Theodore Clement Steele, American, 1847–1926
1892
Oil on canvas
Canvas: 60.96 cm x 76.2 cm | 24 in x 30 in
Framed: 83.82 cm x 99.06 cm | 33 in x 39 in
Signed and dated lower left, T.C. Steele / 1900
Gerry LaFollette Collection, Indianapolis, Indiana (purchased from Jane and Henry Eckert Antiques, Westfield, Indiana); Private Collection, Indianapolis, Indiana (purchased from Eckert & Ross Fine Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2013)
This painting is available through James R. Ross Fine Art as of January 2025.
The property known as Tinker Place, Tinker House, and Tinker-Talbot is where T.C. Steele lived with his family shortly after returning in 1885 from study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, in Munich. Steele and his family lived at Tinker for 14 years (1887-1901).
“Will Richards had rented a place for them – the old Tinker home or Talbot Place, as it was known – on the north side of Seventh (now Sixteenth) Street at Pennsylvania, just across from his own home. It was a beautiful house in a parklike setting of lofty forest trees, flower beds, and shrubbery bordering an open lawn. There Theodore and Libbie courageously began a new life.” ¹
Tinker Place, c. 18902 ; L to R: Unknown woman standing next to “Libbie” Steele, T.C Steele, Daisy Steele, and Brandt Steele outside Tinker House3
Tinker Place was demolished in 1901 to build the John Herron Art Institute, which evolved into Herron School of Art and Design and then Indianapolis Museum of Art. The new building, which replaced Tinker Place still stands and is a Mayor’s Charter School, Herron High School.
Tinker Talbot Sanborn Property Map, 1887
Note: Tinker Place with studio noted on the rear of property. Some research reflects confusion regarding street names during this time. Seventh Street on the Sanborn Map is now present-day 16th Street, which is also referred to during the 1890’s as Tinker Street. Whereas Pennsylvania Street and Talbott Street names have remained unchanged.
Steele painted other scenes of the back yard property of Tinker Place:
- Tinker Place, 1891
- Talbott Place, c. 1897
For further detailed information on the history of Tinker Place, please visit The T.C. Steele Historic Trail
Special thanks to James R. Ross Fine Art, Indianapolis, Indiana. Member, Fine Art Dealers Association.
1 The House of the Singing Winds, pg. 33, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, 1966, Selma N. Steele, Theodore L. Steele, Wilbur D. Peat.
2 Tinker House, Residence of T.C. Steele (first home of John Herron Art Institute). Indiana Historical Society Digital Images. Indiana Historical Society, 2017. https://images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/p16797coll51/id/18/rec/3.David Allen’s GTD
3 T.C. Steele Family at Tinker Street Residence. Indiana Historical Society Digital Images. Indiana Historical Society, 2017. https://images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/p16797coll51/id/222/rec/35.