Alex Jay, author of the blog post “Tenth Letter of the Alphabet – Creator E.G. Lutz,” has also researched Edwin’s life. From that post, we can summarize Edwin’s education:
- 1879 (age 11) – Enrolled in Nazareth Hall, in Nazareth, PA. This was a boarding school for boys. At one time, it was known as a “classical academy” where music, drawing, painting, French, Latin, and Greek were taught.
- 1885-1892 (ages 17-24) – Student at the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia, PA. The curriculum focused primarily on drawing and modeling (sculpture) and was intended to be “distinctly industrial.” He may have also worked as a “designer” in Philadelphia during part of this time period. Edwin graduated June 9, 1892, and received the Richards Second Prize for best work in pen and ink. During the period of 1889-1890, Edwin studied under Thomas Eakins. Eakins was a realist painter and widely acknowledged to be one of the most important artists in American art history.
- 1900-? (age 32) – Attended the Académie Julian in Paris. This was a private art school for painting and sculpture.
Although the photos below from the Lutz family records are not dated, they are believed to have been taken during Edwin’s training as an artist.
There are several things of specific interest in these last two images. Edwin marked the photos with a pen to show body position – perhaps to analyze how to draw a seated human form. It is also possible that the white vertical object on the left edge of each photo is a mirror, which Edwin may have used to get visual feedback on his pose. Finally, a string is visible in his right hand. Could this have been used to trigger the camera’s shutter?
Illustrating Edwin 