Wardsboro Fourth of July Raffle of Rare H. Branford Folk Art Print
WARDSBORO -- On July 4, 2024 at the Wardsboro Public Library raffle booth the prize is a rare art print by
Vermont folk artist Henry Branford. The colorful winter scene is titled “Wardsboro City” — and it is a numbered
print, signed by the artist. Beautifully matted and set in a dark walnut frame, it is about 27” wide by 23” high.
The value of the framed print, because so few prints were produced and it was created about 30 years ago, is
estimated at $350. It was given to the Wardsboro Public Library by an anonymous donor who has been a long-
time patron and friend.
The Library’s raffle booth, with the Branford print in display, opens at 9 am on Thursday, July 4th on Main Street
across from the Town Hall.
To make this pop-up art raffle especially attractive, the Library volunteers are selling a limited 100 chances to
enter the drawing. Chances are $20 each. The drawing is on the same day as the festivities, and the winner does
not need to be present to claim the prize that day.
Henry Branford, a self-taught Vermont folk artist, is best known for his highly detailed and nostalgic scenes,
including Wardsboro and nearby villages. It has been many years since his original artworks and prints have
been in the art market. “Wardsboro City” is a witty “moment in time” composition, typical of his signature style
that depicts a pair of skiers being towed through newly fallen snow down Main Street in Wardsboro. The skiers
are holding onto ropes tied to the back bumper of an old red pickup truck. One of the skiers has lost one of his
skis. Meanwhile, a barking dog and children all bundled up in hats and scarves are also running and playing in
the snowy street. There’s a snowman off to the side, and in the warm glow of a window of one of the homes on
Main Street, a little cat quietly sits on the windowsill watching everything. Branford included a nativity crèche
with figures, sheep, and camels in the background next to a building that was a church in those days, to indicate
that the season is Christmastime in Wardsboro as Henry Branford imagined it might have been around the mid-
1950s.
The Trustees of the Wardsboro Public Library are grateful to the donor who offered this remarkable prize. The
Branford print may be viewed at the Wardsboro Public Library in the days before the Fourth during regular
Library hours. wardsboropubliclibrary.org
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