HOME by EDGAR A GUEST, A BUZZA MOTTO, 1925 REVERSE PAINTING

HOME by Edgar A. Guest, Reverse Painting, Buzza Motto, 1925

HOME by Edgar A Guest is a reverse painting published by The Buzza Motto, copyright 1925.

“It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home,
A heap o’ sun an‘ shadder, an‘ ye sometimes have t’ roam
Afore ye really ‘preciate the things ye lef‘ behind,
An‘ hunger fer ’em somehow, with ’em allus on yer mind.
It don’t make any differunce how rich ye get t’ be,
How much yer chairs an’ tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain’t home t’ ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o’ wrapped round everything.

Ye’ve got t’ sing an’ dance fer years, ye’ve got t’ romp an’ play,
An‘ learn t‘ love the things ye have by usin’ ’em each day;
Even the roses ’round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they ‘come a part o’ ye, suggestin’ someone dear
Who used t’ love ’em long ago, an‘ trained ’em jes t’ run
The way they do, so’s they would get the early mornin’ sun; Y
e’ve got t’ love each brick an‘ stone from cellar up t’ dome:
It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home.

by Edgar A. Guest

A reverse painting on glass, an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewed by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image. Another term used to refer to the art of cold painting and gilding on the back of glass is verre églomisé, named after the French decorator Jean-Baptiste Glomy (1711–86).

Copyrighted 1925, the Roaring 20s was an excellent year for framed mottos. The country was in full swing enjoying prosperous times, and the publishing houses reaped the benefits as well.

HOME remains in its original frame whereas the backing paper and hanger were replaced some time ago. The swivel ring hanger at the top of the frame was probably added in the 60s. It is left in place because it is now part of the motto’s history.

Dimensions: 7 3/4” x 10 3/4”