Fonds F2414 - William Brymner fonds

Painter, draughtsman, illustrator, muralist, teacher. William Brymner, born at Greenock, Scotland, on December 14th, 1855. Son of Dr Douglas Brymner, the first Dominion archivist. He was brought by his family to Melbourne, in the Eastern Townships, Quebec, in 1857. He later studied architecture with the chief government architect at Council of Arts and Manufactures, Montreal, 1868-1869. He went to Paris in 1878 and turned to painting, studying at Julian's and with Carolus-Duran in Paris. Brymner became a full member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) in 1886 and in the same year became Director of classes at the Art Association of Montreal, a position he held until 1921. Brymner is considered the first great teacher of painting in Canada, and is admired for his respect for academic training and his great receptiveness to the talents of others. He had the admiration of his students and would become a major influence on the development of Canadian painting. He died at Wallasey, Cheshire on June 18, 1925.

Douglas Brymner (July 3, 1823 – June 19, 1902) was a Canadian politician, journalist, civil servant and archivist. Born in Greenock, Scotland, Brymner immigrated to Canada in 1857 with his wife and son settling in Melbourne, Lower Canada. He served two terms as mayor of Melbourne before moving to Montreal in 1864 where he became editor of the Presbyterian and joined the editorial staff of the Montreal Herald. In 1872, he moved to Ottawa where he worked as Senior Second Class Clerk in charge of archives for the Department of Agriculture. In 1872, he was appointed the first Dominion Archivist, a position he held until his death in 1902. In 1895, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 1898 he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society.