A Pennsylvania landscape painter living in Allentown, John Berninger is described by art writer, Geoff Gehman, as being in the "outer ring of the New Hope School." His career was devoted to depicting his region in realist-impressionist style, especially snow scenes and landmarks such as Meyers Bridge in Allentown. Berninger studied with Orlando Gray Wales, Arlington Lindenmuth and Walter Emerson Baum, and then was an art instructor at the Kline-Baum School in Allentown. In 1934, he was selected as one of four students of Baum into the Circulating Picture Club of the Philadelphia Art Alliance, and two years later, he became Curator at the Allentown Art Museum, which had just been founded by Baum.