George Ernest Colby was a well-regarded artist in Chicago, and was an illustrator, cartoonist and natural entertainer. In 1922 he donated a painting, Phantom of the Desert as a memorial to John Vanderpoel. At the time he had six paintings for sale from $200.00 to $1000.00 at the Carson, Pirie, Scott department store gallery.
George Colby was a good friend of Vanderpoel, and both were members of the old Art League. In 1901 the Municipal Art League of Chicago was formed by the merger of the Chicago Art League and Municipal Art Society (I assume they were members of one of these organizations.)
Colby was a life member of the Chicago Art Institute and also exhibited at the National Academy in New York and the Salon in Paris and Salon. He spent three years in Europe and traveled the world.
