Theodore Clement Steele, American, 1847–1926
1891
Oil on canvas
67.94 cm x 100.33 cm | 26 ¾ in x 39 ½ in
Framed: 83.18 cm x 116.20 cm | 32 ¾ in x 45 ¾ in
Signed and dated lower left, TC Steele 1891
Owned by Columbia Club, Indianapolis, Indiana
Note: Portrait not available for public viewing.
This painting is untitled but believed to depict Tinker Place, where Steele and his family lived in Indianapolis for 14 years (1887-1901).
Subject matter experts on Steele and his body of work note the work is dated and signed during the time Steele lived at the Tinker property and had a studio. Furthermore, this Tinker painting is rare; Steele usually did not include subjects in his Tinker paintings. However, we can see this on Tinker Place and Talbott as well.
Lastly, there is always discussion regarding which direction Tinker paintings face; several subject matter experts believe North, as the studio was on the back of the Tinker property and any painting facing south would be the back of the house. The houses in the paintings are not the Tinker House, (view photo below).
L-R: Tinker House, Residence of T.C. Steele (first home of John Herron Art Institute)¹; T.C. Steele Family at Tinker Street Residence2; Sanborn Map from 1887 shows Tinker House and the art studio on the property³
Steele painted Tinker several times with various views:
- 1890 Untitled (Tinker)
- 1891: Tinker Place
- 1892: Backyard at Tinker Place
- 1897: Talbott Place
- 1899: Tinker
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
The Columbia Club was 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.
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.
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.
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, and Jim Ross of James R. Ross Fine Art, of Indianapolis, Indiana.
References
¹ Tinker House, Residence of T.C. Steele (first home of John Herron Art Institute)
² T.C. Steele Family at Tinker Street Residence
³ Sanborn Map from 1887 shows Tinker House and the art studio on the property
⁶ Columbia Club circa 1890, Indiana Historical Society, William H. Bass Collection