Elbridge Ayer (E.A.) Burbank (1858-1949)
Five works:

"Oleary," 1925
Charcoal on paper
Signed in pencil on the lower edge, at right: E.A. Burbank; titled and dated in pencil on the upper edge, at left
Sheet: 9.5" H x 6.25" W

"Beauty," 1932
Charcoal, graphite, and colored pencil on paper
Signed in pencil on the lower edge, at right: E.A. Burbank; titled and dated in pencil on the upper edge, at left
Sheet: 3.875" H x 7.375" W

"Judy," 1932
Conte crayon on paper
Signed on the lower edge, at right: E.A. Burbank; titled and dated on the upper edge, at left
Sheet: 6.125" H x 6.875" W

"A Tribute to the Dog - By Senator Vest," 1933
Conte crayon, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Signed and dated near the center: E.A. Burbank; titled at upper center; inscribed with the famous eulogy about a dog as delivered by George Graham Vest
Sheet: 10.125" H x 12.125" W

Untitled, shepherd dog, 1937
Charcoal on paper
Signed and dated in pencil on the lower edge, at right: E.A. Burbank
Sheet: 5.25" H x 10.125" W

5 pieces

Other Notes: The work, "A Tribute to the Dog - By Senator Vest," 1933, is a visual homage to the famous eulogy delivered by Senator George Graham Vest in September of 1870. In his earlier career and before becoming a Senator, he practiced law in a small Missouri town. From 1869 to 1870, he represented Charles Burden and his dog, Old Drum, in the case of Burden v. Hornsby.

Charles Burden's hunting dog, a foxhound named Old Drum, was killed by Leonidas Hornsby, a sheep farmer, who had previously relayed that he would kill any dog found on his property. Burden sued Hornsby for damages up to the maximum penalty, which was $150. During Vest's closing argument, he delivered a eulogy about Burden's dog to the jury, and it is known as "one of the most enduring passages of purple prose in American courtroom history." Following that speech and the jury's deliberation, Vest won the case, and in 1958, a bronze life-sized statue of a dog and a plaque with the famous eulogy was placed on the Johnson County lawn.

Each overall good condition. "Oleary," with creases at the upper right and lower left corners and a small band of surface skinning along the upper edge, verso. "Beauty," with a very small crease in the extreme upper right corner and a pinpoint-sized foxmark at the upper portion of the extreme left edge, verso. "Judy," with two areas of toned paper remnants adhered to the lower left and right corners, verso. "A Tribute to the Dog - By Senator Vest," with a 0.375" vertical tear in the extreme upper edge, at center, scattered areas of handling creases primarily in the outer edges, and a small band of old paper tape remnants along the left edge, verso. The untitled work with a crease in the lower right corner and a piece of thin paper taped from the lower edge, verso. Each sheet is loose, not matted.

Each unframed Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.