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Harry O’Hanlon was born January 20, 1916 in Edmonton, Alberta. O’Hanlon sought out adventure at a young age, and continued to do so for the rest of his life. At the age of 21, O’Hanlon and his brothers sailed away from Vancouver, British Columbia on a 48-foot yawl. O’Hanlon’s adventure and his life nearly came to a tragic end, when a hurricane caught their boat off the coast of California. This event may have fueled O’Hanlon’s desire to experience life, as he turned around and took a freighter bound for Panama. There he spent the better part of two years working for the Panama Canal Company. In 1939, Harry came back to Canada and became an officer in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps at Camp Borden. At the camp, O’Hanlon met his future wife, Betty Gilliatt. The two married and were sent to Normandy, shortly after D-Day. They came back to Canada in 1946, and spent the next few years planning for a treasure hunting expedition to Cocos Island. Although they never found the $60 million in Spanish gold, they had a fantastic time camping, hiking, and remapping the island. O’Hanlon is known for his bronze sculptures, which primarily depict the history of Western Canadian Aboriginals. His sculptures show Blackfoot hunting, tribal warfare, and camp life. Each sculpture is meticulously researched so that it properly represents the attire and equipment of the time. From 1956 to 1963, O’Hanlon also created a large collection of paintings. O’Hanlon primarily painted portraits of the Blackfoot Indians. He completed about 50 portraits, most of which reside in private collections. In 1963, O’Hanlon discovered the Moulton Pool oilfield in Montana. Harry O’Hanlon passed away in March of 1996 from cancer.
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