Birmingham's Robert Thom (1915-1979) was a gifted illustrative artist whose paintings depicted not only the history of Medicine and Pharmacy but also the history of Michigan.
Another Thom painting, and information concerning his career may be found at ASK ART. The picture that you'll see here shows a man behind a horse with the sort of scoop that was used to dig basements for new houses. Here it looks as though the scoop is possibly cutting away topsoil before a driveway is paved. You can see a cement sidewalk in the background. Maybe the homeowner wanted to improve the driveway with concrete.
There are twelve excellent Robert Thom paintings depicting the history of printing at THIS MUSEUM.
You can now visit AN ALBUM OF OLD TIME PICTURES.
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