George Theodore Berthon

George Theodore Berthon (1806-1892) originally from Vienna, was a portraitist who created many works on commission from the Government of Ontario to commemorate the major figures in the history of the province. He did portraits of Brock, Prevost and Drummond based on photographs of portraits done during the subject's lifetime in the possession of their families or galleries.

John Boyd

John Boyd (1865-1941) was an amateur photographer and railway employee in Toronto and Sarnia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A naturalist, Boyd also had an interest in historical sites in the province and provides many early views of monuments and landmarks connected with the War of 1812.

Captain Thomas Burrowes

Captain Thomas Burrowes was born in Worcester, England, and came to Kingston, Upper Canada, in 1818, with the Royal Sappers and Miners. He assisted in the Rideau Canal's construction and maintenance, 1826-1846, and documented these activities in numerous watercolour paintings.

Roy Greenaway, O.I.P.

Roy Greenaway (1891-1972) was a prolific painter although he received no formal art training. Born in Toronto in 1891, Greenaway attended the University of Toronto graduating with a degree in English and History in 1918. Shortly after graduating he joined The Star as a reporter, a position he held for 48 years, including 20 years in the Legislative Press Gallery at Queen’s Park.

M. O. Hammond

M. O. Hammond (1876-1934) was an amateur photographer who took many images of southern Ontario and Quebec between the 1890s and the 1930s. His works are a valuable documentary source on the appearance of battlefields and monuments before they became part of well groomed parks. The images of the ruins of Fort Erie and the Battle of Crysler's Farm Memorial are fine examples of this.

Charles William Jefferys

Charles William Jefferys was a noted artist and illustrator with strong interest in Canadian historical themes. His works held by the Government of Ontario Art Collection include the meeting of General Brock and Tecumseh, the death of Brock at Queenston Heights, the journey of Laura Secord to warn Fitzgibbon, the Battle of Lundy's Lane and an image of Fort York during the War of 1812.

Although his work showed a romanticized view of the events, they were instrumental in developing a generation's image of the war. In his diary M. O. Hammond commented that he met with C. W. Jefferys and "went over my monument list and some photos & he made valuable comments on many. He is a perfect encyclopedia of Can. Information". M. O. Hammond fonds F 1075, diary July 23rd, 1923.

Elizabeth Simcoe

Elizabeth Simcoe, the wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, was an accomplished artist. As she travelled throughout Upper and Lower Canada, between 1791 and 1796, she produced a large number of sketches and watercolours depicting Canadian scenes. She was also an avid diarist and documented many of her experiences.

For more information about Simcoe, visit our online exhibit, Travels with Elizabeth Simcoe, or consult the Simcoe family fonds (F 47).

To learn more about Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, click here.

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