(Apr. 5, 1826-Mar. 14, 1914). Barton Stone Hays was born in Greenville, Ohio, but settled in Montgomery County, Indiana. He traveled in the vicinity of Wingate, Covington, and Attica, making likenesses of relatives and friends. He arrived in Indianapolis in 1858 and with William Runnion established the firm Hays & Runnion, soon the principal daguerreotype establishment of the city.
During his years in Indianapolis, Hayes left the city for months at a time, returning with landscapes and other pieces. He exhibited these items for a while before selling them at auction. He worked in Cincinnati from 1871 to 1873, returned to Indianapolis until 1883, and then moved to Minneapolis, where he lived until his death.
Hays was especially kind to young artists and taught groups of aspiring students, including , who became nationally known, and John Love, who played an important part in starting the first art school in Indianapolis.
As one of the leading painters in Indianapolis in 1869, Hays received a commission to paint the portrait of William Henry Harrison for the newly begun Governors Portraits Collection. He apparently copied a portrait by an unknown artist that is now in the collection of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine. In addition to his portrait of Harrison, which can be seen in the Indiana State House, his works also are in the collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Help improve this entry
Contribute information, offer corrections, suggest images.
You can also recommend new entries related to this topic.
