Collection F2606 - Gerring-Collier correspondence collection

Allan C. Collier, photographer and artist, born March 19, 1911 in Toronto, Ontario, attended Harbord College Institute (Toronto Ont.); The Ontario College of Art; A.O.C.A., 1933, and The Art Students League, New York City. He has maintained his own studio in Toronto since 1946. Mr. Collier has taught art at the Ontario College of Art, 1955-1966; his paintings have been exhibited with The Ontario Society of Artists since 1934. Other places showing his art have been: The Royal Canadian Academy; The Montreal Spring Show; The Hamilton Winter Show; The First and Third Canadian Biennial; The National Gallery; Hart House, Canadian Portraits; The London (Ont.) Museum and Art Gallery; The Art Gallery of Toronto; The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery; The Art Gallery of Hamilton; The Frye Art Museum, Seattle 1964; Seagram Cities of Canada series, and many private and business collections. One man shows exhibiting his works were: 1951 and 1957 at The Arts and Letters Club, Toronto; 1956 to 1958, 1961, 1963, 1965 at Roberts Gallery, Toronto; Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum, Seattle, Wash., 1964. His mural paintings were shown in the Bank of Canada Bldg., and The Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (Toronto). He was the President of the Ontario Society of Artists, 1958-1961. He served in the Second World War in the Canadian Army in the survey section.

Howard Gerring, the only son of George and Gertrude Gerring, was born on March 4, 1915. He worked at the Toronto Daily Star, the Sudbury Star and at the Charters Publishing Company, before joining Saturday Night Press (SNP) in 1939. He retired in 1980.

Howard and and his wife, Daisy, were good friends of Alan and Ruth Collier. Howard Gerring and Mr. Collier were both members of the Toronto Arts and Letters Club. It was largely through the club that Howard and Daisy met so many artists who became their friends. When he retired in 1980, Gerring became the editor of the Club Newsletter, for the next 10 or so years. It was renamed the LAMPS Letter, with each letter of LAMPS standing for one of the arts - literature, acting, music, painting and sculpture. Howard also served on the Club executive.

Every summer, Mr. Collier and his wife traveled about Canada, both to see the country and to provide sketching opportunities for Mr. Collier. From 1956 until 1987, approximately, Mr. Collier wrote Gerring extensive letters describing their summer journey. Gerring saved these letters.

Howard married Daisy Porter in 1942, they had two children, Stephen and Joan. He died on May 7, 2006.