Gene Holmes

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Gene Holmes, lifelong resident of Rockford, was for many years the star of downtown Rockford. In early years whle he worked at his father's restaurant, Holmes & Son Lunchroom, a local political hangout, he could be seen cruising around in a flashy convertible sporting a top hat.  Years later, while living at the Chandler and subsequently the Faust Landmark Hotel, Gene, wearing a creatively collaged hat, could be seen roaming the downtown city streets, or having conversation at a nearby diner.

In his room at the Faust, Gene created hundreds of collaged " documents" made from photocopies images of himself along with verbiage and photo clippings from a variety of news and entertainment magazines, as well as the local newspapers and journals.  Many of these collaged works addressed Gene's dreams of winning the lottery or his running for mayor, being elected president or romancing Dolly Parton (Gene often referred to himself in these collages as "Playboy Duke Holmes").  Holmes niece, Maureen Kliman, remembers his room strewn with newsclippings and dank with the small of cigarette smoke.  His compulsion to create these collages was something Holmes stated as merely a way "to pass the time"

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