Description
Where’s William? The Story
Bill & Tessie
Here we have Theresa ‘Tess’ Stoltz (maiden name: Theresa Faulkner) posing with her father, William “Bill” Faulkner. Enjoying some leisure time at the beach. My estimation is this was taken in the mid-to late 1920’s. Tessie was my grandmother and was a bit of a hardcore photo archivist. She had shoe boxes full of highly organized & notated photographs from all eras. Much like this one.
Most photos had names & years scribed on the back. It was her hobby as she rather appreciated a good pic. She was known for all things family photos and had things pretty much dialed in for decades. WAY before the world went digital and selfie sticks. Not only was she a good photographer, she was also quite photogenic when in front of the lens. She was also a major inspiration for my art and I will forever be thankful to her.
Nicole
My cousin Nicole spotted the original photo while going thru some of Tesses old photos. It was a good size at 18in x 12in so she had it professionally matted & framed. The almost too good to be true tears in the old & brittle photo gives it so much character. Years after Nicole’s wonderfully implemented framing project, I of course had to ruin & encroach upon it. In order to get this beautiful photo properly scanned I had no other choice but to rip it open. Thankfully, I was able to get it back in no prob. Nicole deserves some credit here so thanks for unearthing this one Nic!
The Original
Courtesy of Sun Set Photo – this original shot was taken aboard the “U.S.S. Mississippi” of the Officers & Crew in San Pedro, California in 1919. This must have been right after the events of World War I since the war ended at the end of 1918. William Faulker is of course pictured and thankfully his location is notated on the photo. Which of course, was courtesy of Tess. If she was alive today she might be able to shed some light on how she originally obtained, and also maintained a 18in x 12in print of this 100+ year old photo.
Tess used to accel at stories that would start with one tangent and end up somewhere else. But it was always the truth and spoken like a true conversationalist! Wish she was still here. She could answer some more questions about this photo over a few cocktails, maybe.
Where’s William?
My Grandma Tess had passed away in February of 2017, the day before Valentine’s Day. Was at her house a few days later going thru some old photos. With tears in my eyes, the idea came to me instantaneously. I could basically envision the entire thing right then and there. The multitude of diver helmets (obviously), the various fishy and aquatic heads, the sea floor, the background, etc. I KNEW it would be a ton of work but that it would be a rewarding endeavor. Which it certainly was.
As an artist always looking for inspiration this one came easy and was well appreciated due to the unfortunate timing with my Grandma. It felt like the right thing to do at the time.
It’s Place in the ‘Submerged’ Series of Prints
Compared to the other pieces I have designed for my on-going ‘Submerged’ series of diver helmet prints, this one definitely took the longest to create. Design hour-wise this one clocked in at 60+ hours. Probably more. The obsession took hold for a solid 6 weeks and was completed in late April of 2017. Just in time to unveil prints at Elmhurst’s Art in Wilder Park in May of that year.
Not only did it take me the longest in regards to actual time spent, Where’s William? also contains (by far) the most diver helmets in one piece of work I have ever done (or seen, for that matter!). I’m willing to bet one day I’ll beat this, though. Future print spoiler alert! Where’s William is part of the on-going ‘Submerged’ series but also stands on it’s own as well.
Jenn, the Secret Weapon
Huge props to my wife Jenn for coming up with the idea to put a ‘Waldo’ type spin on this piece during it’s creation. It’s generally not a good idea for a magician to share their secrets but Jenn deserves some props on this one. We work quite well together and she rarely gets the accolades she deserves. We’re a tiny team that goes behind the scenes! Thanks Boss!
Where’s William – the Puzzle!
In 2017/2018 we sold 1,000 piece puzzles of Where’s William? at various art festivals and Oddities & Curiosities shows. They were sized 27×19 and of a very professional quality. On a personal level we kept one and it is fun and definitely a challenging build. As far as buying the puzzle today, sadly our small inventory eventually all sold out. Perhaps if there is some interest we’ll re-order some more of these awesome puzzles and sell them here as well as our booth. Speaking of which…
Oddities & Curiosities Shows
Not only for sale here but throughout the Midwest we continue to sell these same high quality 18×24 100lb matte prints of “Where’s William” at Oddities & Curiosities shows. We generally do a handful of these every year in Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Michigan. At these shows we try to quickly promote it’s story and connection with my family’s history. Because of the spotlight we rightly shine on this particular piece at these events, it has become a bit of a popular item. Some people find William right away while others need a hint or two.
The WW? summary
My Grandma passed away, I saw this ridiculous photo with my Great-Grandfather in it and instantly had the idea to obsess over it for 6 solid weeks. What you see is titled “Where’s William?” and if you want this easy to frame 18×24 print you can literally buy it right here (or in person at Oddities & Curiosities shows throughout the US Midwest). Thanks for your time we hope you enjoying searching for Old Bill!
- ‘Where’s William?’ is an extra thick 100lb Cover Stock PRINT
- All prints are frame-ready 18in x 24in
- You are buying an exclusive print directly from the artist
- FREE s&h in the USA!
