J.CAC VOLUME 37 (2012)
Early Manufacture of Artists’ Materials in Canada: A History of Canadian Art Laboratory
Canadian Art Laboratory was a notable Canadian manufacturer and international supplier of artists’ materials during the early- to mid- twentieth century. Founded in Toronto in the early 1930s by chemical engineer Henry James Goulding Carter, this firm filled a void in the manufacturing sector of artists’ materials in Canada. Canadian Art Laboratory flourished for just over twenty years until the company was officially dissolved in 1954. It claims to have pioneered titanium white as an artists’ paint in 1932 and manufactured the first watercolours in Canada. The reasons for the demise of Canadian Art Laboratory after such a short period of operation are not entirely clear. This research examines the history and activities of the company and its products in the context of a specific period in Canadian history when Canadian art technique and Canadian-made artists’ materials were being recognized and promoted.
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