RANGELEY — The Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum recently honored Louise Grant of Leeds, widow of Alden Grant.

Lillian Ellis, daughter; Louise Doak, a cousin to Alden Grant; and Lillian’s husband Paul Ellis accompanied Ron Haines, president of the museum, to make the presentation of a reproduction of an Alden Grant painting. The reproduction is the first from the collection of 19 original paintings now displayed at the museum.

The one chosen for first reproduction, “Sluicing Long Logs,” was not Louise Grant’s final choice from the set, but the scene called “Cutting and Twitching Off a Hillside.”

Her choice will now be reproduced and be given to her as a gift in remembrance of Alden Grant’s generosity in the sale of the originals to the museum. He painted 19 logging scenes. 

The museum board of directors have been working with board member Harry Simon, an art dealer, to make the paintings available in reproduction. Recently completed details for reproduction, to be done in Maine, have made it possible to start the purchase phase. The initial opportunity for purchase was at the Logging Festival in July.

The next opportunities will be at the Saddleback sixth annual Fall Festival on Sept. 19 and at the logging museum’s Apple Festival, to be held Oct. 2, at the Episcopal Church.

During the presentation to Louise Grant, she shared many details of how and when he created the paintings. Alden Grant was a polio victim at an early age and although not crippled, he had a walking handicap all his life. It prevented him from being directly involved in logging, but he was a office clerk at a logging camp. The paintings were done from his memory after being confined to a wheelchair later in his life.

The paintings will be displayed through Oct. 15 at the logging museum. Call Ron Haines at 864-5551 to arrange a tour. After that date, they will be displayed for part of the winter at Fryeburg Academy, 745 Main St., Fryeburg, in the Palmina F. and Stephen S. Pace Galleries of Art.