About John L Clarke

Carving Glacier’s critters from the 1920s to 1970, John Clarke was one of Montana’s most prolific lesser-known artists.
John’s artwork is accurate and evocative of a trip to Glacier Montana.

John Clarke was one of the Montana state’s most prolific lesser-known artists. John’s artwork is accurate and evocative of a trip to Glacier Montana.

The Red & the White is an evocative book on the clashes, contrasts and co-mingling of early Montana cultures, written through the history of the Clarke Family. Written with thorough research and detail by the wonderful Dr. Andrew Graybill, of Dallas, Texas. He’s the current director of the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies and chairman of the History Department at Southern Methodist University. This book won the Labriola Center American Indian National Book Award, and is available to purchase at the Clarke Gallery.

Reviews:

“Transforms a tragic, 19th-century story of heartbreak and revenge on the Rocky Mountain frontier, into a dynamic, multi-generational history. . . . . Shakespearean in its tragedy and Biblical in its parable of how the Indian tribes have endured a diaspora of such magnitude. . . . [The] Clarke family chose a purposeful, meaningful life, offering up, for all of us, a shining example of the power and strength of the human spirit.” (Stuart Rosebrook – True West)

“Fascinating insights into race relations on the evolving frontier…. highly recommended for all readers interested in the 19-century West.” (Library Journal)

“A touching portrait of race relations on the frontier. . . . . Evocative details and a close attention to the arc of its subjects’ lives lend Graybill’s narrative emotional heft. . . . An entertaining and insightful exposition of an unjustly ignored facet of the American social fabric.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A masterful treatment of a much-neglected aspect of American history. . . . A must-read” (Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello)