Ella May Walker

Ella was born Ella Jacoby in Minnesota in 1892 and moved with her family to Dundurn Saskatchewan in 1902. She felt cheated because she didn't have a middle name, so she gave herself one: May, after the month she was born in. 
Ella used different combinations of her name for different activities. She went by Mrs. O.J. Walker for her volunteer and community work, Ella May Walker for her artwork and Ella Jacoby Walker for her novel. 
This can make it a little confusing, so we'll either refer to her as Ella May Walker, or simply Ella.

Ella returned to the United States in 1911 to study art at the Chicago Institute of Art and music at the Northwestern University School of Music. In 1913 she attended the University of Saskatchewan where she met and married Osman J. Walker. The Walkers both earned degrees from McGill University, with Osman a recieving a Ph.D. in Chemistry, and Ella receiving a Diploma of Licentiate¹ in music.

Ella moved to Edmonton in 1920 with Osman, who accepted a position at the University of Alberta's Chemistry Department. Shortly after relocating to Edmonton, Ella actively involved herself in Edmonton’s music, theatre and art communities. She taught piano from her Garneau home, helped stage theatrical productions, and was an active member of the Edmonton Art Club. She was also a church organist who played organ for silent movies in the Allen Theatre.

Blueprints for the Allen Theatre

In the 1930s, Ella refocused her creative energy on art when she met Arthur Lismer (1 of the Group of 7). She began to work in a variety of media ranging from paintings to sculpture.

Ella told stories of Edmonton's past through her artwork, and later through writing. She wrote articles for newspapers and a novel of short stories that traced Edmonton from the start of the Fort to the glory days of the City Centre Airport. She promoted her artwork, her novel, and Edmonton's history through shows, exhibits and lectures.

Ella's interest in Edmonton's history is evident in all of her creative work; her efforts to promote and preserve it did not go unnoticed. In 1948, City Council appointed her to the Archives and Landmark Committee.

in 1972, the theatre where Ella played organ when she first moved to Edmonton was demolished. However, it has been revived as a scaled down version in Fort Edmonton Park. Researchers from the Park collaborated with City of Edmonton Archivists and used records at the Archives to help them recreate the theatre. The first movie to play in it was Northern Light, which was a story of Edmonton. Ella probably would have been thrilled to see it.

After her death in 1960, Ella May Walker's son, Wilfrid Walker, donated artwork and records to the City of Edmonton Archives.