Kristen Jensen
12/28/2013 8:48am As I was growing up, my grandparents had this print over the toilet in the master bathroom of their Mercer Island home. My siblings, cousins and I all thought it was our Papa in the picture as he was balding and about the proportions of the man. When my grandparents passed the print went to my mother who had it over her toilet until she passed just this year. Of all of her possessions, this was one of the most fought over by the family. All professing they deserved it most. I won! Though a little guilt kept nagging me so I finally looked up the artist's name on the web and voila! I've ordered prints for all of the others plus a couple to use as gifts. Thank you for making these available. Cameron Walter
10/26/2013 08:12 am I have an old print that was left to me. I look at it every morning and hope to be. Thank you. Amanda Mogg
06/23/2013 05:26pm My "Free at Last" story: My uncle was a confirmed bachelor - he had a blue bathroom in his bedroom. I used to sneak back into his room to look at all his treasures - hula girls that sat on his desk along with that bell that was supposedly from Hitler's desk when he fought in the great war. His bathroom was very different than the rose powder scented ornate pink bathroom of his sister's with whom he shared a home. I always had to bath in the bathtub in Aunt Jewel's bathroom but I loved the shower in Uncle's bathroom - it was a real treat when we got to use his shower with the pocket door and this funny picture of a naked man looking every so happy to be out of his clothes. He seemed to know something, feel something or admit to something that the rest of us only dreamed of.... through the years that funny little man lived behind the pocket door in the great blue bathroom hidden in my uncle's bedroom. When he passed away I always wished I had then funny man. One day my mother and I were talking about him and she mentioned that picture in uncle's bathroom "free at last" she says - then goes on to say she had tried to claim it but a friend of the family said uncle had promised it to him. We reminisced about the quirky things of my great uncle and she told how she had tried to find out about the painting - she had done a web search, had tried to contact the family of the painting since the gentleman to whom it had been given surely had passed by then and we were sure that the family would not have appreciated it nearly as much as we did. - No, the family had no recollection of the painting. My great uncle was from Oklahoma, my mother lives in Texas - So my mother set out to paint it from memory sending me drafts - "mom I think he was rounder", "mom I don't remember a palm tree", "yep, I think he was kicking up his heels a lot like that." Anyway as she was continuing on her drafts I tried to do an internet search as well - came up empty. Then one day she calls me all excited laughing and talking about "it was in your back yard all along" Her friends were helping in the search for this obscure painting and they "had done an internet search" - mom replies "yep, been there done that" they say, you know the artist is from Seattle and don't you have a daughter that lives there too?" Mom and I were close in our memory but to see that funny little man kicking up his naked heels was so familiar..... Ah, and to remember my great uncle with fondness.... we are happy to have found the print and look forward to hanging him up again in our home! |
Guest Book Entries:Beth Connaughton
06/11/2013 03:55pm Hi. My husband received a copy of "Free at Last" for his retirement and I have always adored it. I am looking for a copy for a retirement party next week! (yikes, yes I'm always running late, standing in line or on hold). What would the shipping cost be for a rushed order? Thanks! Admire the works of Byron Fish. :-) Julie Torbert 04/27/2013 11:28am My bachelor uncle had this in his bathroom as far back as I can remember. I continued to tell him that I wanted him to "leave" it to me and he said it was not "seemly" -- when he died at the age of 99 in the early 90s I found out that he had given it to a man who occasionally drove for him and approached him about buying it -- adamantly refused -- not knowing the artist I made a few attempts to find it on the "net" without success recently my daughter in Seattle called to ask me about what happened to the pic as it reminded her of her immodest significant other-- as an amateur artist I attempted to recreate with little luck as I could not remember the background -- trying to decide what to do with my futile attempts I again went to the net and whoola there you were and readily available in my daughter's chosen "home town" -- I am hoping I too get one when she goes to purchase for her "nakid friend" Marie Tate 01/08/2013 17:19pm I have a letter written by Byron Fish after the death of Betty Bloom, she was my mothers's first cousin. I do know that in the Bloom family, Byron was extremely well liked. Betty's father Herman, my grandfather Charlie, and their brother Ed Bloom, were featured in an article in Esquire magazine written by Byron. Thanks to him we know more about "The Bloom Brothers," and the sport of tug of war. And now I find out that Mr Fish is the artist of Free At Last, how sweet is that! Marie TateBrett (Tuesday, 26 October 2010 01:32) I love it! Oriflame.cz 9/13/2012 13:18pm Nice site. Meg McDonald 5/8/2011 17:17pm This makes a great gift. I bought one in the late 1980's for my dad at a store in the Pike Place Market and gave it as a gift. When he passed away the picture was given to one of his friends. Without the picture to refer to, it's very hard to find via the search engines. I didn't know the name of the artist. I used retirement, monk, running, naked, "Free at last" in searches without luck. I called many stores at the Pike Place Market without success. Finally, I found a clue on the internet, a brief mention in a blog with Byron Fish as the artist. And then it was easy. Please make it easier for others to find this wonderful print on the internet. Have you considered selling framed copies as well? |