TOP 10
Here, we’ll occasionally share our “Top Ten” of notable facts, highlights from the book, and newly discovered information about Harry E. Cann and his paintings.
As the book is waiting its printing, here are ten things we love about The Industrialist’s Brush:
01
THE GLORIOUS COLOR PICTURES
of Harry Cann’s watercolor paintings – more than 150 color images are featured in the book!
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02
THE REMARKABLE STORY
...of a local Chester County boy who built an industrial giant and represented America to the world at the 1939 World’s Fair “Electrified Farm” exhibit.
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03
HOW MILK COOLING TECHNOLOGY WAS INVENTED RIGHT HERE IN CHESTER COUNTY
– a fitting tribute to the region’s agrarian heritage!
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04
REVELING IN CHESTER COUNTY’S BUCOLIC BEAUTY!
Harry Cann’s meticulous watercolors and the author’s personal storytelling create a journey through Chester County’s rolling hills, past natural and man-made historic landmarks, and along the ever-present Brandywine Creek.
05
“HARRY CANN COUNTRY”
– an entire chapter dedicated to Chester County’s beautiful barns, covered bridges, gently sloping farm fields, and scenes of the Brandywine … some untouched by time, others long gone but carefully preserved in Harry Cann’s unique style.
06
EVERYDAY AMERICAN LIFE LOVINGLY CAPTURED.
From bathers frolicking on the Jersey shore to cows in the field and Jimmy Laird’s brief but memorable “Roadrunner” enterprise, readers will appreciate the detailed and intimate glimpses into the lives of mid-century Americans.
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07
"POP POP's SENSE OF HUMOR
With his ever-present straw hat, a stout but tall figure in canvas pants watches bathers in 1st Street Beach, Ocean City and takes in the scene on Ocean City Boardwalk, a cameo of the artist in his own paintings.
08
THE STORY OF A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST WHO ACHIEVED CRITICAL ACCLAIM
...painting what he loved: his cherished home; friends and family; and the “engines” of local community life and enterprise: Marshallton’s blacksmith shop, its Methodist Church and Inn, local barns, sawmills, railroad tracks, and Quaker meeting houses.
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09
HARRY'S CREATIVITY AND DEDICATION
With 10 groundbreaking patents and a busy 40-year career that created a multi-million-dollar company, Harry E. Cann was devoted to supporting his local community and, late in life, achieved critical recognition as a painter.
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10
HARRY'S LOVE FOR THE LAND
Feeling that each tree he painted must be able to tell its own story, his adept portraits of the local scenery, often in different seasons, are testament to Harry’s deep connection to the Brandywine Valley and the natural world.