwell said of this book, "Miss Smith has a challenging theme. She has met it splendidly."

In 1972, the Blelock Family published a popularized artbook version of Anita M. Smith’s Woodstock History and Hearsay, titling the publication It Happened in Woodstock.

Product Details

• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: Woodstockarts (February 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967926815
• ISBN-13: 978-0967926810
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,837,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it happened under a black light, February 22, 2000

By 

joan tenchar (new paltz,ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Happened in Woodstock (Paperback)

i loved this book. it is filled with stories of the real days of early woodstock. it spans from the time of the native americans up to the woodstock festival of 1969, which i was a part of on the medical teams. it is unique to read a book under a black light, the print glows in the dark and it is not radioactive like so many other things! the upbeat stories are interesting and factual. it explains the real meaning and the worldwide phenomenon of woodstock that connects to certain universal truths.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Happened in Woodstock. Bountiful Praise, Wonderful Book !, March 20, 2000

By 

John Grande (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Happened in Woodstock (Paperback)

It Happened in Woodstock is a fun-filled look at the life of the Village of Woodstock, New York. The photos, anecdotal details, map, reverse lithographic printing in white lettering on blue and arrangement of the book are enough to draw one to the book, but it is the stories, the accounts of the history of this lively relaxed and rural place that make it such a treat.

The first Woodstock Festival did not occur in August 1969, but instead was enacted in 1915 to help finance bills from the drilling of an artesian well on the property of Kansas-born Harvey White, publisher of The Plowshare and playwright. During this festival, Tchaikovsky was performed in a stone quarry to the delight of its then audience. A leading light in Woodstock's cultural evolution, Harvey White was the man who built The Maverick on his property where John Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, Helen Hayes all acted and later the Juilliard School and The Metropolitan Opera. Included in this attractive book is an account of the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 by an Englishman who was there. An addendum includes a series of decorative adds for historic Woodstock enterprises including the bus lines, Jack Horner Tea Room, artist's home, etc. We come to understand why so many have loved the essential human-ness of life in Woodstock, including Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt who commented in her nationally syndicated feature: "Anyone who knows Woodstock will agree, I think, that it is a charming place. It shows what good taste and imagination can do to create a delightful atmosphere."

While we learn that in 1906 the Art Student's League of New York established their summer home in Woodstock. more interesting is the section that recounts the flourishing of an arts scene in Woodstock, which included the likes of George Bellows, Robert Henri, and the early abstractionist Andrew Dasburg. A full chronology of the life and times of Woodstock, New York informs us of how much this rural centre has led a continued flourishing culture that has been an inspiration not only for its residents but for Americans of all stripes over the decades. Read it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Happened in Woodstock.....great Information!, December 9, 2002

By 

Helaina Yerry (bellingham, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Happened in Woodstock (Paperback)

I am doing family research and found out about this book. After reading through it, I coudn't beleive the wonderful history and infomation it has on the area, as well as seeing farmiliar names that are connected with my family! It's a great read and for me learning about the area my family came from, how lucky they were to have been around so much interesting happenings.and the art work and pictures are wonderful. The book was a great journey!