Vanessa WoodI live in Connecticut but seldom get a chance to write about someone from this state. My great aunt, Gerda (Paulson) Simon and her daughters lived in New Canaan, Connecticut. Other relatives on this branch of my family tree migrated westward, but the Simons stayed on the east coast. Later in life, when most people are thinking of retirement, Gerda’s daughter Augusta began painting. Like the renowned folk artist Grandma Moses, Augusta painted scenes of her hometown. She became known as a folk artist and her work was even displayed at the prestigious Wadsworth Atheneum Museum.
“Anne ‘Augusta’ Simon,” photograph, ca. 1934 (author’s collection).
After her sister Clara’s death Augusta’s paintings were bequeathed to the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society. They now hang is the Simon Room. Pretty impressive!
I inherited a box of family photos and memorabilia from Clara’s estate. Several items from Augusta’s family were found in a box belonging to their uncle (my grandfather). I was able to unite these two small collections as part of telling Augusta’s story. This month “Anne ‘Augusta’ Simon, New Canaan’s Hometown Artist” appears in the Winter 2025-2026 issue of the Connecticut Genealogical Society’s magazine, Connecticut Genealogy News.
“7844-Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn.” postcard, ca. 1911 (author’s collection)
FEATURED IMAGE: CoPilot AI, “Artist Canvas, Brushes and Easel in Blues and Purples Including a Village with a Horse and Wagon,” digital image, created 21 December 2024.
