Ted Lambert

Theodore Lambert is regarded as one of Alaska’s most dedicated painters, renowned for his realistic depictions of the region’s wild frontier. Born in Zion, Illinois, he left home at fourteen, first heading to Denver before briefly returning. By seventeen, Lambert left permanently, eventually arriving in Alaska around 1925 or 1926 with no money. He worked various jobs, including miner, trapper, and dog-sled postman, before securing a position with the Fairbanks Exploration Company as a roving artist. His earnings allowed him to study at the American Academy of Art in 1931 and later with Eustace Ziegler in Seattle. Though geographically unsettled, Lambert was singularly focused on his art, dedicating himself to long, solitary painting trips. After a failed marriage and growing isolation, Lambert disappeared in 1960, leaving behind a manuscript and unfinished paintings, with no trace of him ever found.