Friends of T.C. Steele

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by

Theodore Clement Steele, American, 1847–1926
1899
Oil on canvas
67.31 cm x 54.61 cm | 26 ½ x 21 ½ in
Framed: 84.45 cm x 71.75 cm | 33 ¼ x 28 ¼ in
Signed and dated lower right, TC Steele 1899
Owned by Columbia Club Foundation, Inc. Columbia Club, Indianapolis
Note: Portrait not available for public viewing.

Tinker House & Studio was the Indianapolis home and studio of T.C. Steele and his family for 14 years. They lived here shortly after their return from Germany (1885), moving into the Tinker property in 1887. The family remained here until the house was bought by the Art Association in 1901 to build the John Herron Art Institute.

T.C. Steele Family at Tinker Street Residence2 Tinker House, Residence of T.C. Steele (first home of John Herron Art Institute)2

This painting appears to be looking north from the back of the property where Steele had a studio. Later a kiln was built and added to the back of the property by his son Rembrandt Steele, who established Brandt Steele Pottery. The kiln is near the center of the painting.

Sanborn Map from 1887 shows Tinker House and the art studio on the property and kiln

Steele painted Tinker several times with various views. This painting is the only one near the back of the property that includes the kiln which sat behind the art studio.

The property remains today, now Herron High School, located at 110 E. 16th Street & Talbott Street, in the historic Herron-Morton Place Historic District 16th Street was called Tinker Street during the Steele family’s 14 years of residence at this property).

the columbia club

Tinker currently hangs in the lobby of Columbia Club, established in 1888 as the Harrison Marching Society to support the candidacy of General Benjamin Harrison of Indianapolis as President. After Harrison won election in that year, the society decided to incorporate as a permanent organization and chose the name Columbia Club, based on the popular alternative name for America at the time.

Columbia Club circa 18902

The Club has occupied three buildings at its prominent location on Monument Circle, and the current building opened in 1925. Designed in English Tudor style by the noted Indianapolis architects Rubush and Hunter and features lavishly appointed interiors with sculptures and plaster details by top Indiana artists.

The present building has hosted famous personalities and holds a tradition of important business and civic meetings being held at the club.

In 1926, Queen Marie of Romania was welcome to the city with a banquet at the Club, and the next year Charles Lindberg, the American Eagle, was honored at the Columbia Club for flying solo from New York to Paris.

In 1976, President Ronald Regan keynoted the annual Beefsteak Dinner held since 1891.

Tinker Place painting is on right of the three paintings. Tinker hangs along with these two other paintings that are not by Steele, in the lobby of Columbia Club next to the entrance to the Harrison Room for fine dining. Oval table is an artifact from the White House during President Benjain Harrison’s term. The table has a marble top with intricate wooden details and was used in the White House from 1886-1893).

In the previous clubhouse the four founders of the Indianapolis 500 – Carl Fisher, James A. Allison and Arthur C. Newby met in 1909 at the Club and discussed building the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In more recent years, the agreement to bring the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis was finalized at a meeting in a Columbia Club suite.

Painting signed lower right

T.C. Steele was a member of the Columbia Club during the time he and his family lived in Indianapolis (1885 – 1901).  

The Columbia Club was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Special Thanks to The Columbia Club Foundation Inc.

References

1 T.C. Steele Historic Trail

2 Indiana Historical Society Digital Images

3 Columbia Club