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James Edward Hervey MacDonald
born in England, within a small town called New Elvet on May 12th, 1873.
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He was born into a family of a Canadian father, who was a cabinet maker, and an English mother.
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MacDonald’s childhood was partially spent in the town of Kirkby Stephen,
as well as Westmoreland Country.
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The MacDonald family immigrated to Canada in 1887, to the town of Hamilton
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The youth attended art schools in Hamilton, and later on, in Toronto.
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MacDonald became an
apprentice. While an apprentice, he studied art under the tutelage of John Ireland
and Arthur Heming at the Hamilton School of Art.
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The artist extended
his art education by attending the Central Ontario School of Art and Design at 25 years of age.
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The young man studied with high prestigious art educators, such as G.A. Reid, as well as William Cruikshank.
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The young adult had newly
situated his home in Toronto, during the year 1890. There, he joined the Toronto Lithographing Company prior to his membership at the famous Grip Ltd., like
the other Group of Seven members.
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The Toronto Commercial Art Firm, Grip Ltd. was MacDonald’s location of employment until 1911.
- He incorporated traditional Canadian elements within his designs for
books, magazine illustrations, bookplates, lettering, armorial bearings, illuminating presentation addresses, as well as plaques
and signs. He even worked two years as a book designer for the company Carleton.
- MacDonald married at 26 years of age, to a McMaster University student called
Joan Lavis.
- Due to the financial problems, MacDonald decided to restation his family’s
home to London, England. MacDonald
inhabited a house in England between the
years 1903-1907. Within London,
the bust family man worked for the Carlton Studio Designers and Illustrators on Fleet Street.
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MacDonald
and his family returned to Toronto, Canada, in hopes of better financial
benefits.
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As
soon as MacDonald returned form England, he received the position of employment
as head designer at Grip Ltd. after returning form London.
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From the friendship of MacDonald, Lawren Harris, and
Tom Thomson, they gathered their other friends who were also exceptional artists, and formed the Group of Seven.
- MacDonald suffered from a physical collapse after Tom Thomson's death in 1917.
- Once MacDonald recovered from his physical collapse, which was in the
autumn of 1918, he continued to paint, within a part of Canada
called Algoma. Algoma was soon nicknamed “MacDonald’s Country”,
since his most productive painting was inspired there.
- Sadly, the remarkable man died in the year 1932, the last year
of MacDonald’s life, and of the Group of Seven. Also, unfortunately, the
Group of Seven was no more due to MacDonald’s death: it was he who had been the stabilizing force of the Group, the
supporter, and the educator. Without him, the remaining members were not able
to continue with their Group of Seven art.
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