Accession F.3.b. and E. 4.a.ii. Bahr
Leonard Marion Bahr (1905-1990) was primarily a prolific portrait painter. He was also a professor of painting and anatomy at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
In his teens with an artistic bent, he was hired as an illustrator and retouched photos at the Lynchburg Engraving Co., and designed ads for local Lynchburg businesses. Returning to Baltimore, he was hired at the Lord Baltimore Printing Co., and painted a portrait of their president. With their encouragement, a young Mr. Bahr enrolled at the Evening School of the Md. Institute School of Mechanical Arts in 1926 at age 21, earned scholarships and helped his teachers.
Because he showed promising talent, Mr. Bahr was granted stipends by the Institute faculty to continue his education in its Day School. In 1929, he won a traveling scholarship to tour Europe, and returned to the States at the start of the Depression. He continued at the Institute as a post-graduate student and as an assistant teacher for professor Henry Roben, all the while developing his talents in portraiture.
Leonard always painted from life unless the commission was a memorial. One of his first official commissions was a portrait of Baltimore Mayor James Preston, in 1930. He also aspired to paint for “church” edification and by 1933, illustrated and published his own interpretation of the 23rd Psalm of David. The Library of Congress has a copy of the booklet. Thereafter, he painted the altar painting of “Jesus at Gethsamene” installed at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Lansdowne, Md. Many paintings over the years included biblical themes and portraits of clergy, as in the portrait of Episcopal Bishop Noble C. Powell.
In the 1930’s, he received work from the Public Works Administration, painting murals for public institutions. One was murals for the Marine Aquarium Reptile House at Druid Hill Park. More were two WPA commissions – one depicting the history of Catonsville & the second of rolling casks of tobacco to Elk Ridge Landing. Both murals hung in the Catonsville High School library until reported missing after a lack of their protection during renovations. Assumed to be destroyed, only a photo remains of the murals in the Enoch Pratt Library, and are published in history books of Catonsville and of Elkridge.
By 1943, Lt. Bahr was a commissioned Naval officer, teaching “recognition” and “gunnery.” He also illustrated military life for its Naval magazine, The Stinger. Until 1953, he remained in the Naval Reserve.
It can be said that Leonard was a “sensitive” painter, sometimes painting his dreams and visions. One particular painting of a “Death and Transfiguration” was lauded by an established Sunpapers art critic who published that this painting should be shown to the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra so that they could get inspired playing music. A video interview with him (“Portrait of an Artist”) about his thoughts of life along with a painting demonstration, was filmed by the HoCo Community College. Mr. Bahr has also been interviewed in American Artist magazine, and drew the portrait of folk singer Hedy West for the cover of Appalachian South magazine – among other publishments.
The ensuing years were spent painting many commissioned portraits for private, corporate and religious institutions in his studio. A fine arts professional, he exhibited his paintings, judged other exhibition venues, had memberships and directorships, and at the Institute taught painting, drawing & anatomy. He was well-liked by his students and the faculty. Mr. Bahr retired as painting professor from the Institute after 53 years, and with honors.
His work can be found in private and national museum collections, corporations, religious institutions, colleges, the Maryland State House, the Nat’l Portrait Gallery, the Maryland Historical Society, and the Arizona State Univ., among other places, and in images online. Some portraits of Elkridge residents include Walter Cager, Ruth Maier, Anne Balderson & Ycolette Wilson.
Living in “Edgewood Cottage” since 1947, in 1966 he then built a modern home attached behind his studio. Mr. Bahr was an avid gardener, canoeist, bicyclist, a member of the Psychic Research Society and the Mountain Club of Maryland. In 1934, he married artist Florence Riefle, a previous art student of his at the Institute. They both participated in “Hands Across America” in 1986 along Rte. 1 in Elkridge, which unity was to help end poverty and
homelessness.
Both he and Florence are buried at Meadowridge.