Edward Bannister was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. Shortly after his birth, the British abolished slavery in all of its provinces; and Bannister lived as a free Black and was able to freely develop his propensity for art by studying the larger views of the established visual artists.

He worked for a time out of New York as a seaman. He later moved to Boston where he loved to visit libraries, museums, and art galleries. Here he saw the beginning stages of daguerreotype and its implications for photography as an established art form. He became an early painter of photographs. He enjoyed drama and participated in many productions of the Histronics Club presentations written by William C. Nell. Around 1858, he married Christina Carteaux, a Massachusetts Indian, who was a businesswoman operating several hair salons. This enabled him to paint full time. He was able to have his own studio where he developed his talent for choosing a style of art based upon the Barbizon style of painting which used mostly serene landscapes and scenes taken from nature. Bannister's position in Boston helped him to become a painter and advocate of rights for the Union black soldiers during the Civil War. His commissioned portrait of
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw
was created and hung in the State House in Boston. By 1870, Bannister and his wife moved to Providence, Rhode Island. His creation of UNDER THE OAKS in Providence won him the first prize at the world 1876 CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION held in Philadelphia. Bannister never took formal art training, and he attributed his talents to religious beliefs in almighty God. Bannister was highly respected in Providence. He was one of the founders of the PROVIDENCE ART CLUB which later helped to develop the prestigious RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN. Bannister was definitely a giant among the visual artists of his day.

OTHER WORKS BY THIS ARTIST:

THE SHIP OUTWARD BOUND, oil, 1885

LANDSCAPE WITH A BOAT, oil, 1898

UNDER THE OAKS, oil, 1875

DRIVING HOME THE COWS, oil, 1881

APPROACHING STORM, oil, 1895

STREET SCENE, oil, 1895

NEWSPAPER BOY, oil, 1869, National Museum of American Art

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