Minneapolis, Roman Verostko, pre-algorist period, 1947-1950

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Western Pennsylvania: from coal patch to Pittsburgh

Roman, known then as Joe, was born in 1929 in a coal mining patch at Tarrs, Pennsylvania. Located about 50 miles East of Pittsburgh, in the foothills of the Allegheny mountains, the coal fields near Tarrs produced coke with "beehive" ovens active up to the end of World War II. Joe's childhood experience was colored with the experience of a bitter depression and the hardships he witnessed in the life of his father who labored in the coal mines.

Beehive coke ovens at night. Detail from photo by John K. Gates of Uniontown Pennsylvania (c.1930's)

At night the golden glow of beehive coke ovens could be seen throughout the coal fields of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Joe grew up with a view of beehive ovens burning day and night. These ovens belched a thick sooty smoke that literally blackened nearby houses. Near the Company Store the ash road from Joe's home was nearly always shrouded with a dark cloud and you could taste the gritty smoke as you approached the store. Joe's paintings (below) show the Central tipple and beehive ovens both before and after they were abandoned following World War II.

Note: The "tipple" is the elevated structure rising by the mine slope from which coal was loaded onto trucks and/or the trolley that fed the coke ovens. The photo above shows an elevated superstructure (far right) for a shaft mine with a vertical elevator access whereas the Central mine at Tarrs, shown in the paintings below, shows the superstructure for a slope mine with an inclined entrance. In earlier days mules were used to draw loaded mine cars up the slope.

Art school, 1947-1949. After high school at East Huntington Township, Joe moved to Pittsburgh where he found an evening job and attended day school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he earned a Diploma in Illustration (1949). At this art school Joe's studio training included color, life drawing, portraiture, still life and landscape. Here he learned the fundamentals of typography that led him to a greater appreciation of the art of the book and manuscripts. Planning to be both an illustrator and a writer he continued his night job after graduation and worked at his drawing and writing during the day.

Coke ovens burning at night, oil on canvas board, 12" by 9", ca.1948. (William Verostko Family). One of several paintings that included the coal "tipple" of the Bortz coal mine in the "Central" patch at Tarrs, Pennsylvania. This night version with burning ovens is either earlier than the "tipple" below or else it was painted from memory. The version below was made from the same view but the ovens are gone.

The Central Tipple, oil on canvas board, c.14" by 20" ca. 1949 (William Verostko Family). This version of the "tipple" was made several years after the mine had been abandoned. The painting shows the area where the coke ovens had been located as partially restored.. Several paintings from this period were lost in the 1963 fire at St. Vincent Archabbey. One of his lost treasures was a portrait of his father with the mule he used for hauling coal out of the mine.

Flowers & vase, pastel, 16" by 11.5", ca.1948 (William Verostko Family) . One of a number of still life studies painted before Joe's monastic period.

Roses & blue vase, oil on canvas board, ca. 18" by 11" (William Verostko Family).

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Copyright 2001, all rights reserved, Roman Verostko.

	Art school, 1947-1949. After high school at East Huntington Township, Joe moved to Pittsburgh where he found an evening job and attended day school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he earned a Diploma in Illustration (1949). At this art school Joe's studio training included color, life drawing, portraiture, still life and landscape. Here he learned the fundamentals of typography that led him to a greater appreciation of the art of the book and manuscripts. Planning to be both an illustrator and a writer he continued his night job after graduation and worked at his drawing and writing during the day.
	Coke ovens burning at night, oil on canvas board, 12" by 9", ca.1948. (William Verostko Family). One of several paintings that included the coal "tipple" of the Bortz coal mine in the "Central" patch at Tarrs, Pennsylvania. This night version with burning ovens is either earlier than the "tipple" below or else it was painted from memory. The version below was made from the same view but the ovens are gone.
	The Central Tipple, oil on canvas board, c.14" by 20" ca. 1949 (William Verostko Family). This version of the "tipple" was made several years after the mine had been abandoned. The painting shows the area where the coke ovens had been located as partially restored.. Several paintings from this period were lost in the 1963 fire at St. Vincent Archabbey. One of his lost treasures was a portrait of his father with the mule he used for hauling coal out of the mine.
	Flowers & vase, pastel, 16" by 11.5", ca.1948 (William Verostko Family) . One of a number of still life studies painted before Joe's monastic period.
	Roses & blue vase, oil on canvas board, ca. 18" by 11" (William Verostko Family).