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Thoreau MacDonald collection
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Thoreau MacDonald collection

  • LA.SC104
  • Collection
  • 1933-1979

Collection consists chiefly of illustrative works by Canadian graphic artist Thoreau MacDonald, including a portfolio of drawings for an unpublished illustrated edition of Henry David Thoreau’s study Walden and a volume of layouts for the novel Maria Chapdelaine by French author Louis Hémon. Collection also includes some correspondence.

Macdonald, Thoreau

Some designs for H.D. Thoreau’s Walden

Series comprises a portfolio of ink drawings made in Toronto in 1933 for Thoreau MacDonald’s planned illustrated edition of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (originally published: Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854), and a volume (booklet) of pencil sketches of the layouts of the book. A note pasted inside the front cover of the portfolio, written by MacDonald, indicates the scope of the project, which was to have
included some 60 designs for the book.

Macdonald, Thoreau

Some designs for H.D. Thoreau's Walden

File contains a portfolio enclosing drawings (matted) for illustrations in MacDonald's projected edition of Walden, including 20 drawings of historiated or inhabited initials containing birds, fish and plants of the area around Concord, Mass., and 10 scenes designated for particular chapters of the book such as Sounds, Visitors, Brute neighbours and House warming.

Walden, or, Life in the Woods

File contains a booklet (3 sheets of paper folded in quarto and bound in a wrapper with string) of layouts for the illustrated edition of Walden, comprising pencil sketches (5) for the frontispiece, title page, chapter openings and page openings. The title page of the booklet of layouts reads "Walden, or, Life in the woods by Henry D. Thoreau, with drawings by Thoreau MacDonald, Limited Editions Club, New York, MCMXXXIII".

Page layouts for Maria Chapdelaine

Series comprises a volume (booklet) of page layouts made in Toronto in 1937 by Thoreau MacDonald for his illustrated edition of an English translation of Louis Hémon’s Maria Chapdelaine: récit du Canada français (Paris : Bernard Grasset, 1921). On p. [2] of the booklet is a note written by MacDonald describing his concept for the illustrations and the planned number of drawings.

Macdonald, Thoreau

Page layouts for "Maria Chapdelaine"

Item is a booklet (8 sheets of graph paper folded in folio and bound with string) of layouts for the 1937 edition of Maria Chapdelaine, comprising pencil sketches (4) for the title page vignette, chapter endings and page openings.

Thoreau MacDonald note on Maria Chapdelaine

File contains a short note handwritten by Thoreau MacDonald describing the origin of his illustrated edition of Maria Chapdelaine, with a transcription (1973) of the note and photocopies of illustrated pages from the 1938 edition and the 1965 edition.

Correspondence

Series comprises correspondence from Thoreau MacDonald to curator Nancy Robertson Dillow, to other staff at the Art Gallery of Ontario and to collector Thomas Roche Lee; with designs from Christmas cards.

Macdonald, Thoreau

Miscellaneous correspondence

File contains letters from Thoreau MacDonald in Thornhill, Ont. to Joan Murray (1970) and Sybille. Pantazzi (1974) of the Art Gallery of Ontario and to Thomas Roche Lee; Christmas cards designed by MacDonald and a card to T.R. Lee illustrated by MacDonald; with an undated invitation to an exhibition of works by Thoreau MacDonald at the Old Post Office, Grafton, Ont., illustrated with a numbered woodcut engraving.