James (Jock) W. G. MacDonald was born in Thurso, Scotland in 1867. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art, and later worked as a fabric designer. He taught at Lincoln School of Art; Vancouver School of Art; School of Decorative and Applied Arts, Vancouver; Provincial Institute of Technology and Art, Calgary; and at Ontario College of Art after 1947. MacDonald was a member of Canadian Group of Painters and Painters Eleven. He died in Toronto in 1960. The artist was conducting independent experiments in Vancouver while the others worked in Winnipeg and Toronto. He had painted 'automatics' by 1934 and completely abstract or non-objective works by 1935 or 1936. (Painting in Canada: A History. Harper J. Russel. U of Toronto Press, 1977. P 327) Jock MacDonald was one of Canada's first painters to explore the relationship between abstraction and landscape. What MacDonald did is take the formal qualities of his subjects and isolate or abstract them form the landscape. (The History of Painting in Canada. Barry Lord. Toronto: NC Press, 1974. P 205-7)
Dimensions
23.5 X 33.5 cm
Size Overall
45 X 52.5 cm
Medium
watercolor
Condition
Slight cockling of surface.
Primary Support
paper
Secondary Support
mat, plexiglass, backing board; frame - wood and plaster with gild
Image surface is severely degraded (cracking, discoloration).
Scope and Content
Portrait of the Brandon University Bobcats men's basketball team. Back Row (L to R): Bob Fosker, Peter Bertram, Frank Bauche, Bohdan Pisak, Lloyd Small, Tom Ford, Brian Pallister, Ryan Gray, Ken Rucker, Mike Vaira, Murray rodgers, Jim Henderson. Front Row (L to R): Kevin MacDonald (Manager), Joe Parks (Assistant Coach), Jerry Hemmings (Coach), Dan Majcher (Statistician). Missing: Elwood Kelher.
Portrait of the Brandon University Bobcats men's basketball team. Back Row (L to R): Gord Campbell, Ellis Ware, Bob Campbell, Lew Worrell, Lloyd Small, Ryan Gray, Dave Smith, Nelson Burrell, Dave Price, Bohdan Pisak, Murray Rodgers, George Rugg, Gord Carmichael. Front Row (L to R): Dan Majcher (Statistician), , Bill Moody (Assistant Coach), Jerry Hemmings (Coach), Kevin MacDonald (Manager) .
Robert (Bob) Troy Blair was born on March 11, 1930 in Brandon, MB. His first six years were spent in Alexander, MB, where his father and uncle operated a grocery store. In 1936, his family moved to Souris, MB, where his father ran a grocery store. Blair received his primary and high school education, with the exception of Grade 12, in Souris.
Blair remembers his school years in Souris as mainly happy years. He was involved with both piano and organ music lessons. he was never interested in physical sports with the exception of golf. World War II broke out in September of 1939. Souris became the site of #17 SFTS and home base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Many of the service men came from England, Australia and New Zealand. Blair's mother always entertained at least two for dinner every Sunday. Rationing of sugar, tea and coffee, butter and meat became a way of life. Blair had the job every Saturday of pasting the ration coupons into booklets. It was also when he was in Grade 6, that Blair realized he was more attracted to boys than to girls. Perhaps it was because so many attractive airmen surrounded him!
In November of 1947, the Blair family relocated to Alexander where Bob Blair finished his Grade 11. This was not a good year due to bullying. In September of 1948, Blair moved to Winnipeg to attend United College for his Grade 12. Upon completion of Grade 12, Blair remained in Winnipeg until June 1950. he worked at a number of businesses - Gestetner, Eaton's Mail Order shoe department, Maple Leaf Milling, and the drug store in the Medical Arts Building. In September 1950, he entered Brandon College. Blair was very active in extra-curricular affairs while at Brandon College; particularly drama. Following his B.A. he enrolled in the Education Faculty, having decided to become a teacher.
Blair's teaching career spanned 34 years. All but one year was spent in the Brandon School Division. On his first day of teaching in the Division he met the man with whom he would spend the next 46 years. He was primarily a teacher of English and Music. A highlight of his career was exchange teaching in Sacramento, California in 1961. Orientation for exchange took place in August in Washington, D.C., where Blair had the opportunity to meet President J.F. Kennedy. He vividly recals the morning that JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963. In September 1965, Blair assumed the principalship of Park School and in September of 1969, the same position at George Fitton School where re remained until his retirement in 1989. He was a member of the Brandon Picnipals' Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and servedas President of the Brandon Teachers' Association. Among his major accomplishments during his time as principal were the introduction of a centralized school library in both Park and George Fitton Schools and the integration of special needs students into regular classroom situations wherever possible. He was made a Life Member of the Manitoba Teachers' Society (Brandon) in June 1990. Following his retirement Blair worked as a Library Automation Consultant (1989-1993).
Blair also had numerous community involvements during his time in Brandon. he was active in the Brandon Little Theatre (Best Actor Award, Manitoba Drama Festival for One Act Plays in 1963), the Brandon Festival of the Arts, the Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music Competition, and Arm Industries to name a few.
Following the death of his partner in 2001, Blair moved to Saskatoon to live with a younger gay couple. He has been active in volunteerism: as an Ambassador for the Saskatoon Airport Authority, assistant with the Saskatoon Health Region's Immunization Clinics, information clerk for the Festival of Trees, data entry clerk for the Saskatoon Music Festival, on the Board of the Saskatoon Jazz Society, and Hospitality Coordinator for the Saskatoon Jazz Festival.
As of October 2013, Bob Blair continues to live in Saskatoon, SK.
Custodial History
Records were in Blair's possession until he donated them to the Mckee Archives on Homecoming weekend October 2013.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two scrapbooks containing 145 photographs and ephemera (play and graduation programs, tickets, pins, newspaper clippings) documenting Bob Blair's days at Brandon College. Social events and extra-curricular activities are heavily featured in the two scrapbooks. Also included are graduation portraits for the Classes of 1951, 1952 and 1953. Of the 145 photographs all are black and white except for two photos of the Class of '53 reconvocation (May 1993), and one from the Class of '53 reunion (2003).
Portrait of the Brandon University Bocats men's hockey team. Back Row (L to R): Mark Budz, Tom Clairmont, Gord Kaluzniak, Bill Rose, Kim Bosch, Bruce Paton, Rick Lindquist, Clint Haight, Strat Kane, Steve Woods. Middle Row (L to R): Gord MacKay, Blair Murray, Darren Gudsal, Bob MacDonald, Robert Thome, Mike Cooper, Greg Waldvogel, Rory Reinbolt, Randy Neufeld, Larry Mikituk, Brad Meggison. Front Row (L to R): Ron Popplestone, George Birger, Ken Schneider, Paul Murray, Earl Jessiman, Gary Clark, John Tresoor, Peter Gerlinger, Tom Marsh, Bob Fitchner (Ass’t Coach, Dwayne Patchett.
Portrait of the Brandon College Caps hockey team. Back Row (L to R): Ernie Birkinshaw, Gus Juckes, Johnny MacLean, Graham Hunt, Ernie Shaw, Fin Campbell, Neil McKellar, Bill Rolston, Jack Scott, Ken Campbell (Equipment Manager), Doc Hannah (Manager). Front Row (L to R): Murray MacDonald, Harry George, Harold Moffat, Don Sumner, Bill Black, Blair MacRae, Jim McKibbon.
Photograph is a proposed model for a centennial auditorium for western Manitoba prepared by Ward and Macdonald Associates - Architects. View is southeast from the northwest corner of Princess Avenue and 20th Street. The model includes the proposed auditorium as well as a number of buildings on the Brandon College campus.
The Brandon Normal School was an arm of the provincial Department of Education. Manitoba Normal schools were initiated in the early 1880s (1882 for protestant teachers and 1883 for Roman Catholic ones) to meet the demand for teachers in the province's schools. Normal schools were held in Brandon at various locations until the construction of the Brandon Normal School in 1912 under the Roblin government. The Brandon Normal School operated until 1946.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of Brandon Normal School's third class normal (Fall 1919).
The Brandon Normal School was an arm of the provincial Department of Education. Manitoba Normal schools were initiated in the early 1880s (1882 for protestant teachers and 1883 for Roman Catholic ones) to meet the demand for teachers in the province's schools. Normal schools were held in Brandon at various locations until the construction of the Brandon Normal School in 1912 under the Roblin government. The Brandon Normal School operated until 1946.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of Brandon Normal School's third class normal (Fall 1919).
Donated to the McKee Archives by the Souris Museum in 2000.
Scope and Content
Portrait of the County Council of the County of Brandon.
Back Row: Reeve Pettit of Daly Municipality, Reeve Clegg of Elton Municipality, Reeve Whitehead of Cornwallis Municipality.
Front Row: Reeve Steele of Glenwood Municipality, W.A. MacDonald, County Solicitor (Justice Supreme Court of British Columbia); Reeve Hannah of Whitehead Municipality, J. Weatherall, County Clerk, J.H. Brownlee, County Engineer
Wheat City Business College was established in 1904, when J.W. Beveridge and F.E. Werry resigned from the Commercial Department of Brandon College to establish the Wheat City Business College. It was located originally in the Commercial Building on 10th Street, owned by Hughes and Co. Wheat City Business College continued to operate until the later 1960s.
Custodial History
The photograph as donated to the McKee Archives by alumni of the Wheat City Business College sometime before 1997.
Scope and Content
Portraits of the students and staff of the Wheat City Business College.
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