The sawdust trail

Bellows, George, 1882-1925 · 1917

This lithograph was made after a visit to Philadelphia with John Reed representing the Metropolitan Magazine. Billy Sunday shakes a convert's hand, back of him stands Ma Sunday and next to her Mr. Rodeheaver directs the vast volunteer choir in the background. (Bellows) / On an assignment from New York's "Metropolitan Magazine," Bellows and the radical reporter John Reed went to Philadelphia to cover the much publicized Billy Sunday revival meeting in January 1915. As the evangelist leans over to shake a convert's hand, Mr. Rodeheaver on the right directs the huge volunteer choir. Mrs. Sunday stands next to her husband's chair. Might the balding young man stepping forward in the audience, left of center, be the artist? Another view of a revival meeting is seen in "Billy Sunday" (M. 143). (Mason)