Emily Inez Denny

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Emily Inez Denny Emily Inez Denny.jpg
Emily Inez Denny

Emily Inez Denny (December 23, 1853 - August 23, 1918) was a painter who drew scenes from Seattle's early history, along with landscapes of the Puget Sound region. [1] Her parents were Seattle pioneers David Denny (1832-1903) and Louisa Boren Denny (1827-1916). (Louisa Boren Denny was also technically her aunt, since her parents were stepsiblings.) [2] Her parents came to Seattle from Cherry Grove, Illinois over the Oregon Trail. [3] Emily had a sister, Abbie Denny Lindsley (1858-1915), [4] and two brothers, D.T. Denny and Victor Denny. [4]

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She survived the Battle of Seattle in 1856 and later painted the event as well as many landscapes and nature scenes from the region. The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle holds the largest collection of her works. [1] This museum valued one of her most popular untitled works, dated 1888, at $42,500 in July 2008. [5] In 1909 she wrote a book called Blazing the Way, which described the early history of Seattle and the Puget Sound region. [6]

"Battle of Seattle", by Emily Inez Denny "Battle of Seattle" (painting).jpg
"Battle of Seattle", by Emily Inez Denny

In 2007, her painting "Panoramic View of the Olympic Mountains" was displayed for the first time in 121 years, at the Museum of History and Industry. [7]

In 1899, Inez wrote, "Blazing the Way," an autobiographical sketch which included the story of her pioneer parents and early events in Seattle. She wrote, "By thrift and enterprise they attained independence, and... helped to lay the foundations of many institutions and enterprises of which the commonwealth is now justly proud". [5]

Works

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References

  1. 1 2 "Women of Our History: Emily Inez Denny". Evergreen Washelli Funeral Homes Blog, Seattle WA. 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  2. Brown, Frederick L. (2017-05-01). The City Is More Than Human: An Animal History of Seattle. University of Washington Press. ISBN   978-0-295-99935-7.
  3. ""Dream of a Devotee of Fashion": An essay for the Woman's Century Club Magazine by Emily Inez Denny (1899) : HistoryLink.org Essay 10385". HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  4. 1 2 The Washington Historical Quarterly. Washington University State Historical Society. 1915.
  5. 1 2 "Women of Our History: Emily Inez Denny - Seattle, Bothell, Brier WA Cemetery, Mortuary & Memorial Services | Evergreen Washelli". www.washelli.com. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  6. Denny 2012.
  7. Murakami, Kery (2007-03-28). "A rare artistic look at early Seattle - MOHAI exhibit will display 121-year-old work for first time in new exhibit, 'Nature in the Balance'". Seattle PI. Retrieved 2014-07-07.