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Born in Reutlingen, Wurtenburg. Germany in 1881 came to Canada in 1888 with his family. His training took place in Germany first and then continued at Central Technical School. It was not until 1922 that he was appointed director for the Ontario College of Art. It is here he worked the rest of his life carefully instructing his students in the craft of sculpting and art.
On top of all this demand he was still able to compete for works being granted by competitions. One such work was the Memorial to Sir Adam Beck the man responsible for the Niagara Hydro. This was one of the first works I ever saw of his as it stands on University Avenue in Toronto.
The War memorial for Cornwall of a standing soldier was done by Hahn as is the one in Brockville Ontario. I must mention the War memorial in Meaford Ontario. Malvern Collegiate had one made of stone.He did work for the Thompson Monument company also of Toronto. Two works that are in the Mount pleasant Cemetery are not mentioned in his exhibition catalogue. The "S.S. Ireland Disaster" the empress of Ireland. and the memorial to the "Cutten Sisters" had been left out. These two figures were always a spot I visited when I snuck in by the ravine when I was young. They both are at either end of a long bench as if waiting for that someone to come along and sit and talk.
nother work left out is the "Sir A. Doughty Memorial" for the Public Archives Of Canada on Wellington Street in Ottawa. This seated figure, the founder of the Archives was supposed to been done by R. Tait MacKenzie but for some reason or another was left to the second and third choice. Emile Brunet told me the story.
A bust of Eugene O'Keefe at the Semenery in Scarborough Ontario was a find I will not forget. They let me take the bust outside in the sunlight to capture the details. Other busts bought by the National Gallery are of Steffanson the explorer Jack Miner the naturalist and bas reliefs of Dr. F. Banting. His Indian "Thundercloud" in the National Gallery is a standard work and used to gain his acceptance in the R.C.A.
The coinage and stamp designs brought him fame as well and we still see The blue Nose on our ten cent pieces in Canada. There is "Crucifix" in a church in Bracebridge which I like very much.
For the Bank of Montreal at King and Bay streets he did North West territories and Arctic (now torn down) and in safe keeping in a memorial gardens.
His Ned Hanlan the famous sculler stands out in the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition, a figure done in bronze.
The Canada Goose has got to be the most convincing one I have ever seen. This was inspired after going to the sanctuary for Jack Miner conservation area.
The medals he did are fine bas relief's but are only a few of what could have been stuck. To commemorate famous achievers in our country.
He also competed for commissions that other sculptors won over him. Much time was spent in the making of models that never got off the ground. The Marylyn Bell swimming memorial for one and the Lord Selkirk out west or the War memorial won by the march family that now stands in Ottawa with full gun carriage and all.
There is a clever interweaving of our history going on whether you caught the idea by now but it is there for you to use. Enjoy this man and his works.
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