James D. Sullivan is proprietor of the Art Store at 122-124 West Eighth Street and 728-730 Jackson Street in Topeka. During his residence in Topeka he has developed a large business, and this is due to his thorough training in the profession and his own sense of artistic values which have enabled him to render a valuable service to his large patronage.
James D. Sullivan was born in Norwich, Connecticut, January 11, 1861, a son of James and Mary (Bridgeman) Sullivan. He received a public school education, and also took a business course in a business college at Chicago. His best training for his profession came at Chicago, where he was long in the employ of the W. Scott Thurber Art Gallery as a foreman, these galleries having a wide reputation over the Central West not only as dealers in some of the most notable art works of the world, but also as creative artists and decorators. He spent about nineteen years in the Thurber galleries and for three years was with the firm of Bowen & Lee in the same line.
In November, 1897, Mr. Sullivan came to Topeka and has directed his business as an art dealer and restorer of painting, and has always made artistic framing a specialty. One painting which Mr. Sullivan restored in which he takes the greatest pride is the painting of “The Immaculate Conception,” by Boneto. It hangs in the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception at St. Marys, Kansas. This painting is over 160 years old and was sent to St. Marys over sixty years ago by Pope Pius IX in recognition of the work done among the Indians when St. Marys was only an Indian mission.
In politics he is a republican, is a member of the Commercial Club, is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and the Knights and Ladies of Security, and belongs to the Catholic Church. In 1898 he married Miss Margaret Delahoyde of Chicago. They reside at 1135 Garfield Avenue, Topeka.