James Madden Waldron was born in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1913 and died suddenly in 1963. Waldron attended St. Michael School from first grade through high school where his exceptional artistic skills earned him a full scholarship to study Art in Paris, France. However with WW11 looming in Europe, his studies took him to Philadelphia and Mexico. Before finishing Art School, Waldron enlisted, or was drafted in the air force and was stationed in the Pacific during WWII. Much of his known works during his time in the military are of numerous watercolors of military life and landscape of the Pacific Islands. Returning from the war Waldron supported himself through his mural painting and commissioned portraits in the Northampton area.
Waldron was a ground breaking artist who presented himself as a full-time, professional artist, serving his community in a manner similar to lawyers, accountants, realtors and doctors. Like them, he always worked in coat and tie. He maintained a studio, saw clients by appointment, advertised his services and worked the typical forty hour week. From 1947 to 1963, he was listed in the city directory as “Artist.”
Though he sometimes bartered Art for goods or services, he never painted on speculation or supplemented his income by teaching or moon-lighting. Most of his murals were created in the ten years following his war service. As Waldron matured as an artist, he focused more on commissioned portraits, maintaining a studio in the converted garage at the Waldron family home, 15 Fifth Avenue, Northampton.
The Northampton murals known to be painted by James Waldron are primarily in city restaurants, specifically Joe’s Café, Tully’s “Early Northampton,” Aqua Vita, (now in private collection), the Perry Mural in Fitzwilly’s. The Perry Ascent o the North Pole; originally installed in the Rahar's Hotel, later moved to the City Café now known as Tully’s and recently installed in Fitzwilly’s. Restoration of the Perry Mural was done by the artist Joan Ryan and was supported by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council give. She also was the restorer of the Joe’s Café Murals. In addition to the murals, Waldron did a series of Broadsides for the City Café. Waldron painted a triptych for Saint Mary of the Assumption’s Parish, this work depicted the first Catholic Church in the Valley; the hanging of two Irishmen, Daley and O’Halloran; and a large Christmas Crèche. He did numerous portraits of Northampton residents as well as a portrait of Michael F Curtain, of whom the Florence VFW is named. During his lifetime Waldron’s work was well know and respected by the Northampton community and has historical significance to the strong art community that now thrives in the Pioneer Valley.
Documentation: Dimensions, medium, dates
Dating Waldron’s work is challenging to date as he, himself did not date his work. Knowing the timeline of his education, service in the Air Force and return to Northampton we can approximate the date of most of his work. The dimensions of most of Waldron’s work fall into the standard 18x24 format. Much of his early work and many of the portraits are all within these dimensions. A few later portraits are a little larger but nothing lager than 34 inches except his mural work.
His early work include charcoal figure drawings with the grades still on them, oil landscapes of Mexico and some small figure studies in watercolor. From this time period most of this work is charcoal and oils, with the exception of two outstanding watercolors. These are of a seated female figure and the other small 8”x10” study of a peasant knelling in front of a statue of the Blessed Mother.
Mid career are the watercolors, done while in the Air Force. This group of paintings and drawings are of his time in the Pacific Island serving in War World II. All this work is watercolors and most are in the range of 15x”20” with a few studies 10”x12”
Waldron’s later period is the years after the war from his life in Northampton. This work is the many murals in the restaurants throughout Northampton, and the portraits of local residents and notable citizens of the area, including Monsignor Cummings and Michael Curtain (Florence VFW). All his portraits are done in oil and the mural work is acrylic on wood or board.
This project was generously supported by the Northampton Arts Council