Oliver John Brooks (August 1872 – after 1930)[1] was an African American artist who specialized in portraits.[2]

Photograph of Oliver "Ollie" J. Brooks

Early life

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Brooks was born in St. Louis, Missouri,[3] in August 1872.[2]

Career

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Brooks' paintings, in oil and pastel, are often found on the walls of churches, colleges, and schools in Missouri, Kansas and many others.[4] His studio was in Kansas City, Kansas.

Brooks also used crayons in some of his art.[5]

On December 23, 1896, Brooks married Loueva J. Simpkins.[6] They later divorced. In 1916, he remarried Edna V. Jackson.[7]

References

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  1. ^ 1930 United States Federal Census
  2. ^ a b "Oliver (Ollie) J Brooks". askART. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "O. J. Brooks, artist". The Topeka Plaindealer. Kansas, Topeka. December 30, 1910. p. 2. Retrieved November 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Record What the Graduates of Lincoln Institute are Doing | Collections Search Center, Smithsonian Institution". collections.si.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  5. ^ "Western University". The Topeka Plaindealer. Kansas, Topeka. March 23, 1906. p. 2. Retrieved November 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "(untitled brief)". Democratic Messenger. Kansas, Eureka. December 25, 1896. p. 3. Retrieved November 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002