Carrie L. Vassallo Department of Visual Arts
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THE EARLY YEARS OF ART HISTORY IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CANADA: MCMASTER, TORONTO AND QUEEN'S UNIVERSITIES, CA. 1930-1945 by Carrie L. Vassallo Department of Visual Arts Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Faculty of Graduate Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario July, 2001 ©Carrie L. Vassallo 2001 THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION Chief Advisor Examining Board Advisory Committee The thesis by Carrie L. Vassallo entitled: The Early Years of Art History in English-Speaking Canada: McMaster, Toronto and Queen' s Universities, ca. 1930-1945 is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Date ------- Chair of Examining Board II Abstract The history of art history as an academic discipline in Canada is a subject which has been accorded limited scholarly attention to date. This thesis explores the founding years of art history in English-speaking Canada by analyzing the ways in which the discipline was established at McMaster, Toronto and Queen's Universities during the 1930s- a major undertaking given the serious economic turmoil of the Depression years. Chapter One reviews art history's history as an academic discipline in German speaking Europe, the United States and Britain, for Canada's first professional art historians were largely educated in those countries. Furthermore, an examination of the various art-related educational bodies, cultural institutions and government initiatives which had developed in Canada prior to the 1930s, foregrounds the intellectual and historical milieu which prevailed when art history was introduced at universities in English-speaking Canada. This discussion also offers insight into the various research resources and pedagogical opportunities available to professors and students of art history at the time. Chapter Two examines the integral role played by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a major American philanthropic organization, in the institutionalization of art history in Canada. This organization provided funding and teaching resources, and facilitated the importation of trained art historians to staff the newly-founded art departments at McMaster, Toronto and Queen's, among other Canadian institutions in the 1930s. The Carnegie Corporation also promoted a vision which strongly encouraged university extension work in the arts. Art education was viewed by the Carnegie Corporation as central to the cultural well-being and growth of a progressive, democratic iii society - a mission statement that was seemingly transferable to the young nation of Canada. A comparative study of the early years of art history at McMaster, Toronto and Queen's illustrates how the Carnegie Corporation set out to further its goals and the diverse ways in which these goals were interpreted in a Canadian context. The diversity which typified the early years of art history at these institutions was conditioned by a variety of factors which included pre-existing regional art institutions and educational structures and, most importantly, the personalities and interests of the scholars who formed Canada' s first generation of professional art historians. Chapter Three focuses exclusively on the foundational decade of art history at McMaster University (1933-1943), the first institution in English-speaking Canada to formally establish an academic program in the history of art. This chapter explores the pluralistic nature of the early years of art history at McMaster by critically analyzing the funding and scholarly resources donated to the university by the Carnegie Corporation and the academic and community-oriented activities of the art historians who were imported to staffthe university's newly-founded Department of Fine Arts until its cancellation in 1943, owing to wartime conditions. The legacy of McMaster' s Department of Fine Arts during its foundational decade, with regard to the furthering of the study of art history in Canada and abroad, is also considered, particularly the success of its students who graduated from this period. Ultimately this investigation of the foundational decade of art history at McMaster serves a dual purpose which aims to both emphasize the university's often neglected role as a pioneering institution for the study of art history in English-speaking Canada, and to suggest the broader implications of the pluralism which characterized the early years of art history in Canada as a whole. IV Dedication To Joe: For his patience. v Acknowledgements This thesis would never have been possible had it not been for the contributions of several individuals to whom I wish to express my sincere gratitude: Kathryn Brush for her outstanding guidance as thesis advisor and for her generous support throughout my academic career at The University of.Westem Ontario Roger Clark for his insight as second reader and for opening my eyes to the various opportunities which exist in art education John Hatch for his encouragement and friendship as mentor Kenneth Morgan and Mark Steinacher at the Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster University, Harold Averill, Loryl MacDonald and David Tortell at the University of Toronto Archives, and Paul Banfield at Queen's University Archives for their assistance and for responding to my numerous requests and queries Kim Ness and Gerrie Loveys at the McMaster Museum of Art for their interest in my project and for giving me access to their incredible resources Joe Grossi and the staff at Grossi Physiotherapy for the unlimited use of their fax machine, photocopier and printer My parents, Arlene and Gary Vassallo, for believing in my ability VI Table of Contents Page Certificate of Examination n Abstract m Dedication v Acknowledgements v1 Table of Contents vn List of Figures 1x List of Appendices x1 1 The Pluralistic Origins of Art History in Canada 1 Precedents for the Study of Art History in Canada 2 German-Speaking Europe 2 Britain 5 United States 10 The Study of Art and Archaeology in Canada Before 1930 16 Canadian Archaeology and the Royal Ontario Museum 16 A National Gallery for Canada 20 Early Artists' Associations and Art Education in Canada 24 The Canadian Government and Cultural Priorities 27 Questions Surrounding the Early Years of Art History in Canada 29 2 Fostering the Study of Art History in Canada in the 1930s 31 The Early Years of "Fine Arts" at McMaster University 3 7 The Early Years of"Fine Art" at the University of Toronto 45 The Early Years of"Art" at Queen's University 53 The Early Years of Art History at McMaster, Toronto and 61 Queen's Universities in Comparative Perspective 3 A Case Study of the Early Years of Art History at McMaster University 65 "Fine Arts" and "The New McMaster" 65 An Examination of the Carnegie Arts Teaching Set 67 Balancing Academic and Extension Work in Art History/Appreciation 71 The Cancellation of McMaster's Department of Fine Arts 80 The Revival of McMaster's Department of Fine Arts 83 The Legacy ofthe Early Years of McMaster's Department ofFine Arts 86 Observations on the Introduction of Art History in Canada 90 Figures 92 Appendices 102 Bibliography 170 vii Vita 183 viii List of Figures Full citations for the texts/documents referenced below can be found in the bibliography. Figures Page 1 Lester D. Longman. Marmor. By McMaster University. 92 Hamilton: Board of Publications, McMaster University, 1935. Photo by Cunningham's. 2 Naomi C. A. Jackson. Semi-processed McMaster University 93 Photograph Collection. McMaster News Photographs. No. 872. 3 Edward John Gregory Alford. "People Who Do Things." 94 Saturday Night. 15 December 1934. Photo by Bernard Glemser. 4 Peter H. Brieger. "Departmental Profile: Peter H. Brieger." 95 Newsletter: Department of Fine Art, University of Toronto. Fall 1987. Pg. 3. 5 Conference of Canadian Artists Photographs. No. 20. Standing 96 (L-R) unidentified, John Alford, Randolph Hewton, Arthur Lismer. Seated (L-R) Robert Ayre, Walter Abell. Photo by Hazen Sise. 6 Conference of Canadian Artists Photographs. No. 15. Standing 97 Andre Bieler. Seated (L-R) Harry Orr McCurry, unknown, Thomas Hart Benton, Elizabeth Harrison, Edward Rowan, unknown. Photo by Hazen Sise. 7 Claude Gellee (1600-82). Pastoral. 1662. Etching. 16 x 22 em. 98 McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton. The Art Collection of McMaster University. By Kim Ness. Hamilton: McMaster University Press, 1987. 92. 8 Jean Fran9ois Millet (1814-75). The Gleaners. Etching. 99 18.9 x 25.4 em. McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton. The Art Collection of McMaster University. 101. 9 Herman Van Swanevelt (1600-55). The Salutation. Etching. 100 18.3 x 27.7 em. McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton. The Art Collection of McMaster University. 158. ix 10 James Abbot McNeill Whistler (1834-1903). Fumette. 1858. 101 Etching.16.2 x 10.8 em. McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton. The Art Collection of McMaster University. 285. X List of Appendices Full citations for the texts/documents referenced below can be found in the bibliography. Appendix Page 1 Copyright Release. Canadian Baptist Archives, McMaster 102 University. 2 Copyright Release. Queen's University Archives. 103 3 Copyright Release. University of Toronto Archives. 104 4 Longman, Lester D. Letter to Charles M. Johnston. 27 July 105 1977. 5 University of Toronto. "Art and Archaeology." Faculty of 109 Arts Calendar 1933-34. 6 "Memorandum on Continuance of Fine Arts Department for 110 Discussion April 13, 1942." 7 "Carnegie Report, June 1933, Hamilton Programme." 112 8 McMaster University. "Fine Arts." Faculty of Arts Calendar 118 1934-35. 9 McMaster University. "Fine Arts." Faculty of Arts Calendar 119 1936-37. 10 "Report of Progress in Fine Arts and Music at McMaster 120 University, 1934-35." 11 "McMaster Art Lectures, Carnegie Public Lecture Series for 125 1935-36." 12 McMaster University. "Fine Arts." Faculty of Arts Calendar 126 1938-39. 13 "McMaster Art Lectures, Carnegie Public Lecture Series for 127 1936-7." 14 McMaster University.