Avis A Townsend

The friends of Charles Rand Penney were all saddened by the loss of a great man.  He passed away August 1, 2010, obviously entering a new adventure as he leaves this earth. Although he seemed bigger than life, in truth, life left him and thus left a huge void in the world of art, travel and information.

"Charlie" was a remarkable man who lived an extraordinary life.  Growing up near "Millionaire's Row" in Buffalo, he was the grandson of the prosecuting attorney in the President McKinley assassination trial.  His mother taught him to appreciate art and music.  His maternal grandfather was George Rand, a famous banker in Buffalo.

Charlie attended many prestigious schools and universities, where he rubbed elbows with people who went on to achieve fame and wealth.  He also served in World War II and his experiences there were also extraordinary.

He became a lawyer, but gave up the profession to travel the world and build a vast collection of art and memorabilia.  He  shared and loaned his collections to places all over the world, and he kept numerous diaries of his travels.

Because of his association with and collections of paintings of Charles Burchfield, and donating those paintings, his name is part of Buffalo State College's Burchfield Penney Art Center.

 I have spent the past five years interviewing Mr. Penney, copying photos and slides, and studying his diaries, photos and archives.  We were hoping to see his biography published in the summer or fall of 2010, but it is still pending.  However, the great news is that we have done the final proofing, and I will get the next Printer's Proof this week, and if all goes well, I will have the book by September 1, 2011.  Good things come to those who wait, right?  It is published by Back Channel Press of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Before he died, Mr. P asked that the book continue on, and it will, allowing folks who never knew him to get a glimpse of the life of this remarkable humanitarian.

There is to be a huge extravaganza at the Kenan Center in Lockport, NY, from September 16 to 18.  All of Mr. P's remaining collection will be on display and for sale.  Things going well, I will be there selling his story so people can have a piece of Mr. Penney as well as a piece of his art or collectibles.

This is Mr. Penney in China, in front of the Great Wall.

This is the cover of Charles Penney's biography.  The book details his ancestry, his life growing up, his collections and travels.  For more information, contact Penneybook@hughes.net

This is a photo of Mr. Penney jumping Sinbad when he was about 19. It is one of about 150 photos inside the book