“One of the features of the King Edward Hotel which has never failed to attract the interest and admiration of the many thousands of visitors who have entered the majestic rotunda of the beautiful edifice is the mural decorations which grace its walls.” So starts the ‘Mural Art’ section from the 1906 King Edward Hotel Guests’ book on page 53. (Short link to this page: wholemap.com/MuralsOfKingEddy )
Some background on the King Eddy – from our historical photos page https://wholemap.com/KingEdwardHotel
Toronto’s King Edward Hotel (or the King Eddy) is a historic luxury hotel at 37 King Street East. It opened in 1903 and expanded with an 18 storey tower in 1922. It was conceived of by the Gooderham family to “stem the tide of development that was moving towards the newly opened City Hall at Bay and Queen Streets.”
Famous guests have included Mark Twain, Rudolph Valentino, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Margaret Thatcher, The Beatles, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Britney Spears, and Ernest Hemingway. Richard Burton proposed to Liz Taylor in the Sovereign Ballroom there in 1964.
Sadly none of the murals described here are visible at the hotel today – not sure if they are destroyed, or covered over by wood panels installed in the hotel in the early 1980’s.
The article mentions two artists:
- Mr. Dodge of New York – the artist William de Leftwich Dodge (March 8, 1867 – March 25, 1935)
- Mr. Challener of Toronto – the artist Frederick Sproston Challener RCA (1869–1959)
Terminology: The original 1910 text uses terms I am not comfortable repeating here. I have decided to update the text to use modern terms, enclosed in square brackets. I understand it is important to remind people of the racism at the time, and not to ignore the challenges Indigenous Peoples have faced for generations, but I will leave the scan of the original text to remind people of those outdated views.
Mural Art (pg 53)
NE of the features of the King Edward Hotel which has never failed to attract the interest and admiration of the many thousands of visitors who have entered the majestic rotunda of the beautiful edifice is the mural decorations which grace its walls. They are designed on a large scale with life size figures; the groupings are heroic, without stiffness, and very harmonious, the drawing is strong and accurate, the coloring rich and satisfying in contrast to the pale and misty tones which characterize modern decorators. Moreover they have a vital romantic interest apart altogether from their technical and artistic qualities. Visitors from the United States and from across the ocean are sometimes unaware of the romantic interest which attaches to the early settlement of Canada prior to the British conquest of 1759. It is a Bostonian, however — Francis Parkmaii — to whom the French occupation owes its finest record. Those who have read his pages and become familiar with the intrepid French adventures of whom he writes; of the [Indigenous] warriors with whom they come in contact, know how fascinating is the story. It would seem that the artists who designed these vast decorations— Mr. Dodge of New York and Mr. Challener of Toronto had endeavored to express the very spirit of Parkman. Partly allegorical, partly historical, partly episodical, they seem to be the epitome of an heroic epoch in the history of this continent which closed a century and a half ago.
The largest work and the one which on account of its location first attracts attention, illustrates an episode which was one of the first manifestations of the government of France’s policy of seriously attempting to colonize Canada. At first a policy of mere exploitation was pursued, but when the Baron de Courcelles brought from France a shipload of young women to become wives of the men who had adventured into the new world, it was obvious that the purpose of building up a French nation over seas had been formed. Imagination and fancy rather than mere sordid realism have governed the artist in his treatment of this ‘episode. The women are seen landing from the great three-decked warships of ancient times and awaiting them is a mingled group of habitants, armed soldiers, trappers and coureurs de bois. At a distance the [Indigenous Peoples] gaze in awe on the apparition of beautiful white women. It is not probable that the women Courcelles brought over were so beautiful or so delicately nurtured as the aristocratic dames depicted by the artist, but he was no doubt entitled to poetic license and we will not quarrel with his chivalrous intent. The coloring of the work is exquisitely delicate, yet well contrasted, and the general design is a stately one.
Even finer in conception is the allegorical piece which is placed over the vast renaissance fire place of the rotunda. It typifies the traditional attitude of the [Indigenous People] toward the white invader. In the centre is a group of [Indigenous People] magnificently posed and executed, sternly stretching forth the arm of defiance in all directions. On the one side is seen the on-coming host of Gallic adventurers bearing the white banner strewn with the lilies of France; on the other the red-coated captains of Albion, bearing “the meteor flag of England.” It would be difficult to praise too much the remarkable symmetry of the design and the harmony of line with which it has been worked out. The coloring, moreover, is rich and in keeping with the dignity of the conception. What especially pleases those with an eve for detail is the grace with which the flowing banners of the two contrasted nations have been drawn.
Facing the allegory on the opposite side of the rotunda is a finely conceived sea-scape illustrating one of the earliest episodes in the history of this continent. It often escapes attention that, barring of course the legendary Vikings, English mariners were the first to plant a flag on that part of Canada which was destined to pass into the hands of France and to be taken again by conquest. The picture illustrates the landing at Gaspe of the Cabots — John and Sebastian — mariners of Bristol. The English ship of the ancient model is in the offing and sturdy sailors are seen shoving the captain’s gig through the shallows on to the beach while the Indians gaze in amazement at the new comers. The coloring is sombre and the vastness of the ocean which the dauntless seamen have traversed is admirably suggested.
A smaller work placed immediately beside the main staircase illustrates an incident which might have occurred at any of the chain of trading posts which the French established along the great lakes and the valleys of the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers. In this case the artist has chosen for his locale Fort Rouille which was founded on the site of what is now the city of Toronto. Through the open gates of the stockade are seen the blue waters of Lake Ontario and in the foreground the bright coats of the French warrior-traders bartering with a group of [Indigenous Peoples]. The commodity in negotiation is a bolt of crimson cloth dear to the [Indigenous person]’s heart and which contributes to the warm color effect of the whole. The drawing of the piece is particularly solid and good, and the work is one on which the eye instinctively lingers. The series of pictures is completed by a little new world pastoral piece. The young settler and his sweetheart are seen in a woodland dell but with the ever-present danger of the treacherous [Indigenous People] lurking in the background. Altogether the decorations are so full of romantic interest that many a tourist has wiled away a pleasant hour with them.
The text and images are taken from the King Edward Hotel guests’ book (1906) which is in the Thomas Fisher Canadiana collection, and made available online through the Internet Archive. There is also a shorter King Edward Hotel pamphlet (1910) online as well.
Additional images of the murals
There are a few other images of the murals – two from a 1903 brochure, and one from a postcard:
