Bill Sell via the Mercer County Historical Society

Joseph Pfister was an accomplished international artist, commissioned to paint some of the more famous personalities of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. He considered his painting of World War II ace Captain Don Gentile to be his best work, and his painting of Judge Henry Miller is in the Court of Common Pleas at the Mercer County Courthouse. This exceptional work was given to the courthouse in 1939 when Judge Miller retired.

Pfister was born in Newport, Kentucky, in 1995, just across the river from Cincinnati. His family moved to Celina when he was 2 years old. Research indicates that Joseph Pfister had strong ties with the Pulskamp family of Mercer County, a family who perhaps shared in raising him.

Pfister received his early education at Celina's Immaculate Conception School and then attended the Art Institute of Chicago for three years before enlisting in the Army in June of 1917. During World War I, Pfister's job was to photograph and sketch German positions from an observation plane. Such planes were, naturally, a favorite target of German fighter planes. After the war, Pfister stayed in France to study art and made himself well known with his portrait of George Clemenceau, “The Old Tiger of France.”

Returning to the United States, Joseph Pfister studied anatomy at the Flower Hospital in New York City. He eventually had art studios in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Mercer County, and painted The Ascension for the new Immaculate Conception High School dedication in 1933. Upon his death in Cincinnati on August 16, 1952, Pfister was buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Celina, Ohio.

Pfister’s painting of Winifred Johnson Reiser at the Riley House museum is an example of his talent and proudly hangs in the front parlor. It is a fitting tribute to Joseph Pfister, a remarkable local talent that made significant contributions to the artistic community and Mercer County. If you are interested in seeing more of his work (we have five of his paintings!), visit us at 130 East Market Street between 9a and 5p on a Monday or Friday. Admission is free.