Elbridge Ayer Burbank

Elbridge Ayer Burbank (E.A. Burbank, 1858–1949) was an American artist known for his extensive series of portraits and scenes of Native American tribes, particularly in the Southwest. Commissioned initially by his uncle, the philanthropist Edward E. Ayer, Burbank aimed to document "every single Indian tribe in America" through life studies. He produced over 1,000 oil portraits and about 1,200 crayon drawings of individuals from more than 125 tribes, including many Hopi (often called Moqui in his era) and Pueblo people.  

Burbank traveled widely in Arizona and New Mexico around 1897–1910 (and later), painting at locations like Keams Canyon, Polacca, Walpi, and near trading posts such as Hubbell's. Besides portraits (e.g., of Hopi individuals like Sha-Ah-Lock-O or Ho-mo-vi), he created smaller genre and landscape scenes of daily life, villages, and architecture—often in oil on board or canvas in compact "mini" or study sizes (typically 4–8 inches in one dimension). These mini oil paintings of Hopi Pueblo scenes capture adobe structures, pueblo villages, and Southwest landscapes with a documentary yet atmospheric style.