George hill

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From there it was one wonderful experience for us both. Even my first visit turned out to be a deep relationship for all. It was funny that she was in the process of making her family tree with all the information at our fingertips. Works in sculpting were no exception as one by one we uncovered the models that had been in her home for many years.

We both agreed that a few of the personal ones should get cast in bronze so they could be realized and made permanent. I have the letters of this agreement between us and I treasure it all these years.

Up to this point in my research all I knew about G.W. Hill were the memorials that are in public display. Since he lived and worked in Montreal most of his Canadian career it would have been difficult to gather what I have today.

The sir George Etienne Cartier Memorial in Montreal is a huge monument with figures surrounding the base and an angel on top of a pylon. She had the entire story about this work that got slowed down by the First World War. Most of the figures had to be buried all during the war so they would not be melted down for army use. It has been noted that only the foundry owner knew about the place where they were hidden. It was thought that the wife was threatened if she would not tell them where the works were hidden.

As a present to the committee members’ 12 small busts were cast and given to them. I have been able to locate the whereabouts of most of them. I was fortunate enough to buy one for very little at a sale in Toronto.

The seller said that he thought it must be a Canadian who did the work and he was so right. I learned that the wax model for the “Angel” had the names of his children signed on the wings. It is a very impressive memorial.

The War memorial at Harbor Collegiate of a Soldier was the first work I had ever seems done by Hill. This was long before I ever thought I was going to write about his life.

At the end of this short dissertation I will list the memorials he is credited in doing in Canada. But for now I will get on with the rest of my story.

Elzéar Soucy who lived until her was 91 had worked for Hill in the decoration of the Windsor hotel in Montreal. Other large mansions had work done by these two artists and perhaps a few unknowns as well.

Not too long ago a student from Montreal wanted to do an in-depth study of the Lord Strathcona Memorial that stands in Confederation Square in downtown Montreal.

I supplied as much as I knew and he took it a little further and got a copy sent to me.

The only thing that got mentioned while talking to Eleanor was the horse he used for the model was a circus horse. Each year if he was in France he would go and visit the animal.

It is one of the few equestrian monuments in all of Canada.

New to my search was the fact that George’s father was in the marble business a fact unknown all this time. I have no way to search this fact and must accept it as it is.

Since there were no foundries in Canada it must of taken a lifetime to get his work cast. I have no record of the transactions and cost of the works. Perhaps someone will add the material and do a good biography once and for all.

P. Hebert underwent the same casting problems, as did Alfred Laliberte and other artists. The Roman Bronze Company of Flushing New York did a lot of work for some of my other sculptors. During the period after the First World War the Ellis Rogers Company on Lansdowne Avenue set up a small foundry in Toronto. They were famous for their silverware making.

So here I can say I gained the experiences over the years of getting to know about the life and work of another Canadian Artist. I am sorry it is so little at this time but they all went through the same granting of commissions and the infighting relative to this profession. You have to remember there was NO memorial of any kind in public or in the cemeteries too. This has sent me running around in circles trying to gather what I can. Many times the signature is not on the work making it harder to identify.

I hope that this man can help you find what is out there and the amount of work he did during his life.  I am making it easy for you for I have gone ahead and led the way.

I want to thank Eleanor and family with allowing me to use the information that will bring to light the unknown artistry of one more Canadian Artist.

Mrs. Venning went off to Africa in search of the Gorillas in the jungle and came home with photos taken by someone else the forest was so dark. An interesting person to know and share her life with me.

 

WORKS BY GEORGE W. HILL

 

War Memorial             Harbor Collegiate       1930

 

War Memorial             Sherbrooke, P.Q.       1927 Nov.7

 

War Memorial             Pictou N.S.                 1923

 

George Brown Memorial Parliament Ottawa 1913 March

 

War Memorial             Westmount, P.Q.       1920, Nov.

 

War Memorial,           LaSalle            1923

 

War Memorial             Richmond, P.Q.         1924, Nov. 10

 

War Memorial             Morrisburg, Ontario    1923

 

Sir G.E. Cartier Memorial Montreal, P.Q.     1912-19

 

War Memorial             Prince Edward Island            1925

 

War Memorial             Montreal West                      1921

 

Boer War Memorial     Dominion Square, Mtl. 1907

 

War Memorial, Lachute P.Q.

 

War Memorial, Magog, P.Q.

 

War Memorial, London Ontario, Victoria Park

 

Dr. Cushing, Children’s Hospital, Mtl.

 

Harold Fisher Memorial         Ottawa            1931

 

Sir G.E. Cartier, bust             1912 (12) edition

 

Child on Horse, bookend br.

 

Child with Lion. Bookend br.

 

3 children, bookend br.

 

Robert Burns’ statuette, private collection

 

Lion (after Bartoldi)                          1897

 

Sir J.A. Macdonald medal                 1898

 

Nurses Memorial, Ottawa Parliament Bldgs. Marble  1926

 

Four Seasons Fountain, Sherbrooke P.Q.

 

Dr. Mackenzie Forbes, bust              1929

 

Mr. G.T. Hill, bas-relief plaster

 

Mrs. G.T. Hill, bas-relief plaster

 

Dou port relief

 

Berthaume Mem. Cote de Neige, Mtl.

 

D’Arcy McGee Memorial, Parliament Bldgs. Ottawa

 

Mr. Shaw, Julian Academy 1891

 

Miss T. 1897

 

Master Bruce Redford 1901

 

Master Fred Ulley bronze 1908

 

James Hamilton Graham, L.L.D. br.

 

William Brymner C.M.G., R.C.A. br 1918

 

Edmond Dyonnet 1932

 

Sketch, Champlain 1896

 

Bas relief sir W. Laurier 1898

 

The Age of electricity 1910

 

Motherhood battle of Long Sault

There is a chain that links artist together and this link is no exception. If I had not gone to Montreal for the funeral of Elzear Soucy in 1970 I never would have known about George W. Hill.  It was after conversation with the Soucy family that I got the phone number of Eleanor Venning the daughter of George W. Hill.

George William Hill 1862 - 1934