Found Hidden Treasure: Breaking Home Ties by Norman Rockwell

Who doesn’t love a story of hidden treasure found behind a false wall?  Especially, an original painting by Norman Rockwell which was purchased for $900 dollars in 1962 and goes on to sell at auction for $15.4 million in 2006.  That is exactly the tale behind Breaking Home Ties.

In 1962, Don Trachte, an American cartoonist best known for his work of the Henry comics, purchased Breaking Home Ties from his friend, Norman Rockwell, for $900 dollars.  As they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words, and many of Rockwell’s paintings prove just that.  The 1954 painting of Breaking Home Ties is no exception.

Through its scene, the painting captures a heartwarming moment in a father and son’s relationship. The boy is shown excited to be heading off to the university.  Dressed to the max with wide eyes and smile, he waits by his father for the train to come.  The father, while proud, is shown to be a bit saddened by the events happening. 

It’s amazing how all the tiny clues and details provided in the image convey the strong feelings, and share the all too familiar story of children growing up and parents having to let go.

But evidently, Don Trachte didn’t want to let go of this painting, and chose not to. It was said to be one of his most prized possessions.

In 2003, Breaking Home Ties, was placed on display at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It was noticed at this time that the painting didn’t quite match the cover of the Saturday Evening Post where it, along with 320 other Norman Rockwell paintings, were used over the years.  It was never suspected that Breaking Home Ties was a forgery, though.

It wasn’t until after the death of Trachte in 2005 that this came to light, and that it was realized the one at the Museum was a copy. 

It seems during the divorce of his wife in early 1970’s, Trachte decided to copy some of the paintings he owned to supposedly assure they stayed in his possession. He then hid the originals behind a false wall he created in his Vermont home.

In 2006, Trachte’s two sons discovered the false wall and the paintings.  While surprised, they surely weren’t disappointed.

They went on to sell the original Norman Rockwell painting for over 15 million dollars. It broke a previous auction record for Rockwell’s ‘Homecoming Marine’ which went for over 9 million dollars earlier in 2006.

Treasures are out there to find!

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