The Lesson

Comment #7

mikeintexas — Tue, 21 May 2019 13:54:31 GMT

<br />No, they don't have "teachers like that" anymore, a shame. Both of my nieces are teachers (as is their mother, my youngest sister) and I'd like to "audit" one of their classes to take in their "style". <br /><br />Funny how, as a kid, we think of our teachers as positively ancient, but when I read the obituary of a teacher of mine, I do the math and realize most were in their 30's and 40's. When I went back to tech school some yrs. back, I was older than several of my teachers... [ More ]

Comment #6

CARBOB — Tue, 21 May 2019 12:24:14 GMT

The woman's picture reminded me of her. I really believe she thought of us as her kids. They don't have teachers like that anymore very sad today's kids don't have teachers like her. Thanks for bringing back a very fond memory.

Comment #5

CARBOB — Tue, 21 May 2019 12:17:23 GMT

I started school in 1947, five years old, the third youngest of eight children. My first-grade teacher Mrs. Rodgers taught all of us in the first grade. My youngest brother was born the same year. When he started she told my mom, Mrs. Walters I have your baby now I can retire. I remember her very well even today.

Comment #4

mikeintexas — Tue, 21 May 2019 10:01:55 GMT

Thanks, RC. It's a very nice library for a fairly small town like Pampa.

Comment #3

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 21 May 2019 03:07:32 GMT

Really interesting statue Mike. Great detail by the artist. Thanks for posting.

Comment #2

mikeintexas — Mon, 20 May 2019 21:04:03 GMT

<br />She's a right old fraud and unless they had offered several hundred bucks, I would have turned her down anyway. I find it hard to believe she has such fanatical followers. She's a rant for another time, though.

Comment #1

eddessaknight — Mon, 20 May 2019 20:05:48 GMT

Thanks Mike, a wonderful Franklin gift to humanity-excellent foundry work

Original Blog Entry: The Lesson

mikeintexas — Mon, 20 May 2019 17:52:10 GMT

From my Blogger blog, about ten yrs. ago. I was reminded of it after emailing back and forth with an L.P. friend about reading.

(there's an inside joke about a link to another blog post I had made: My Sister's Feet . It still gets quite a few hits and it once had over a thousand visits when the search engines picked it up. Besides my Cast Away movie posts, it and my post Gay Irish Dwarfs are the most visited.)

Click any pic for a larger view.

This statue is in front of the Pampa Lovett Memorial Library; it's one of a pair that were dedicated Jan. 9, 2005. (blog post about the other, Pioneer Woman)

Here is a closeup of the plaque on the base:

The statue was done by Don Ray of Channing and is named The Lesson .

A closer look reveals the superb detail:

To me, the woman looks tired, but glad to take the time to help educate her young charge:

I like the expressions on both faces, but the one on the boy's seems to be a combination of love and trust, almost an amazement at what the woman had been reading to him.

The boy is barefoot, and the attention to detail by the sculptor is evident, even in a part that might be overlooked in favor of others.

(and no, I'm not trying for the unintentional hits that this blog received from My Sister's Feet )

Stepping around to the back of the statue shows more of the fine detail that normally wouldn't be seen...

...even down to the slingshot in the boy's rear pocket.

From the library's website:

Gift of R. L. Franklin: The sculptures are dedicated to all those women whose service to family, church, and community has brought and brings aspects of American life to what was so recently in historic perspective a dangerous and daunting land. Four women of such acumen and industry are: Virginia Green, Louise Franklin, Betty Henderson, Annie Buckler.

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