Fonds - Frederick S. Challener collection

Identity area

Reference code

Title

Frederick S. Challener collection

Date(s)

  • [ca. 1927]-1955 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

43 cm of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

(1869 - 1959)

Biographical history

Frederick Sproston Challener, painter, was born in Whetstone, England in 1869 and came to Canada in 1870. He studied at the Ontario School of Art, was first exhibited in 1900 at the Royal Canadian Academy and subsequently worked as a newspaper artist. After a tour of Europe and the Middle East in 1898-99, he began working as a muralist and participated in the decoration of the recently completed Toronto City Hall. At the end of the First World War, Challener worked as a painter for the Canadian War Records Department. He made his career chiefly by creating murals for passenger boats, restaurants, hotels—such as Fort Rouillé in the King Edward Hotel,Toronto—office buildings and theatres, including the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. He also produced easel paintings, watercolours and drawings in a realistic, romantic style. From 1927-1952 he taught at the Ontario College of Art, during which period he made notes and assembled material on Canadian artists. He died in Toronto in 1959. Challener was a member of numerous arts organizations including the Toronto Art Students’ League, Ontario Society of Artists, Royal Canadian Academy, Society of Mural Decorators of Toronto and the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto (founding member, 1908). His work is in the National Gallery of Canada, the Civic Art Gallery, Winnipeg, the Art Gallery of Ontario and numerous public buildings.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The material now constituting the Frederick S. Challener collection was purchased from Thomas Roche Lee in 1959.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The collection consists of newspaper articles, reproductions, illustrations, exhibition notices and invitations, death notices, photographs and biographical notes on 112 Canadian artists (birthdates 1803 to 1915) and four arts organizations: Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, Ontario Society of Artists, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and Toronto Art Students’ League.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Conditions governing reproduction

Researchers should note that copyright of most material in the Frederick S. Challener collection remains with Challener’s estate. Copyright belonging to other parties, such as that of photographs, may still rest with the creator of these items. It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain permission for the reproduction of any part of the collection.

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      An inventory is available for this collection.

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Related material can be found in the T.R. Lee collection.

      Related descriptions

      Notes area

      Note

      Previously known as the Frederick S. Challener notes.

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Access points

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Name access points

      Genre access points

      Description control area

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Accession area