Ellen Bell Robertson-Miller (American, 1859-1937) noted painter, illustrator, entomologist, author, speaker and newspaper columnist, primarily known for her oil paintings and watercolors, as well as insect, moth, butterfly and flower illustrations and photographs. She was born in 1859 and studied at the National Academy of Design (c.1885-1889) exhibiting there early on for her oil painting of a ‘Male Head’ in 1885 and another work in 1889, and also studied at the Art Students’ League of New York (c.1889-1890).
As a noted entomologist and author, she was affectionately called the “Bug Woman” by many. She co-authored and co-illustrated the book, Wild Flowers of the North-Eastern States (1895) with Margaret Christine Whiting, and authored and illustrated the book, The Butterfly and Moth Book (1912) as well as wrote articles and columns in various newspapers. She also had interests in ornithology and marine life and often spoke on nature and entomology subjects.
Ellen was a member and past vice president of the Women’s Press Club of Cleveland and was married to Edward Miller, residing in locations such as: Cincinnati, OH, Canton, OH, Warrensville, OH, Coronado Beach, FL and Lake Wildmere, FL over the course of their lifetimes. She died in Warrensville (Cuyahoga) OH in August 1937.
Her signature is stylized so that the first letter of her name ‘E’ is intertwined and combined with the ‘R’ of her first hyphenated (maiden) last name, and other signature variations include: ER-Miller and sometimes initialed as ‘ER-M’; and she is sometimes mis-listed as Ella Robertson-Miller or more-simply known as Ellen Miller.
(Written & compiled by Mark Strong of Meibohm Fine Arts, East Aurora, NY, meibohmfinearts.com)