Today in Wheeling History: July 19--Edith Lake Wilkinson, a talented Wheeling-born artist whose life and work were overshadowed by her long institutionalization and the mismanagement of her estate by Wheeling attorney George J. Rogers, dies at Huntington State Hospital at age 88 (1957).
Edith Lake Wilkinson was born on August 23, 1868, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to James P. Wilkinson and Lucy Lake Atkinson Wilkinson. In 1888, at age 20, she moved to New York City to study art at the Art Students League, where she trained under notable artists like William Merritt Chase, Kenyon Cox, and James Carroll Beckwith. Wilkinson later earned a degree from Columbia Teacher's College in 1905.
From 1914 to 1923, Wilkinson became an active member of the Provincetown Art Colony in Massachusetts. There, she studied with Charles Webster Hawthorne and Ambrose Webster, and befriended fellow artist Blanche Lazzell. Wilkinson embraced the "white-line" woodblock printing technique popularized by the Provincetown Printers group.
On February 15, 1922, tragedy struck when Edith's elderly parents were overcome by gas fumes in their Wheeling, West Virginia home. Edith's mother died from monoxide poisoning that day while her father was taken to a hospital and died the following day. Edith inherited an estate of approximately $35,000 (worth around $500,000 today) which was administered by local Wheeling attorney George J. Rogers. Rogers, born on March 17, 1876, in Wheeling, was a prominent lawyer who graduated from the University of Virginia in 1897 and earned his law degree from Harvard University in 1901.
While initially seen as a respectable figure, Rogers' actions later became controversial. He tightly controlled Wilkinson's finances, providing her only with modest monthly stipends. Years later, in 1935, Rogers would be indicted for embezzling money from a number of his clients. He eventually declared bankruptcy and left the law profession. According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Rogers was working as a salesman for a household paper products company, a significant fall from his previous status as a prominent attorney.
On March 22, 1924, Wilkinson was admitted to the Sheppard Pratt Institution in Baltimore, diagnosed with a "paranoid state." The reasons for her hospitalization are not entirely clear, but several factors may have contributed. The sudden loss of both parents in 1922 likely caused significant grief and trauma, severely impacting her mental health. Additionally, Wilkinson's long-term relationship with Fannie Wilkinson (no relation) may have caused societal pressure and stress in an era when same-sex relationships were not accepted. The control exerted by George J. Rogers over her inheritance could have caused anxiety and paranoia, while the creative pressures and potential instability of an artistic lifestyle may have contributed to mental health issues. It's also worth noting that mental health treatments in the 1920s were far less advanced, and conditions were often misunderstood or misdiagnosed. Lastly, there are suggestions that her institutionalization may have been partly motivated by others' desire to control her assets.
Although released in October 1924, Wilkinson was readmitted on February 10, 1925. In March 1935, she was transferred to Huntington State Hospital in West Virginia, where she remained until her death on July 19, 1957, at age 88.
After her institutionalization, Wilkinson's belongings and artwork were packed into trunks and sent to her nephew, Edward Vossler, in Wheeling. Years later, her great-niece Jane Anderson discovered the artwork and began efforts to bring recognition to Wilkinson's talent. This culminated in the 2015 documentary "Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson," which premiered at film festivals and on HBO.
Today, Wilkinson's work can be found in collections at the Huntington Museum of Art and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (see her artwork here: https://shorturl.at/a5PEq). Her story, intertwined with that of George J. Rogers, continues to intrigue art historians and the public, shedding light on early 20th-century American art, women's history, and the complexities of legal and financial management in that era.
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Photo credits: Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Hall of Fame, Find a Grave, Wikimedia Commons
Edith Lake Wilkinson was born on August 23, 1868, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to James P. Wilkinson and Lucy Lake Atkinson Wilkinson. In 1888, at age 20, she moved to New York City to study art at the Art Students League, where she trained under notable artists like William Merritt Chase, Kenyon Cox, and James Carroll Beckwith. Wilkinson later earned a degree from Columbia Teacher's College in 1905.
From 1914 to 1923, Wilkinson became an active member of the Provincetown Art Colony in Massachusetts. There, she studied with Charles Webster Hawthorne and Ambrose Webster, and befriended fellow artist Blanche Lazzell. Wilkinson embraced the "white-line" woodblock printing technique popularized by the Provincetown Printers group.
On February 15, 1922, tragedy struck when Edith's elderly parents were overcome by gas fumes in their Wheeling, West Virginia home. Edith's mother died from monoxide poisoning that day while her father was taken to a hospital and died the following day. Edith inherited an estate of approximately $35,000 (worth around $500,000 today) which was administered by local Wheeling attorney George J. Rogers. Rogers, born on March 17, 1876, in Wheeling, was a prominent lawyer who graduated from the University of Virginia in 1897 and earned his law degree from Harvard University in 1901.
While initially seen as a respectable figure, Rogers' actions later became controversial. He tightly controlled Wilkinson's finances, providing her only with modest monthly stipends. Years later, in 1935, Rogers would be indicted for embezzling money from a number of his clients. He eventually declared bankruptcy and left the law profession. According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Rogers was working as a salesman for a household paper products company, a significant fall from his previous status as a prominent attorney.
On March 22, 1924, Wilkinson was admitted to the Sheppard Pratt Institution in Baltimore, diagnosed with a "paranoid state." The reasons for her hospitalization are not entirely clear, but several factors may have contributed. The sudden loss of both parents in 1922 likely caused significant grief and trauma, severely impacting her mental health. Additionally, Wilkinson's long-term relationship with Fannie Wilkinson (no relation) may have caused societal pressure and stress in an era when same-sex relationships were not accepted. The control exerted by George J. Rogers over her inheritance could have caused anxiety and paranoia, while the creative pressures and potential instability of an artistic lifestyle may have contributed to mental health issues. It's also worth noting that mental health treatments in the 1920s were far less advanced, and conditions were often misunderstood or misdiagnosed. Lastly, there are suggestions that her institutionalization may have been partly motivated by others' desire to control her assets.
Although released in October 1924, Wilkinson was readmitted on February 10, 1925. In March 1935, she was transferred to Huntington State Hospital in West Virginia, where she remained until her death on July 19, 1957, at age 88.
After her institutionalization, Wilkinson's belongings and artwork were packed into trunks and sent to her nephew, Edward Vossler, in Wheeling. Years later, her great-niece Jane Anderson discovered the artwork and began efforts to bring recognition to Wilkinson's talent. This culminated in the 2015 documentary "Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson," which premiered at film festivals and on HBO.
Today, Wilkinson's work can be found in collections at the Huntington Museum of Art and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (see her artwork here: https://shorturl.at/a5PEq). Her story, intertwined with that of George J. Rogers, continues to intrigue art historians and the public, shedding light on early 20th-century American art, women's history, and the complexities of legal and financial management in that era.
To learn more: (https://shorturl.at/Bah8Y) (https://shorturl.at/EcPo5) (https://shorturl.at/YNGln) (https://shorturl.at/5znRr) (https://tinyurl.com/4fhnx5n2) (https://shorturl.at/UwNs5) (https://tinyurl.com/2mancxsh) (https://tinyurl.com/4feebse7) (https://tinyurl.com/2vj5bk3j) (https://tinyurl.com/bdzyv57c) (https://tinyurl.com/3k4pyt9z) (https://tinyurl.com/3rpvchtw) (https://tinyurl.com/fffxr9r9) (https://tinyurl.com/y46upkhw) (https://tinyurl.com/2t8txzes) (https://tinyurl.com/2v7fshm6) (https://shorturl.at/CmVPn) (https://shorturl.at/b065K) (https://shorturl.at/3EXx7) (https://shorturl.at/JMcDK) (https://shorturl.at/dZEVi)
Photo credits: Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Hall of Fame, Find a Grave, Wikimedia Commons
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