Artists at Work
What was life like as an artist living in Toronto in the first decades of the twentieth-century?
Neither Tom Thomson nor any of his friends could afford to live solely on the income they made as ‘creative artists’. Many of them worked in commercial design firms, and spent their spare time making art. Part of the small population of artists in the growing city of Toronto, these men often shared ideas, influences, and experiences. The documents reproduced here will help you to gain a sense of their activities and interests.
Diaries, Journals or Reminiscences
- Leonard Rossell, Reminiscences of Grip, members of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson
- Mark Robinson, Daily journal, May 18, 1912
Letters
- Tom Thomson, Letter to Dr. M. J. McRuer, October 17, 1912
- Dr. J. M. McRuer, Letter to Tom Thomson, November 1, 1912
- A. Y. Jackson, Letter to Lawren Harris, A Canadian Art Movement: The Story of the Group of Seven, March 26, 1913
- Alex Jackson, Letter to Dr. James MacCallum, 1914
- Tom Thomson, Letter to Fred, July 8, 1914
- Tom Thomson, Letter to Dr. James MacCallum, October 6, 1914
- Tom Thomson, Letter to J. E. H. Macdonald, July 22, 1915
- Arthur Lismer, Letter to Tom Thomson, January 31, 1916
- Christine Bertram, Letter to Tom Thomson, August 3, 1916
- Tom Thomson, Letter to Dr. James MacCallum, October 4, 1916
- J.E.H. MacDonald, Letter to T. J. Harkness, January 24, 1920
Miscellaneous
Newspaper or Magazine Articles