BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Allan Pole Allsebrook

May 26 1880 - December 17 1976


Allan Pole Allsebrook was born in Nottingham, England, where he studied art under Sir Hubert von Herkomer (1849 - 1914) at the Nottingham College of Art. Allsebrook also studied at the Academie Julien in Paris. He exhibited work in England in 1900 - 1901.

Allsebrook immigrated to Canada in 1911. After coming to BC, he exhibited in a number of B.C. Artists' exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery, including 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1946. Corrrespondence from him relating to exhibitions at the gallery is on preprinted letterhead from "Allsebrook Camp, Kaslo". He had a solo exhibition at the gallery in 1945.

In 1948 he wrote an interesting letter to the Editor of the Trail Daily Times, see LIKES WESTON.

From an interview April 8 2008 with Ian Fraser, curator of The New Canadian exhibit, Kaslo, posted online in The Bulletin a journal of Japanese Canadian community, history & culture:
   "As A. P. Allsebrook, a great Kaslo friend of the Nikkei said in a NC letter in 1943, (responding to a recent "Jap baiting" letter in the Nelson News): "Defending our leading citizens from contemptuous intolerance is my duty and pleasure . . . The majority of our able-bodied young Nisei are homeless, driven, bewildered, shamelessly robbed of their possessions, reviled and humiliated, yet remain willing to vindicate their honour and loyalty to Canada by enlisting for service: But our priceless politicians will have none of them."

He exhibited with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in their annual exhibition in 1943.

Allsebrook died in Nelson in 1976 at the age of 95, according to B.C. Vital Statistics on-line.


Exhibitions

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1945 Jan. 9 - Feb. 4 Solo Show (VAGx0610) Vancouver Art Gallery

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual Gathering Storm, Kootenay Lake
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual June Afternoon, Kootenay Lake
The Lake Road
The Neighbour's Cabin
1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 VAG   B.C. Artists 11th Annual Old Baldy, Kootenay Lake
1943 May 15 - June 6 BCSFA   33rd Annual Grey Day - Kootenay Lake
1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 VAG   B.C. Artists 12th Annual August Splendor, Kootenay
A Dreary Trail
1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 15th Annual Turn of the Road
Boat Houses, October

References

THE DICTIONARY OF BRITISH ARTISTS 1880 - 1940 (refer to DBA76)

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to AIC)

Clippings

"Sir: - Was very amused at Mr. Ed. Costello's witty and kindly column (last month) re W.P. Weston, ARCA. I join with him in the opinion that Mr. Weston's one of the finest painters today in the province with a reputation deservedly dominion-wide. The writer has very vivid memories of his kindly and helpful spirit when he was art Instructor at the Japanese student-teacher's summer school in New Denver in the summers of '44 and '45. (continues)"
      From "LIKES WESTON", by "Allan P. Allsebrook"
      Trail Daily Times, March 1948


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