Anker was a member of the Grand Council of Bern (the parliament of the Swiss canton of Bern consisting of 160 members as of 2006) from 1870 to 1874, after he was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon for Schlafendes Mdchen im Walde in 1866.
In 1866, he was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon for Schlafendes Madchen im Walde (1865) und Schreibunterricht (1865); in 1878 he was made a knight of the Legion d'honneur. 
