We, Too, Have a Job to Do is a painting by American illustrator Norman Rockwell that depicts a Boy Scout in full uniform standing in front of a waving American flag. It was originally created by Rockwell in 1942 for the 1944 Brown & Bigelow Boy Scout Calendar.[1] The model, Bob Hamilton, won a contest to be in the painting and personally delivered a print to the Vice President of the United States at the time, Henry A. Wallace.
| We, Too, Have a Job to Do | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Norman Rockwell |
| Year | 1942 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 76 cm × 56 cm (30 in × 22 in) |
| Location | National Scouting Museum |
The painting was created to encourage Scouts to participate in the war effort during World War II.[2] The name of the painting, We, Too, Have a Job to Do, comes from a slogan that the Boy Scouts of America used in 1942 to rally scouts to support the troops by collecting metal and planting victory gardens.[3]
The model, Bob Hamilton, won a contest with his local council in Albany, New York, to be depicted in the painting.[4] He traveled to Rockwell's studio in Arlington, Vermont, to model for Rockwell.[5] Since Hamilton was a scout, the uniform shown in the painting was his, unlike some of Rockwell's other models. Originally, he wore a turtle shell neckerchief slide with his uniform that he had made. Rockwell did not like it and asked Hamilton to swap it for a simpler Turk's head slide.[4] In 1944, Hamilton personally delivered a copy of the painting to Vice President Henry A. Wallace.[4] Hamilton later became an Eagle Scout, served in the Navy, and worked for the Boy Scouts.[5] He died in July 2008, at the age of 82.[6]
The painting depicts a Boy Scout giving the Scout salute; behind him is an American flag, rippling in an unseen breeze.[2] The Scout's face is solemn yet confident.[5] His brown eyes, cleft chin, and idealized face stand out to the viewer.[2] The Scout's uniform is perfect, with a campaign hat, showing that he is a First Class Scout. A Den Chief cord hangs over the Scout's right shoulder, and a backpack hangs over his left shoulder.
The painting represents the idea that there is always work to be done in a Scout's neighborhood and that it is a Scout's duty to do it.[4]
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