On September 24, 1821, Alban Jasper Conant was born in Chelsea.

In his mid-30s he moved to St. Louis. Conant was already an established artist and infatuated with art.

Although he established a well-known gallery, Conant is probably best known for his portraits. He painted President Lincoln, Secretary of War Stanton, and Attorney-General Bates.

Conant was curator at the University of Missouri for eight years, and also displayed an interest in anthropology. He wrote “Footprints of Vanished Races in the Mississippi Valley” and also contributed as a correspondent to the Institution Ethnographique of Paris.

Alban Jasper Conant's portrait of President Lincoln courtesy Southern Illinois University.

A special thanks to Gordon Pruett, editor of Cornerstone at Southern Illinois University for information regarding Conant's painting and images from his archives.