903
The Young and the Old of San Mihiel Greet Their Liberators
FES Title: Gen. Pershing – Petain and Secty. of War N.D. Baker in St. Mihiel – Sept. 13, 1918
Alternate Titles: The Old and Young of San Mihiel Greet Their Liberators (1927, 2002); End In Sight
[1969]; The Young and Old of San Miliel [2001]
Date: 10/24/1918
Size: 30″H x 50″W
Medium: oil-on-Smooth-canvas
Type: subject painting
Published: “Souvenir Pictures of the Great War.” The Ladies Home Journal, January 1919: 19.
caption: The Young and the Old of San Mihiel Greet Their Liberators

Ianni, Francis A. World War One Remembered. Wilmington: Delaware Heritage Commission, 1993: 54.
caption: The Young and Old of St. Mihiel Greet Their Liberators

Harrington, Peter. “Images of the Great War.” American History, December 1996: 34.
caption: Figure 8-The old and young of St. Mihel greeting the liberators, F. E. Schoonover.

Harrington, Peter. “The Great War Paintings of Frank E. Schoonover.” Military Heritage, August 1999: 69.
caption: Hopes and spirits rise again in Schoonover’s The Old and Young of St. Mihiel Greeting the Liberators, depicting an event in September, 1918.

Adventures in Art The Brandywine Artists: Masters of Storytelling through Illustration. Pensacola, FL: Pensacola Museum of Art, 2001: 18.
caption: The Young and Old of San Miliel
Inscription: lr: Frank E. Schoonover / 10-18
Annotations: en verso on frame: 903
Exhibitions: 1927 Oshkosh; 1969 FES; 2001 Pensacola (catalog); 2002 HSD
Comments: TP 2/28/02; index; edit; relined
Commentary: “St. Mihiel is one of the immortal names in American military annals. On September 13, 1918, American troops liberated the town. According to the artist, he used the following in order to paint the scene which he describes: ‘Civilian populations, consisting almost only of women and children and old men, because of forcible removal of practically every male of military age, welcomed Newton G. Baker, the American Secty. of War and Generals Pershing and Petain when they visited St. Mihiel a few hours after it was liberated. Aged women and young girls crowded about Secty. Baker to express thanks. A military band was brought up from the rear – the ‘Marsellaise’ was played…the houses in the drawing were taken from photographs of St. Mihiel. The American automobile (a Cadillac) was driven by American doughboys, of course.'” (Harrington, 68)
This image was made into a plywood interlocking jigsaw puzzle entitled “A Token of Friendship” by While Away Puzzles, West Haven, Connecticut. Schoonover used his son, Pat (aged 4) as one of the models for the children. For further commentary, see #886.
Provenance: Sold by the artist to Delaware National Guard (March 9, 1959)
Current Owner: