Walter Seymour Allward (1875-1955)

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure	A fabulous discovery is this large photo personally autographed by Canadian sculptor Walter S Allward. Walter Allward is one of Canada's most esteemed sculptors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is responsible for creating some of Canada's finest sculptures, and monuments. Untold thousands pass by them daily without knowing the man who created these works of art that are now familiar signposts of their world as they walk or drive to work in Toronto, ON, or visit Parliament Hill in Ottawa, ON. Few men are privileged to leave such a treasure trove of heritage riches to posterity, surely a grand testament to a life well lived. Walter would not have seen it that way; he was modest and unassuming, a man totally devoted to his art. .

*Signed Photo, Walter S Allward*
Orig. photo - Size - 18 x 23 cm Found - Toronto, ON

Walter Allward's most famous work is the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy, in France, for which he received the commission in 1921, winning a competition of some 160 submissions. It took him fourteen years to finish it, living in London and France for ten years to do so.

It commemorates the capture of Vimy Ridge by Canadians in April 1917, during a four day battle in which some 3,600 Canadians died.

If features twin spires representing France and Canada, and a variety of achingly sad statues symbolizing the enormous loss that the battle and war left in its wake.

Present, among the 100,000 at the unveiling, in July 1936, by the newly minted King Edward VIII, was Mrs. CS Wood of Winnipeg, MB, who had lost 8 of her 12 sons to the dogs of war.

In 2007, the monument was rededicated after a 20 million dollar restoration.

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure

Boer War Memorial & Fountain, Windsor, ON, c 1906

Orig. colour postcard - Size - 9 x 14 cm
Found - Woodstock, ON

Walter created the memorial fountain left and above, in Jackson Park, Windsor, ON, in memory of all the boys from the region who served in South Africa, including Cpl. Walter White who came from Windsor, and was killed at Paardeberg in 1900.

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure

Boer War Memorial, Toronto, ON c 1910

Orig. colour postcard - Size - 9 x 14 cm
Found - Hoboken, NJ

Walter Allward created the South African War Monument in 1910 to be situated in downtown Toronto. Where birds once sang in peace above, today there is not a tree in sight and thousands of cars swarm up and down here - every hour - snarling their way down an ugly canyon of towering buildings of concrete and glass.

Great Canadian Heritage Treasure

Boer War Memorial, Toronto, ON c 1910

Orig. colour postcard - Size - 9 x 14 cm
Found - Hoboken, NJ

Walter created many other famous Canadian monuments in Ontario, including: clockwise from above: the figure Peace on top of the North West Rebellion Monument (1895 - Toronto), Governor Simcoe (1903 - Toronto), Sir Oliver Mowat at Queen's Park (Toronto), and the Old Soldier for the War of 1812 Memorial (1903 - Toronto).