EARLY PAINTINGS OF CANADA

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25554, 23 July 1948, Page 9

EARLY PAINTINGS OF CANADA

WORKS OWNED BY NELSON WOMAN "The Press" Special Service NELSON, July 21. When the Canadian High Commissioner (Mr A. Rive) was in Nelson to open an exhibition of Canadian art at the Suter Art Gallery he was astonished to be told that a Nelson woman owned five originals by Cornelius Krieghoff, a pioneer painter of French Canadian scenes. Mr Rive took photographs of the paintings and has advised the art authorities in Canada of the New Zealand specimens in order that their location might be known and particulars listed in catalogues. The paintings are owned by Mrs J. M. Lorimer, Stoke, whose grandfather bought them in Canada almost 100 years ago. They form a series depicting Indians hunting from canoes on lakes. The largest canvas measures 19 inches by 14 inches, the others being slightly smaller. Mrs Lorimer’s grandfather was Mr Alexander McKenzie Ross, a British engineer, who played a big part in building the first railway across the Rocky Mountains. His partner was the great constructional engineer Robert tephenson, whose father was the even more famous George Stephenson, builder of the first passenger locomotive. Mr Ross bought the set of paintings some time in the 1850’s when he was operating from Montreal. They passed into the hands of his daughter, Mrs R. Waite, who gave them to Mrs Lorimer about 16 years ago. Mrs Waite, who is 92 years of age, lives at Stoke with her daughter. Mrs Lorimer said to-day that Mr Rive had told her that the director of the Ottawa Art Gallery would probably be anxious to buy the paintings. She had no desire to sell them, but if the Canadian authorities really wanted the paintings they should have them.