A sculptor and painter of western subjects and well known both in the Southwest and East Coast, Ernest Berke was born in Harlem, New York City in 1921 to a Romanian mother who designed clothes and a Russian father, who was a sheet metal worker. At six years of age, his father, who recognized his talent, encouraged him to pursue art. While working as an advertising illustrator for Sears & Roebuck for a number of years, Ernest became fascinated with the growing West, especially cowboys and Indians.

A self-taught artist and anthropologist, Berke was a voracious reader. He met on a regular basis at a local New York City bookstore with a group who shared his interest in the West, and occasionally, Berke would also s...