Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1870-1957 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
15 cm of textual records and other material
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Thomas Roche ("Tommy") Lee was an ephemera collector and amateur art historian who lived at least part of his life in Baie d'Urfé, Quebec. He was the author of Albert H. Robinson, the painter's painter (Montreal, Canada : T.R. Lee, 1956), and produced an edition of Daniel Fowler's autobiography. He also made studies of Quebec church architecture. Lee corresponded for many years with Sybille Pantazzi, Librarian of the Art Gallery of Ontario, with whom he exchanged rare Canadian exhibition catalogues, ephemera, and manuscript material. He died in Toronto in 1977.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The collection was acquired by purchase in several installments, ca. 1958-1961, from Thomas Roche Lee.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The collection consists of Lee’s files on a number of Canadian visual artists, art associations and related individuals. File contents vary but typically contain material such as correspondence, essays, photographs, sketches, watercolour paintings, press clippings and printed ephemera. File titles are as follows: Arts and Letters Club; Brooker, Bertram R. (1888-1955); Challener, F.S. (1869-1959); Colgate, William (1882-1971); Delfosse, Georges (1869-1954); Dyonnet, Edmond (1859-1954); Forbes, Kenneth (1894-1980); Fowler, Daniel (1810-1894); Fraser, John A. (1838-1898); Girard, Rodolph; Grier, E. Wyly (1862-1957); Howard, A.H. (1854-1916); Huntley, Walter E. (1887-1931); Jackson, A. Y. (1882-1974); Jacobi, Otto R. (1812-1901); Jefferys, Charles W. (1869-1951); Johnston, R.E. (1885-1933); Kane, Paul (1810-1871); Kelly, John D. (1862-1958); Laberge, Albert; Lismer, Arthur (1885-1969); MacDonald, Grant (1909-1987); Millard, Charles S. (1837-1917); Ontario Society of Artists; Ottawa; National Gallery of Canada; Peel, Paul (1860-1892); Reid, George Agnew (1860-1947); Rolph, G.G. (Rolph, Clark and Stone Ltd.); Royal Canadian Academy of Arts; Rozaire, Arthur D. (1879-1922); Russell, Gilborne; Signatures of Artists; Spooner, James; Thomson, Tom (1877-1917); Toronto. National Portrait Gallery; Wickenden, Robert (1861-1931). Arranged alphabetically according to subject by T.R. Lee.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
Various copyright holders. It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain permission to publish any part of the collection.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The Frederick S. Challener collection, also in this repository, was acquired from Thomas Roche Lee.
Notes area
Note
Previously known as the T.R. Lee collection.