Victims of sex abuse are eagerly watching an art auction taking place in Dallas, hoping the images of one of America's great illustrators brings them some financial relief for the pain they suffered as Boy Scouts.
For more than 50 years, the artist Norman Rockwell helped shape the reputation of the Boy Scouts, with paintings illustrating scout vows such as being trustworthy, loyal, kind, clean and brave.
On Friday, more than two dozen of Rockwell's Boy's Life magazine covers and scout calendar illustrations went up for auction. Early bids are already topping six figures.
More than 50 Rockwell pieces owned by the Boy Scouts organization will be sold in the months ahead. The proceeds will help pay settlements to tens of thousands of people who say they were sexually abused as kids by scout leaders.
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In all, some $2.6 billion is being distributed by the Boy Scouts — not just from the organization's art collection but through land sales of scout camps and insurance.
For the scouts, hiring artists like Rockwell and others to depict wholesome activities helped create a global institution that has attracted more than 130 million boys since 1910.
Boy Scouts take an oath to help other people at all times. But for some abusive adults serving as leaders, it was a lie.
Retired bankruptcy judge Barbara Houser oversees the settlement fund. She says the sale at Heritage Auctions is the right thing to do.
"Many of these survivors have been waiting decades literally, for there to be some recognition of what happened to them formally," Houser said.
