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Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was the wife of John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), who in 1791 was appointed Upper Canada’s first lieutenant governor. For five years, Elizabeth accompanied her husband in the colony under his command. During her stay in North America, which she thoroughly enjoyed, she kept a personal diary and made many sketches and watercolours of Upper and Lower Canada that bear valuable witness to the landscapes and establishments of the period.
Online Collections | McCord Museum - Montreal Social History Museum 
Sketchbook
Niagara
Artist
Elizabeth Simcoe
(1762-1850)
InscriptionsOn cover of sketchbook, handwritten, u.l. : Niagara
Date
1792-1794
Medium / Technique
Cardboard, paper, fibre and glue
Dimensions1 textual record ; 20 x 17 cm
ClassificationCommunication Objects - Arts - Visual Arts
Origin
Canada ?, North America
Object NumberS001/C3.8,3.1.1-59
DivisionDocumentary Art
CollectionStewart
Scope and ContentThe “Niagara” scrapbook contains sketches and watercolours of the landscapes of Lake Erie and Niagara Falls in Upper Canada, along with details of their fauna and flora, executed by Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim (1762-1850).Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was the wife of John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), who in 1791 was appointed Upper Canada’s first lieutenant governor. For five years, Elizabeth accompanied her husband in the colony under his command. During her stay in North America, which she thoroughly enjoyed, she kept a personal diary and made many sketches and watercolours of Upper and Lower Canada that bear valuable witness to the landscapes and establishments of the period.
NotesImmediate source of acquisition: The documents relating to Elizabeth Simcoe kept at the Museum come from the Vowler family, of Devon, England. David M. Stewart seemingly purchased this “fonds” from the family in 1982 through the intermediary of a London antique dealer (apparently a Ms. Hoppen, possibly Stephanie Hoppen). At that time the fonds was placed in the Devon archives under the reference code 1038 M/F/1; it was subsequently divided in two between the Queen’s York Rangers regiment (Toronto) and the Stewart Museum.
Arrangement: the original reference code was 1038 M/F1/511 Niagara [sketchbook].
General notes: 9 images in the exhibition History and Memory. Photocopies and documentation available in the Lady Simcoe file.
Arrangement: the original reference code was 1038 M/F1/511 Niagara [sketchbook].
General notes: 9 images in the exhibition History and Memory. Photocopies and documentation available in the Lady Simcoe file.
Status
Not on viewInformation about the objects in our collection is updated to reflect new research findings. If you have any information to share regarding this object, please email reference.mccord@mccord-stewart.ca.Information about rights and reproductions is available here.
Mrs. Tice near the falls of Niagara, August 1795
Elizabeth Simcoe
1795
S001/C3.8,3.1.51
Book-bound/Work
Online Collections | McCord Museum - Montreal Social History Museum 
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation and Canadian Heritage.