Norman Rockwell entering a mosque, Delhi, India, 1962. Photo by Molly Rockwell. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum.

Norman Rockwell entering a mosque, Delhi, India, 1962. Photo by Molly Rockwell. Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing, Niles, IL. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum Archives.

Through June 19, 2011
In 1961, Norman Rockwell married Molly Punderson, a retired schoolteacher and Stockbridge native. With her new husband often called away on business, she enrolled in photography classes to learn a skill which would bring her closer to his work. Equipped with her Leica and Rolliflex cameras, Molly accompanied Norman on trips, capturing images of models, the surrounding scenery, and candid views of her spouse. The couple also indulged in leisurely retreats, and Norman used these occasions to record his observations of people and places using quick and expressive techniques not typically associated with his style.
Between 1962 and 1975, Norman and Molly traveled together to twenty-eight countries, including the U.S.S.R., India, Columbia, and Mexico. Commissions on varying domestic subjects brought them to Cape Kennedy, Hollywood, and Glen Canyon. For Norman, travel was a means of rejuvenation, and reprieve from the burden of fame.
Now preserved and digitized, Molly’s slides will be shared publicly for the first time in this exhibition, displayed alongside the related work of her husband.