Albert Racine

Racine was born in Browning, Montana, attending Browning Public Schools and the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, KS.[1] Racine studied under German artist Winold Reiss at his summer school at Saint Mary's Lake, Montana.[1] Racine first exhibited his work in 1927 and in 1938 created a carving of da Vinci's The Last Supper for the Browning Methodist Church, beginning his career as a wood carver.[1] Racine joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and served throughout World War II.[2] As a student at Browning Public Schools, Racine developed an interest in the Blackfoot folk hero Napi, who featured in short plays staged at the high school.[1] Racine created a signature sketch of Napi, whom he envisioned as a skinny figure with a potbelly, large hat, and mischievous smile.[1] According to museum curator John C. Ewers, Napi was an amalgam of two well-known older Indians.[3] During the war, Racine was deployed in North Africa and sent sketches of Napi in uniform back home to Montana.[4] Variations of this sketch were featured on commercial signs in Browning as well as in his carvings and sketches.[5] For a few years, Racine operated the Blackfeet Indian and Western Art Gallery in Browning where he sold leatherwork and beadwork by local craftsmen alongside his own sculptures, carvings, and paintings.[1][3] His work has also been displayed at Browning's Museum of the Plains Indian, operated by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board.[3]

• Albert Racine Military Record on Fold3
• Albert Racine at Wild Goose Island Carving Studio