My grandfather made tools. So did my great-grandfather and his father and all his fathers before him back to a distant ancestral blacksmith working under a tree in medieval Scotland. 
This and my training as a historian and my current profession as a type designer, gives me an inevitable affection and reverence for Eric Sloane and all of the aspects of his work.
Eric Sloane was one of the most interesting artistic figures of the 20th century, even though in many ways his work harkened back to an earlier era. He was like the Howard Pyle of his generation, displaying a multitude of literary and artistic talents which came together in brilliant and unique works which stand alone as embodiments of the art and craft of design. Sloane was a remarkable landscape painter - one of his murals graces the walls of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum - but he is best known for his books on various aspects of history, craft and American tradition - books featuring not only his evocative illustrations, but his unique hand-lettered titles and insightful distillations of history and practical philosophy from the perspective of a craftsman.
Sloane was born Everard Jean Hinrichs in 1905 in New York City and began his study of art and letters as a child with his neighbor Frederic Goudy who is best known for his antique-style type designs, but taught Sloane the art of hand lettering and sign painting. Sloane left his family at the age of 14 and worked his way across the country and back as a traveling sign painter. If you're ever in the Taos or Santa Fe area you may run across a weather beaten sign with his unique style still in use, as he spent a lot of time in the area and eventually settled in Santa Fe in his later years. On returning to New York as a young man Sloane became part of the Hudson River School of painters and produced an amazing 15,000 paintings in his career. He was particularly remarked for his skies which had a detail and realism which are reminiscent of the work of Whistler and grew out of his lifelong fascination with the weather. Yet despite all this work it isn't his excellent paintings for which Sloane is known, but the 38 books which he wrote and illustrated, starting with Clouds and Wind in 1941 and ending right before he died at the age of eighty with his memoir Eighty, An American Souvenir.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
I forgot to include a couple of key links in the article. I'm blogging from my laptop right now, but I'll add them into the main body when I get to my main computer.
For now, you might be interested to check out The Sloane Museum - this used to have a better site and the information is sort of limited, but there are some nice images of paintings. This museum is in Santa Fe, but the website doesn't have the address.
Much more interesting is The Sloane-Stanley Museum which started from Eric Sloane's collection of antique tools and was enhanced by donations from the Stanley company. This museum is in Kent, Connecticut.
Dave
2 - K. Nettleton
Where can I get more info about Eric Sloane's life: did he have children, did he reconcile with his family from whom he ran away as a boy, why did he move to CT in his later years,etc. ?
3 - Dave Nalle
I believe Sloane authored a couple of short autobiographies in the course of his career, but I don't have the information immediately to hand. However, there's a new exhaustive biography available called Aware: A Retrospective of the Life and Work of Eric Sloane by Jim Mauch. Click on the title to order it from the author. Mauch's site also has lots of biographical material on it.
Dave
4 - Cheryl
First of all let me say I very much enjoyed your blog! I have come across a seemingly original framed painting by Eric Sloane. I have been to several websites and cannot find this painting anywhere! Any suggestions on how I can go about finding out if I have something of monetary value here? I love the painting, it's an old barn, which is why I grabbed it. Thanks for your time!
Cheryl Benton
5 - sherry robinson
I discovered Eric Sloane this morning when I entered his name into my browser. His name was on an old painting of a barn that I had picked up at the local flea market for two to three bucks. You're blog is very informative. I am the happiest woman in the world right now. Prayers are answered.
6 - bruce brennan
Hello Sloane fans, I have inherited a rare original Sloane, titled: "A Complete Map for Pilots Showing Long Island, New York and all nearby Pastures for Flying Machines"...it is signed to my Great Uncle "socked into metal for Ed Sonner U.S. Army by the old metal socker Eric Sloane" -- it measures 17"X 22" and the research and detail that went into the piece is special, it may very well be a Treasure Map !!Amelia Earhart,Howard Hughes,Charles Lindberg,Lear,Whitney and dozens and dozens more Aviation Related names are "socked into" the piece...The Art world has been made aware now by way of this posting...It is "etched or de-bossed into aluminum I believe and the "Quiet Birdman" ID card of my uncles plus Airman Certificate, and Pilots License are pressed between the glass (obscuring 20% of the piece) that cover the map...It is likely the most valuable thing I own, not to mention a Family Heirloom, I would like to make copies available at the Air Museums around the country and the Smithsonian... [Personal contact info deleted] I would like to hear from "Poster People" that could replicate a dollar bill, because the detail needs to be seen to be believed...A Magnifying Glass reveals alot of details, Grumman, Sikorsky, Sperry, Goodyear, Seversky, Post, Bendix, Hill&Crow, Hall, Weddell, Fairchild, Chamberlin, Haizlip, Hawkes, Tomlinson, Byrd, Erickson, Payne, Brooks, H.Loyd Gundry, Olmstead, Bostwick, Greentree, Talbot, Ollie Davis, Vanderbilt, Cox & Stevens, Annette Gipson, Safair, Steinman-Rintoul, Learadio, DuPont, Gulf, ***And many many more all in Sloane Style Fonts, almost EVERY WORD is a seperate Font !!....Let The Treasure Hunt Begin... [Personal contact info deleted] would like to hear from the art world so the world can enjoy possibly the Most Important ERIC SLOANE piece on the planet (Because it depicts 9/11 Flight Path) and it was Created in 1937... the plot thickens... Quiet Birdmen please respond, you may know something when you view the piece, the detail is crazy, he must have spent years researching all the Companies and People, Corporate Interest should be of Historical Importance....This is Eric Sloanes Masterpiece. as always, bruce [Personal contact info deleted]
7 - Dave Nalle
I missed the prior posts here by Cheryl and Sherry. If you ladies check back here I hope you see this. If your Sloanes are originals and not just prints, you should have them appraised by a serious art appraiser. You could probably contact sotheby's for a legit appraisal.
What I can tell you is that Sloane paintings are currently in considerable demand, selling at 40-60% above estimated values in auctions, with prices usually ranging from $3000-$60,000 depending on the quality, size and subject matter. So yes, you guys may have something quite valuable there.
And Bruce, I have no idea what you're raving about.
Dave
8 - mick kless
I also have one of those metal & ink maps. My great uncle, Lou Daitz, was Sloan's flight instructure. I have no idea how many he produced. I've been tring to find out how much it's worth but haven't gone to an appraiser yet. Mine is also dated 1937 and says Socked into Metal for Flight Instructor Lou Daitz by The Old Metal Socker. I called the Air & Space museum to see if they were interested in displaying it for a while but nobody ever responded. Any idea what it's value is?
Regards,
Mick
9 - Donna
I have what appears to be an original signed Eric Sloane sketch, not dated. I have been able to identify the sketch as being of Lovejoy Bridge, the very first bridge Eric Sloane ever painted and it is on the cover of his book I Remember America. Everything I have found about Eric Sloane's artwork is about his paintings, not his sketches. Can this be of any value? Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
10 - Dave Nalle
I'm sure it's of value, but not on the same level as a full painting. Certainly worth getting appraised. Use the link to Sotheby's I posted earlier.
Dave
11 - Phillip
I have been an Eric Sloane fan for thirty years. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to locate an example from one of his books, perhaps one of you can help. The example had to do with planning ahead, and apoke about a grove of large old trees that had been planted specifically for the pourpose of replacing the beams and joists of either Oxford or Cambrgisge University. Does this ring a bell?? Book / page?? As an envirnomental scientist who gives a lot of talks, I would like to use this great example of long-term stewardship and give appropriate credit.
Thank you -
12 - Pam
Dave, remember the unusual piece of Eric Sloane’s work which you didn't see what Bruce, the owner, was raving about? [See #6 " July 21, 2006 @ 21:08PM " bruce brennan]. Bruce described (and still seeks info about), what we believe is, a potentially valuable and extremely interesting piece of artwork in which Sloane appears to have utilized a rare etching technique on what might be aircraft aluminum (and possibly even contains a treasure map). Through a different blog environment, four other owners of similarly described Sloane aviation-oriented pieces have emerged. Raving proves fruitful!
13 - Dave Nalle
Indeed, Pam. I still find Bruce's posting a bit incomprehensible.
I'd love to hear more about these unusual artifacts. Can you explain them in a more coherent way?
Dave
14 - win wilson
I just read Bruce's posting.
Indeed that tinplate litho does exist and so do many variations of the work that Sloane did in the 1930's.
I have one of the tinplates that Sloane did of Roosevelt Field in the mid-1930's.
Many of these "tinplates" are located at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City,Long Island,New York.
Sloane did these tinplates for families and people who lived and worked around the airports of the 1930's.
I paid around $350 for my tinplate several years ago and recently two sold at auction for $100 apeice in Arlington,Vermont.
They are rare items to be sure but without much real value I am told.
I would love to get one like Bruce has;the composite tinplate of Long Island.
Anyone have one for sale?
Thanks!
Win Wilson
15 - Donna
I have a painting by Eric Sloane that I have had for several years. It is titled "Sycamore". It is of a covered bridge with a large tree in the foreground, with buildings & hills in the background. It is a large painting, 48"X24". Have you seen a painting or print like this? I'm not sure if its an original or print. Some people tell me its probably a print. Thank you
16 - Char
Dave. Enjoyed your blog. We had family friends in CT in the 1950's and early 1960's and they had met Sloane a number of times and shared stories about him. (Wish I could remember them!!)
Anyway, we have a Sloane painting entitled "Coming In" and on the back of the frame, in addition to "Eric Sloane, Roslyn, LI", there is also the notation "Abercrombie & Fitch". Does anyone know what the relationship was?
17 - win
Sloane lived out in Roslyn back in the 30's and 40's while working at Coney Island and doing other various jobs on Long Island.
Abercrombie and Fitch,I was told,sold artist materials back during that time period as well.
Perhaps this is the relationship.
18 - Marcy
I have a painting called " NOSTALGIC SUMMER" signed by Eric Sloane.It measures 2' long and 4' wide. Does anybody know if this has any of value? i would really appreciate it.
Marcy
19 - Carol
Philip #11: While I don't remember knowing it had been a Sloane quote, the anecdote you mentioned was featured in an issue
of CoEvolution Quarterly (the magazine may have been called Whole Earth Review at that point, to reflect its position as the ongoing Whole Earth Catalogue). I suspect I read it somewhere around 1980, it was possibly even on the back cover of a white issue in brown lettering? Try tracking down Whole Earth Review people online. Try Anne Herbert, who has a blog, or Kevin Kelly who blogs also.
I remember being delighted by the anecdote. IIRC, the college officials were worried about the state of the beams, and the college forester assured them there was a supply of the wood planted centuries ago with that day in mind, as they knew that that particular wood _always_ developed problems after 400 years.