Two Boys Making Ice Cream
by Norman Rockwell

June 1917 Issue of Peoples Popular Monthly

Two Boys Making Ice Cream, this Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of Peoples Popular Monthly published June 1917.

This was the second Rockwell cover to appear on the cover of Peoples Popular Monthly. Peoples Popular Monthly only published three Rockwell covers, all in 1917. Rockwell only submitted to this smaller magazine after the larger magazines had declined to publish the cover illustration.

You can see the other two Peoples Popular Monthly covers here: Girl with Christmas Doll and No Credit Given.

Clearly, Rockwell's first choice of publication was The Saturday Evening Post. He believed that the Saturday Evening Post cover was America's biggest showcase window for artists. And his career confirmed this.

Two Boys Making Ice Cream

This painting is another of those hard-to-find "rare" Norman Rockwell magazine covers. I found this one on eBay. I have only seen it just that one time in over three years of watching almost every day.

This illustration captures one of the joys of childhood of the years when it was painted. The wide variety of pre-made ice creams that we enjoy in America today was a school-boy's dream.

The two schoolboys are just finishing with their batch of home-made ice cream. Both are wearing neckties so this treat may be happening after church on Sunday.

One of the boys has taken the beater and is licking the ice cream off it. He is not waiting for the finished ice cream to further freeze and set up. No doubt he and his friend have been cranking the freezer for some time. They are both hot and hungry from their efforts.

Now it's time to reward their efforts. I wonder what the flavor is.

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