Chicago Tribune
July 17, 1949

E. A. Burbanks
Passing Loss
to Illinois Art

BY ELEANOR JEWETT

The list of important Illinois artists can never be too long. The death of Elbridge Ayer Burbank March 21 took from us another of those painters of fine genius such as Ralph Clarkson, Oliver, Dennett Grover, and Alfred Juergens. Mr. Burbank painted many subjects but a favorite theme was the American Indian. He studied portrait painting four years in Munich and Paris and enjoyed exhibitions in both cities. In Chicago he exhibited at the Thurber galleries and the Chicago Art institute. His work was received with much favorable comment.

In 1897 Edward E. Ayer an uncle of the artist, commissioned him to paint the portrait of Geronimo and other Indian chiefs at Fort Sill, Okla. Mr. Burbank became fascinated with his subjects and continued for many years painting portraits of Indians. His portraits represented 125 Indian tribes. The artist learned to speak with the Indians in their own tongue and to understand and use their sign language.

Mr. Burbank's success story is as colorful as fiction. He was invited to exhibit a collection of 100 Indian portraits at the Pennsylvania museum in Philadelphia and while his show was on, Joseph Butler of Youngstown, O., who already owned a number of Burbank portraits, wired the artist he wanted to purchase the entire exhibition. The offer was accepted. Mr. Butler (sic Burbank) followed it up by going to Youngstown at Mr. Butler's invitation and painting Mr. Butler's portrait. Later the Butler institute was built and in one gallery hangs the Burbank group of 100 Indian portraits, with "E. A. Burbank Indian Portraits" inscribed above the door.

Mr. Burbank's portrait of Abraham Lincoln was purchased by the Smithsonian Institution and hangs there with many other Lincoln portraits; his, to many minds, is the finest of the collection. Mr. Ayer commissioned the artist to copy his group of 100 Indian chiefs and this second collection hangs in Huntington library, Pasadena, Cal. The Newberry library, Chicago, owns a collection of Mr. Burbank's Indian paintings.

These paintings tie in with the current Railroad fair because the Santa Fe division is showing paintings by two noted Indians, Pop Chalee and her husband, Ed Chalee, and it was the Santa Fe officials who named a town on their road Burbank, because while painting Indians in that section of the country the artist lived on various Indian reservations near the Santa Fe.

Mr. Burbank lived for a year in Cardiff, Wales, and in London where he had a studio. He and Mrs. Burbank lived in Cardiff at the home of her mother's first cousin, Lord Pontyprydd, an elderly bachelor whom the artist painted. The portrait hangs in the Glamorganshire club, Glamorganshire, Wales. Like many artists Mr. Burbank was a versatile and friendly man. He loved chess, sailing, and ball games. He was a great companion with an unfailing sense of humor. His Chicago studio was the meeting place of many warm friends. His death loses Illinois another great son and Illinois art a very understanding painter.

Original Clipping
Private Collection
Harvard, IL

From the Julsen Collection