Walter S. AllwardLife & Work

“Intent on becoming an artist, Allward left school at the age of fourteen and within four years he had decided to focus on sculpture. He achieved success early in his career, receiving widespread praise for his design of several monuments, and ultimately developed into the foremost sculptor of his generation.”

– Philip Dombowsky

Author Philip Dombowsky explains how Allward transformed modern sculpture to dramatic effect by combining expressive classical figures with modern compositions to create monuments redolent with themes of memory and redemption. Walter S. Allward: Life & Work chronicles the artist’s life from his formative years in Toronto working for the architectural firm Gibson and Simpson to his success as a leading sculptor. The book explores Allward’s early works, including the South African War Memorial in Toronto (1904–11), the Baldwin-Lafontaine Monument on Parliament Hill in Ottawa (1908–14), the Bell Memorial, commemorating Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone in Brantford (1909–17), and the Stratford War Memorial (1919–22), before discussing how the artist turned his talents toward the Vimy Memorial, an icon of Canadian sacrifice and a legacy for future generations.

Copyright Information

Banner Image: Walter S. Allward, Vimy Memorial (detail of Canada Bereft), 1921–36, Seget limestone and concrete, Parc Mémorial Canadien, Chemin des Canadiens, Vimy, France. Photo credit: Burke Paterson.