T.L. Morrisey

Showing posts with label Montreal art history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Montreal art history. Show all posts

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Prudence Heward by Evelyn Walters


Evelyn Walters' Prudence Heward, Canadian Modernist Painter


Prudence Heward, Canadian Modernist Painter (Friesen Press, 2022) is Evelyn Walters third book on the Beaver Hall artists, this time specifically on the artist Prudence Heward. Here we have a biography of Prudence Heward (born in Montreal; 1896 - 1947), and possibly the most accomplished member of the Beaver Hall group. The book is divided into the periods of Heward's life--beginnings, the twenties, the thirties, her early passing--and she didn't have a long life, she died at age fifty in 1947. Her life was her art, there is no division between the two, so we have many of Heward's paintings in this book.

Walters discusses Heward's life including Heward's personal reflections and these are often drawn from her correspondence with her friend, Isabel McLaughlin (see Note 1 below). We also have a discussion of some of Heward's most important paintings, a list of exhibitions in which her work appeared, where she studied art, her travels, and some information on and memories of her friends and family members. There isn't any gossip in the book, no scandal, Prudence Heward is not that type of person. How did she survive financially? She received a large financial gift from her wealthy and generous uncle, Frank Percy Jones; he freed Prudence and her mother from financial insecurity and set both of them up for the rest of their lives. 

In 1930 Mrs. Heward, Prudence's mother, bought a house at 3467 Peel Street and this became the location of Prudence's studio. At that time this was a prestigious area in which to live, it was a part of the Golden Square Mile where wealthy English-speaking Montrealers lived; so, not far from Prudence's home was the Van Horne mansion, the George Stephen mansion, Baron Shaughnessy's estate that is now the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and the homes of other prominent business men and their families. These entrepreneurs were successful and wealthy, but they were also generous philanthropists; they endowed and supported many charitable and cultural organizations (including St. Mary's Hospital, orphanages, and other progressive institutions; cultural organizations they supported included the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the McCord Museum, the Mechanics Institute now known as the Atwater library, McGill University, and others). (See Note 2 below)

Heward is an example of  an artist who was wholly committed to her art, she spent her life painting and exhibiting her work. This single-mindedness is important for any artist, or poet for that matter, there are many diversions from following one's calling; but she had true grit. This is also the way of her ethnic and social class, they were fairly stoical, continued working despite hardships, and they persevered. Heward's major disadvantage was her bad health, her asthma, that ended her life at age fifty years.

All of Prudence Heward's most famous paintings are included in this book. The magnificent "At the Theatre" (1928), but also the equally powerful "Girl on a Hill" (1928), "Girl Under a Tree" (1931), "Farmer's Daughter" (1938), "Barns in Winter" (1926), and others. Some of her portraits remind me of the portraits Vincent van Gogh painted, this is perhaps a strange association; these portraits are not quite caricatures but aim to emphasize some particular quality Heward saw in her subject.   

This is an important book for both public and university libraries, and for individuals interested in the Beaver Hall artists, and interest in the group is still growing. I am very impressed by Evelyn Walter's text, the scholarship that went into research of the book, the timeline of Heward's exhibitions, the selection of Heward's paintings, and the readability of the book. As well, Friesen Press's high level of quality of book production, the weight of the paper on which the book is printed (there is no bleeding through of images from previous pages), and the excellent reproduction of Heward's paintings; it is not only very impressive but I doubt you could ask for better.  This book is a remarkable work of love for her subject, it would have made Prudence Heward proud.


Stephen Morrissey holding Evelyn Walters' new book 
on the life and art of Prudence Heward


Note 1: The Heward-McLaughlin correspondence, as part of the Isabel McLaughlin Fonds, held in the archives at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, could be a publishing opportunity for someone interested in editing these letters. It would add to our knowledge of Prudence Heward. This is not as far fetched as it might seem; the letters of other much lesser artists and poets have been published.

Note 2: I have always thought a dramatized version of the Beaver Hall artists would be popular on television--the city of Montreal as the setting, the architecture, the social milieu, and the many famous people who lived in the city; similar historical dramas have been popular, including Anne with an E, Murdoch, and Wind at My Back. Will it ever happen? Probably not considering the bias of the CBC for everything Toronto- and GTA-centric

Monday, June 4, 2018

Barbara Whitley, RIP

An article about Barbara Whitley in the Montreal Gazette of 04 June 2018. 

My interest in Miss Whitley is because she knew the Morrisey family; Darrell Morrisey is one of the "lost" Beaver Hall artists. I met Miss Whitley at St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, on Ste. Catherine Street in downtown Montreal, when the memorial to F.R. Scott was unveiled there. By chance I asked her if she knew the Morrisey family (no relation to me) and she had known them; she had known Darrell's brother T.S. Morrisey but not Darrell who died in 1930. 

Here is my essay on Darrell Morrisey:
https://archive.org/details/DARRELLMORRISEYAForgottenBeaverHallArtistByStephenMorrissey


St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, 1890



Life Stories: Barbara Whitley had an eye 
for penmanship and philanthropy

Whitley spent decades as a volunteer with the Montreal General Hospital, one of many places she touched



Barbara Whitley felt that writing was sacred.
With an eye for detail, she adored the graceful and elegant italic penmanship style she grew up learning. Whitley, who died in May at the age of 100, went to school at The Study, a private all-girls school in Westmount, graduating in 1936. Even after her studies, Whitley remained deeply involved in the school as a volunteer.
In a world increasingly reliant on technology, Whitley wanted to preserve the art of penmanship. At one point she approached the school’s headmistress, Katharine Lamont, about rewarding students for outstanding penmanship. Two years later, the Barbara Whitley Handwriting Prize was created.
“She decided to donate this prize to the school one day on a whim, thinking that the art of handwriting was lost,” said Pattie Edwards, director of Alumnae Relations at The Study. “She didn’t think it would become a tradition, but we’ve been carrying on that tradition for a very long time.”
In 1973, Whitley helped create The Study School Foundation to help enhance the education of its students. Decades later, its endowment stands at more than $5 million.
“She was a really amazing, amazing woman,” Edwards said.
Whitley completed her undergraduate studies at McGill University. McGill’s Schulich School of Music held a special place in Whitley’s heart, and in the early 2000s she financially supported the creation of the Gertrude Whitley Performance Library, named in memory of her mother. The library now has more than 5,500 ensemble scores and parts in its collection. It also provides all the music material to the McGill Symphony Orchestra, the University Chorus and the Jazz Orchestra. She also gave frequent gifts to the MUHC and other parts of the school.
In her youth, Whitley was a stage actor and worked with famed humorist Stephen Leacock. She even joined him on his radio broadcasts. Whitley was heavily involved in the Centaur Theatre and Geordie Productions. One of her final stage roles was as a poisonous sister in the production of the thriller Arsenic and Old Lace.
“She was a really great artist,” Edwards said.
For Whitley, giving back to the community was almost instinctual. Her father, Ernest, had experienced eye problems when she was growing up. Later on, she supported causes related to vision and service dogs.
“Eye health was very close to her heart,” Edwards said. “She was just one of those people who just believed that if something needed to be done, she would do it. And she would get it done, and make it beautiful and special.”
Whitley was also known to help individuals, rarely taking credit for the work she did. Eventually, her trophy shelf became filled with honours from the Governor General (Caring Canadian Award in 2004), Queen Elizabeth (Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013) and MUHC (Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016).
“When I sent out the notice for her death, there were a number of people writing back to tell me about how they spent time with Miss Whitley, about how Miss Whitley got her their first job, about how Miss Whitley touched their lives in some way or another,” Edwards said.
Beyond her philanthropy, Whitley was a riveting storyteller. She’d often hold court in her Westmount apartment, telling tales of Montreal’s good old days.
“Stories about the history that we didn’t know existed,” Edwards said. “The community, Montreal, people in fundraising, and everybody’s brother, sister, cousin. She knew everybody. You could listen to her talk all day long.”
A month before she died, Whitley celebrated her 100th birthday. It was a grand occasion, taking place at the Atwater Club, and dozens of relatives from Ontario made the trip to toast Whitley. It would be the last time many of them saw her, but she won’t soon be forgotten.
“Our slogan at the school is, ‘The world needs great women,’ ” Edwards said.
“She really was a formidable woman.”
Barbara Whitley
Born: April 8, 1918
Died: May 18, 2018





Saturday, May 26, 2018

Barbara Whitley, 1918-2018

The Pond at Westmount Park, 1916, Notman photograph



I met Barbara Jane Whitley by chance, it was in October 2011 at the memorial service for F.R. Scott at St. James the Apostle Anglican Church in downtown Montreal. I was researching one of the "lost" Beaver Hall artists, Darrell Morrisey (no relation), and although Miss Whitley never met Darrell she had been a friend of other members of Darrell's family. Now Barbara Whitley is gone and gone as well are her memories of Stephen Leacock and other writers and artists of a long passed era. Barba
ra Whitley was two years younger than my mother, and it was my mother who told me that a Colonel Morrisey had phoned her in 1940 asking if we were related to their family and also looking for family history information. None of the dots were connected until Evelyn Walters contacted me in 2010 regarding Darrell, who I had never heard of, but I realized that Colonel Morrisey was the older brother of Darrell. Sounds complicated but it really isn't. A lot of coincidences came together; it was a celebration of art, history, and synchronicity! The essay, "Darrell Morrisey, A forgotten Beaver Hall artist", is online at archive dot org. 

Updated on 31 August 2022: It was October 2011 when I was at St. James the Apostle Anglican Church for the F.R. Scott event; not sure if I had seen T.S. Morrisey's name on a plaque at the church at this point, which is when I met, by chance, Barbara Whitley; just on a hunch I asked her if she knew T.S. Morrisey who was also, at one time, a parishioner at this church and she replied that she had known him. I asked her about his younger sister, Darrell, but she didn't remember ever meeting her. She suggested going to Knolton to find, if possible, the lost painting by Darrell; Miss Whitley's attitude re. Darrell was pragmatic, if her paintings were all "lost" then maybe she wasn't that good an artist. 



Here is the obituary as published in the Montreal Gazette:



BARBARA JANE WHITLEY

1918-2018


Following a life of extraordinary involvement, generosity and devotion to her family and community, Barbara Jane Whitley quietly passed away at home on Friday, May 18th, in her 101st year.

Barbara, the only child of Ernest Whitley and Gertrude McGill, was a lifelong Montrealer. She attended The Study and went on to earn a degree at McGill University. Here she attracted the attention of famed humourist Stephen Leacock, who invited her to join him on his popular radio broadcasts. This experience ignited her lifelong love for theatre and her talent as a thespian. This passion carried on though her decades-long involvement with the Centaur Theatre and with Geordie Productions. Who could forget one of her final roles, as one of the poisonous sisters in ?Arsenic and Old Lace?? All who were fortunate enough to have known Barbara will also remember her as a captivating story teller and great orator.

Barbara's enduring legacy is her steadfast support of numerous Montreal institutions, both as a volunteer and as a philanthropist. Her community involvement began in the Second World War, when she served with the Canadian Red Cross. She then took on leadership roles within the Women?s Canadian Club and the Junior League.

As a philanthropist, Barbara supported numerous causes, including St. James the Apostle Church and McGill University. In honor of her father, she established the Whitearn Foundation, which supports research of diseases of the eye. She was a devoted ?old girl? and loyal supporter of The Study, co-establishing the school?s Foundation in 1973. 

Barbara's most notable contribution was her 70 plus years of service to the Montreal General Hospital, where she served as president of the Auxiliary and was the first woman ever to serve on the hospital's executive committee. In recognition of her incredible service, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the MUHC in 2016. 

Barbara never sought recognition for her generosity. However, her long list of honors and awards cannot be overlooked. Most notably, in 1992 she received an honorary doctorate from McGill University, in 2004 the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award, and in 2013 the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her outstanding contribution to the community.

Barbara left a lasting impression on all who came to know her. She will be deeply missed by her adoring family and friends, many of whom gathered to celebrate her 100th birthday on April 8. Her family extends a special thank you to Dr. David Mulder, for his care and friendship.

"The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward." (Carol Ryrie Brink)

Funeral services will be held at Mount Royal Cemetery Complex (1297 Chemin de la Foret) entrance only possible through the Outremont Gate due to closing of Camillien-Houde) on Saturday June 9th at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Barbara Whitley to the Montreal General Hospital Foundation. Donate online: http://www.mghfoundation.com/en/donate-now/give-in-honour, call (514) 934-8230 or mail your donation to the MGH Foundation, 1650 Cedar Avenue, E6-129, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4.


Barbara Whitley

Published in the Montereal Gazette:.http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/montrealgazette/obituary.aspx?n=barbara-jane-whitley&pid=189093990