Open Collections

[Bookplate for George H. Fensom by Thoreau MacDonald]

[between 1930 and 1940?]

1 bookplate : offset ; 9.5 x 6.6 cm

Canada

Prints

image/jpeg

While there is no artist's signature, McGill University's Phillippe Masson Ex Libris Collection contains an exact copy, which they identify as being created by Thoreau MacDonald (1901-1989). Son of the well known Canadian artist, J. E. H. Macdonald, Thoreau MacDonald was color-blind, and thus most of his works are in black in white. Additionally, both his fondness for landscapes and his trademark use of parallel lines in the sky are evident in the bookplate. The bookplate owner, George H. Fensom, was likely a wealthy Toronto based businessman. He was president and manager of Fensom Elevator Company, which in 1905 merged with the American elevator company Otis Elevator to form Otis-Fensom Elevator Company, Limited. In 1921 he was elected director of the company board.
References:
1) The Canada Newspaper Cartoonists' Association. (1905). Torontonian as we see 'em. Retreived February 9, 2010 from http://www.archive.org/details/torontoniansaswe00canauoft
2) Carrajat, Patrick A. (2006). The History of the Elevator in America 1850-2001. Published Online. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from http://www.elevatorpreservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/historyofelevatorindustry1850-2001-wq.pdf.
3) Murray, Joan. MacDonald, Thoreau. The Canadian Encyclopedia. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004870
4) Thoreau MacDonald. (2009, December 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:15, March 11, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thoreau_MacDonald&oldid=333658640

RBSC Bookplates

2010

Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Rare Books and Special Collections: http://rbsc.library.ubc.ca

CONTENTdm