During the 1930s and ‘40s, Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) was one of America’s most famous personalities.

A longtime resident of the Adirondacks, he was a foremost illustrator of his day, creating definitive drawings for literary classics such as Moby Dick, Candide and The Canterbury Tales. Kent was also a prolific oil painter, author and traveler.

As a political activist he went head-to-head with Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee, and won a landmark passport case against the federal government that, to this day, allows all U.S. citizens the right to travel regardless of their political affiliations.

For more than ten years, writer/director Frederick Lewis, a professor at Ohio University, retraced the artist’s many adventures, shooting footage in Greenland, Russia, Newfoundland, Ireland and Alaska. He also hired a 56-ft sailboat with crew and recreated Kent’s sudden attempt to sail to Cape Horn. The result is a documentary that puts Kent’s achievements into a wider perspective.

This 173-minute documentary, Rockwell Kent (2005) is set to be shown on Saturday, August 17th, with filmmaker Frederick Lewis as guest speaker, at the Adirondack History Museum.

Part 1 will be shown at 4 pm, a dinner break will begin at 5:30 pm, with Part 2 showing at 7 pm.

The Adirondack History Museum is located at 7590 Court Street, Elizabethtown. More information is available on their website.