Reclaiming the Lost Legacy of J.O.J. Frost—Historian, Artist and Storyteller

A book talk by Bethe Lee Moulton '66

Learn about a preeminent yet relatively unknown folk artist, John Orne Johnson “J.O.J.” Frost. At the age of 70, with no artistic training, Frost began painting on wood scraps to capture the history of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and its fishing industry. In six prolific years, he produced over 120 story-pictures, without a single recorded sale. Today, the Marblehead Museum features 30 of those paintings. What happened to the rest?

After an exhaustive treasure hunt to locate Frost’s scattered paintings, Bethe Lee Moulton, Abbot ’66 and her nonagenarian mother have reclaimed the legacy of this endearing and enduring visual storyteller. Bethe will share the highlights from her recently published book, The Paintings of J.O.J. Frost: An American Story. With images of Frost's art and human-interest photographs, she will recount a universal story of art’s struggle to find its rightful place.

Having been in the field of 26 fine books from throughout New England, The Paintings of J.O.J. Frost: An American Story was chosen as an Honor Book for the 2020 Historic New England Book Prize. In addition to this amazing recognition, the book also received the 2019 Certificate of Appreciation from the Old Marblehead Improvement Association.