The Swimmin Hole

Gustave Baumann

The Swimmin Hole was originally published by the artist in 1910 for his portfolio of twelve color woodcuts, In the Hills o’ Brown. This image is also known with the titles The Swimming Pool, The Suspension Bridge, and The Swinging Bridge. Impressions were printed over several years and color variations occurred. The bridge crossed a major recreation spot for kids, that is if you can believe Baumann’s imagery.

Years after leaving Brown County, Baumann wrote about the County called Brown and in his writing he mentions a swinging bridge: Pedigree did not seem to matter since nothing mattered much unless it impeded our wishes, while food was a major preoccupation it was still possible to arouse a rustle of excitement about some little valley difficult to locate from descriptions that the discoverer had found that very day—somehow there was always a swinging bridge that had to be crossed sooner or later. Since there was only one I know of now it must have moved itself to remind us of bridges you shouldn’t cross before you come to them at least not with a sketching outfit. This bridge was a shining example of instability—Since it reminded [us] of our own [instability], it was always a shivery experience to see it appear in your path and then figure out how to get to the other side. I think I “fixed it” in one of the early woodcuts that keeps swinging in and out of sight.