Peeling Back The Bark
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“Madam Secretary” and the Gifford Pinchot Connection
By James Lewis on November 21, 2019I’d never seen the TV series Madam Secretary until this week. Now in its sixth season, former secretary of State Elizabeth McCord is president of the United States. The character’s concern about climate change makes it unsurprising to see landscape …
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The Continuing Odyssey of “The Forest Fire” Painting
By James Lewis on September 13, 2017The saga of how one of the most famous paintings of a forest fire was created and what happened to it resembles at times an international spy thriller. An article in Forest History Today (“Untamed Art,” Fall 2008) by …
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Forgotten Characters from Forest History: Rusty Scrapiron
By Eben Lehman on July 13, 2016Everyone knows Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and maybe even Ranger Rick Raccoon, but there are many other forest and forestry-related fictional characters that long ago fell by the wayside. Peeling Back the Bark's series on “Forgotten Characters from …
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Forgotten Characters from Forest History: Tim Burr
By Eben Lehman on February 17, 2015Everyone knows Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and maybe even Ranger Rick Raccoon, but there are many other forest and forestry-related fictional characters that long ago fell by the wayside. Peeling Back the Bark's series on “Forgotten Characters from …
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Forgotten Characters from Forest History: Joe Beaver
By Eben Lehman on August 12, 2014Everyone knows Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and maybe even Ranger Rick Raccoon, but there are many other forest and forestry-related fictional characters that long ago fell by the wayside. Peeling Back the Bark's series on “Forgotten Characters from …
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Forgotten Characters from Forest History: Abel Woodman
By Eben Lehman on March 10, 2014Everyone knows Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and maybe even Ranger Rick Raccoon, but there are many other forest and forestry-related fictional characters that long ago fell by the wayside. Peeling Back the Bark's series on “Forgotten Characters from …
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CCC and the Art of Woodsmanship
By Eben Lehman on March 21, 2013Eighty years ago, Rudy Wendelin was a young artist fresh out of the University of Kansas School of Architecture struggling like many others to find work during the Great Depression. Relief came in 1933 when he applied for a job …
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Forest Service "Bulletin" Christmas Art Sampler
By James Lewis on December 14, 2012This holiday season we turn to the U.S. Forest Service History Collection for a little fun artwork. The "Service Bulletin" was the newsletter, initially issued weekly and then later monthly, published by the Washington Office (WO) to keep employees abreast …
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Safety Worst
By Eben Lehman on May 8, 2009Each year, the first full week of May marks North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. Created by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), along with a partnership with the …
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Seasons Greetings!
By Eben Lehman on December 24, 2008In honor of the season, Peeling Back the Bark would like to feature a small selection of just a few of the holiday cards and greetings found in various Forest History Society archival collections. The following selected materials represent just …
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Dignity Dies an Ignoble Death
By James Lewis on October 3, 2008By coincidence, we were looking through artist Rudy Wendelin’s papers the other day when the news broke about the baccanalian goings-on in the Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service. We found several party invitations from the 1930s for which Rudy …
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"Delinquent Raindrop"
By Amanda T. Ross on September 12, 2008In 2007, the Forest History Society became the fortunate recipient of the Rudolph Wendelin Papers, 1930-2005. This collection comprises the personal papers and artwork of Rudolph “Rudy” Wendelin (1910-2000), who is the best known artist behind the United States Forest …
