George Beard was born in Chesire, England. A multitalented man, he painted and photographed many outdoor scenes in Utah, Wyoming, and California.  He died in Coalville, Utah in 1944.

Beard’s family converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1869 and immigrated to Coalville, Utah.  Although he was primarily self-taught, he met and painted with the early Utah painter C. C. A. Christensen.  C. R. Savage, a pioneer photographer, was also an influence.  Although his strongest artistic influence was Thomas Moran, his colleague, Henry Culmer, and his instructors, Alfred Lambourne, George Ottinger, and Dan Weggeland also figured in his artistic vision.

Beard was hired as a choreboy at the Coalville Branch of ZCMI in 1871.  He worked his way up to manager by the early 1900s. He remained active in civic, religious, and business affairs throughout his life, but he always found time for his passions—art and the outdoors.  Beard made excursions into the surrounding Uinta Mountains of Utah and the Yellowstone regions of Wyoming and Montana to sketch and photograph the scenery.  Dead Horse Pass (1923 and Green River Lake (1915) are two of his notable paintings.

Biographical information on this page was adapted from Artists of Utah.