These historic art prints, created to boost morale during WWII, were once worth only $5

During the Second World War, Canada’s greatest contemporary artists created paintings that became prints, which were then sent to army bases overseas.

Thirty painters, including Emily Carr, Joseph Hallam, Albert Robinson, Fritz Brandtner, A.Y. Jackson and A.J. Casson and fellow Group of Seven artists, agreed to contribute to the war effort. Their 36 paintings depicted familiar Canadian scenes and landscapes from coast to coast.

Winnipeg’s Mayberry Fine Art is showcasing a sample of that work, titled “Art for War and Peace – An Exhibition of Sampson-Matthews Silkscreens.”

“It was to bring images into the armed forces camps and government offices that were involved in the war effort,” gallery owner Bill Mayberry told CTV National News. “The Armed Forces command was somewhat skeptical to the idea, but once some of these were placed in the camps, there was such an overwhelming positive response to them they realized this was a real morale booster.”

Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson, a Canadian official war artist in the First World War, was a main force behind the art project. Mayberry characterized it as Jackson helping move the idea from the canvas to the battleground.

“He saw how dismal the barracks were, how non-Canadian they were,” Mayberry said. “Jackson took it upon himself to write to H.O. ‘Harry’ McCurry at the National Gallery of Canada about this project.”

Soon, another member of the Group of Seven was involved: A.J. Casson, who was chief designer at screening company Sampson-Matthews.

Winnipeg’s Mayberry Fine Art is showcasing a sample of prints created by Canada’s greatest contemporary artists during the Second World War.

Mayberry said creating the silkscreen prints was a complicated process, and Tom Thomson’s “Northern River” was especially difficult.

“It took an entire week, by the entire plant, to make the screens for that one image,” Mayberry said.

The prints that sold for only $5 then, are worth thousands today, according to Mayberry. The entire collection has never been fully recovered.

Historic prints are seen at Mayberry Fine Art in Winnipeg.

Mayberry said most of the prints sent overseas are believed to have been destroyed.

“We know that 50,000 were made and shipped overseas during the war. We also know that virtually none of those came back.”

The exhibition runs from Nov. 9 to 23, 2023, and is closed on Remembrance Day. 

Historic prints are seen at Mayberry Fine Art in Winnipeg.