Timeline
1894, Feb 23
Born, Louisiana, Missouri to William Henry Allen and Annie May Scoggins [Images courtesy Allen family estate]
1895, Aug 17
Brother Elmer Leroy “Lee” Allen born
1897
Moved to rural area on Mill Creek outside of Anaconda, Montana
1906
Allen’s first art prize, for a painting exhibited at the Deer Lodge County Fair in Anaconda
1911-13
Moved to Chicago, entered Academy of Art. Lived and worked in the studio of Frank Stick with two other art students. Met future wife Grace Parmele. [Images courtesy Allen family estate]
In 1913 a fire destroyed the studio and all the student artists’ works.
1913
Followed Frank Stick to new studio in New York’s garment district; soon relocated to Interlaken
1913-1917
Staff artist of the Doubleday-Page Publishing Company; first job was as illustrator for People’s Popular Magazine
1915
Studio assistant to his art teacher, Alexis Jean Fournier
1916
Allen's family moves to Fresno, California
1917, Jun 6
Registered for draft [registration card]
1917, Dec 15
Enlisted in Air Force [Images courtesy Allen family estate]
1918, early
Trained at Cornell and Wilbur Wright Field in Ohio, received commission as 2nd Lieutenant and his wings as a flyer, awaited deployment at Camp Dick, Dallas Texas, cartoonist for the Camp Dick “Avion”
1918 Aug 27
Deployed overseas, arrived Liverpool 9/13/18
1918, Dec 21
Discharged at end of year; returned home
1919, Jan 8
Married Grace Louise Parmele in Chicago, moved to family home in Fresno, California [marriage certificate] [Images courtesy Allen family estate]
1919, Apr 20
Moved to Frasmere Avenue, Spring Lake, New Jersey, near Asbury Park. Soon had earned enough money to build a new house and studio in Interlaken
1919, Nov 4
Daughter Charlotte May Allen born
1923-1925
Rented an art studio in New York City, at 939 Eighth Avenue & West 56th Street, one block from the Art Students League: During this period he attended classes taught by Joseph Pennel, became a member of the Salmagundi Club, studied painting with Sigurd Skou, Robert Bracken, Arshile Gorky, and Robert Phillips, and anatomy with Naum Los.
1923, Jun 24
Daughter Joan Allen born
1923, April 10
Elected an Artist Member of the New York Illustrators Society, sponsored by Dean Cornwell and Mead Schaeffer
per Richard J. Berenson; Former President (2004–2008); Chair: Permanent Collection, Library and Archives; Museum of Illustration | Society of Illustrators
1925, May
The family sailed to France aboard the French Line "Suffren" for Le Havre, there by train to Paris (Grace Allen, "To Answer Your Questions"). There he shared a studio with Howard Cook and experimented with various artistic media, making lithographs and etchings for the first time.
1925, Nov 17
Returned to New York City on the Steam Ship “America” [passenger list]
1926-30
Shortly after return, moved to 40 Prospect Street, New Rochelle, New York [June 25, 1928 address on envelope, Smithsonian Archives]
1927
Resident Artist Member, Salmagundi Club, New York (per club files)
1928
Summer, moved to 41 Mayhew Avenue in Larchmont, New York [Augst 24, 1928 address on envelope, Smithsonian Archives; 1930 census]
Studied with Harvey Dunn at the Grand Central School of Art.
per David Saunders: … from a short biographical profile the artist submitted to the NYC Society of Illustrators with his application for membership. That form was a standard questionnaire about studies, jobs, residences, travel, military service, etc. The club kept a reference library with files on all members on the third floor, but to make room for expansion that collection was eventually moved into storage, so it was no longer available for researchers of illustration history. The club lent their reference library to the New Britain Museum, and then only a small portion of the collection dealing with their most famous members was returned to the Society for archival storage..
1929
Studio address in New York City - 49 East 9th St.
per Mantle Fielding, Dictionary of American painters, sculptors, and engravers, 1986
1931-1935
By 1935, moved from main house to studio at 41-A Mayhew Avenue [1940 census] [Images courtesy the Allen family estate]
1942
World War 2 draft registration [registration card]; Allen was too old to serve
1945
Abandoned printmaking in order to study abstract painting with Hans Hofmann
1946
Became an art teacher at the Naitonal Academy of Design in New York City
1964, Sep 9
Died, Larchmont, New York, age 70