| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
Tytler's father, Robert, was an officer in the British Army, responsible at that time for guarding the army's Military Chest. When Stanley was born, reinforcing troops were expected, and the men took hope by referring to him as "the first reinforcement" to arrive. They also wanted to call him Battlefield Tytler, but his mother chose Delhi-Force in honor of the reinforcements that had arrived by the time he was baptized.
The Tytler family (Robert, Harriet, 2 children) had barely escaped the massacre in the city, where men, women, children, and babies were slaughtered wherever they were found. The British army besieged the city of Delhi for 131 days before the Indian mutineers surrendered on September 20, 1857.
Tytler's mother Harriet later wrote an extensive memoir of her time in India, which was extremely interesting as well as helpful with the details of his birth. See AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN INDIA - THE MEMOIRS OF HARRIET TYTLER 1828 - 1858 below in references.
Tytler was sent to England at a young age to recover from an illness. Afterwards, he returned to India where he was apparently raised. He joined the British Army, and served as a Lieutenant with the Natal Native Contingent in Africa during the Zulu wars in 1879. He was with the troops that recovered the body of the Prince Imperial after he was killed in a Zulu ambush at the age of 23.
Tytler later traveled to China and to Australia. There are references to his artistic training in Australia, and a number of his artworks shown in early Vancouver exhibitions were of Sydney and New South Wales, but to date no specific information has been found that details it.
Tytler's memorial article notes that he arrived in BC in 1894, although further evidence of this has not been found by this editor. Tytler's mother is noted as having visited his sister Edith in British Columbia in 1894, and Tytler may have accompanied his mother on that trip. No further information about the sister has been located.
Tytler married Hester Ellen Melhuish (1878 - 1968) in Chilliwack on January 3, 1900. Their son Christopher Delhi-Force Tytler was born in Nelson on October 12, 1900. Tytler was listed in the BC Directories as living in Nelson from 1900 to 1902, first working as a Draughtsman for the Silver King Mine, and then as Secretary to the Manager of Hall Mines. The Henderson BC Directories listed him living in North Vancouver in 1904. From 1905 until his death he lived in Vancouver and Burnaby. He worked as Special Agent for Standard Life Assurance Company.
Tytler was one of the founding members of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in 1909, and exhibited with them for many years, including the inaugural exhibition in 1909, November 1909, May 1910, November 1912, April 1915, September 1920, 1921, 1922, May 1925 and 1926, June 1927, from 1936 to 1939, 1948, 1950, and 1960. Tytler was listed in the 1930 annual exhibition catalogue as a Life Member of the Society. (Editor's note: his obituary states that he was a President of the Society, but the list published in 1950 (2 years after his death) does not list him holding that position.)
He showed work with the Island Arts and Crafts Society in 1913; at the Vancouver Exhibition in 1924 and 1925; and at the Vancouver Art Gallery in the inaugural 1932 B.C. Artists exhibition. The titles of his paintings indicate that he was an active traveller on the coast of B.C., probably reaching Phillips River and Texada Island via Union Steamship.
Tytler exhibited one small painting at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1930.
He died in Burnaby in 1948, aged ninety. His death certificate notes that his profession was "artist" from which he retired in 1935 after forty years. He was survived by his wife, one brother, one son, one daughter, and six grandchildren. His younger brother was the late British General Sir Arthur Tytler, DSO, KCB.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| DATE | EXHIBITION | ARTWORK |
| 1909 April 20 - 28 | BCSFA First Annual Exhibition | The Bush Near Sydney |
| Foul Bay, Victoria | ||
| Phillip River | ||
| Vancouver Island From Texada | ||
| Swamp Gums | ||
| 1909 November | BCSFA Second Exhibition | Circular Quay, Sydney, N.S.W. |
| Near Victoria | ||
| Camp, Frederick Arm | ||
| The Lions | ||
| Bush, Near Sydney, N.S.W. | ||
| Trout Lake | ||
| An Australian Creek | ||
| 1910 May | BCSFA Third Exhibition | On the Edge of the Forest |
| First Narrows from Stanley Park | ||
| View from Indian Reserve, Kitsilano | ||
| Trout Lake | ||
| Fairy Bower near Sydney, N.S.W. | ||
| Freshwater Bay | ||
| Indian Rancherie near Chilliwack | ||
| 1911 November | BCSFA Fourth Exhibition | ("woodland studies" No. 23) |
| ("woodland studies") | ||
| 1912 Nov. 25 - 30 | BCSFA Annual Exhibition | Bush Near Sydney, N.S.W. |
| Autumn, Burrard Inlet | ||
| Solitude | ||
| The Bluff, Comox | ||
| Lynn Falls | ||
| In the Woods, Comox | ||
| Comox Harbour | ||
| Sketch from First Narrows Flats | ||
| Comox Sketches | ||
| The Lions, North Vancouver | ||
| 1915 April | BCSFA Works by Members | The Bluff, Comox |
| Comox Harbour | ||
| Seymour Mountain | ||
| A Woodland Path | ||
| Capilano | ||
| Half Moon Bay | ||
| Comox Bluff | ||
| A West Vancouver Road | ||
| The Lions, from North Lonsdale | ||
| A Bit of Nanaimo | ||
| 1916 Sept. ? - ? | BCSFA - Annual Exhibition | The Lions (watercolour) |
| (Fraser River backwater) | ||
| Moonlight on Burrard Inlet | ||
| Study, Capilano | ||
| (others?) | ||
| 1920 September 18 - 25 | BCSFA Annual Exhibition | Vine Maples, Tipperary Park |
| 1921 Sept. 19 - 24 | BCSFA 13th Annual | Edge of the Clearing |
| Capilano | ||
| 1922 Sept. 16 - 23 | BCSFA 14th Annual | Sketch, Seymour Creek |
| Fire and Fireweed, Burnaby Lake | ||
| 1924 May 3 - 17 | BCSFA 16th Annual | The Golden Ears, from New Westminster |
| Breaking Weather, Burnaby Lake | ||
| Mt. Baker from Oak Bay | ||
| 1925 May 9 - 16 | BCSFA 17th Annual | The Canyon |
| Autumn | ||
| First Narrows from Stanley Park | ||
| Evening, North Shore | ||
| 1925 Nov. 28 - Dec. 5 | Sketch Club Semi-Annual Exhibition | Freshwater Bay |
| 1926 May 8 - 15 | BCSFA 18th Annual | The Edge of the Lake (Burnaby) |
| 1927 June 10 - 25 | BCSFA 19th Annual | The Salmon Pool, Capilano |
| 1929 Nov. 16 - 30 | BCSFA Winter Exhibition | Deer Lake |
| 1930 Aug. 22 - Sept. 6 | CNE Small Pictures | The Bluff at Comox, Vancouver Island |
| 1932 May - July | VAG All Canadian Exhibition | The Bluff at Comox |
| 1932 Oct. 5 - 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 1st Annual | Autumn Woods, Burnaby Lake |
| The Beach, Qualicum | ||
| 1933 June 3 - 11 | VAG BCSFA 23rd Annual | Autumn Woods, Burnaby Lake |
| 1933 Dec. 1 - 17 | VAG B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition | View from the Old Moodivill (sic) Mill |
| Misty Morning | ||
| Mt. Baker from Oak Bay | ||
| 1934 Dec. 4 - 16 | VAG B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition | A Woodland Path, Stanley Park |
| Autumn, Burnaby Lake | ||
| 1936 June 26 - July 12 | BCSFA 26th Annual | Rita |
| Mt. Baker | ||
| Autumn in Stanley Park | ||
| 1937 April 16 - May 1 | BCSFA 27th Annual | Manley Beach, From Fairy Bowen |
| Swamp Gums | ||
| 1938 April 29 - May 15 | BCSFA 28th Annual | Corner of my Garden |
| 1939 June 9 - 25 | BCSFA 29th Annual | The Spit, Comox |
| 1948 May 18 -June 6 | BCSFA 38th Annual | Australian Landscape |
| 1950 April 25 - May 14 | BCSA 40th Annual | Morning Mist |
AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN INDIA - THE MEMOIRS OF HARRIET TYTLER 1828 - 1858
1986, Oxford Letters & Memoirs series; ISBN 0-19-282100-8
240 pages, illustrated black & white, index, footnotes, essays
This memoir, written by Tytler's mother, gives a fascinating story of
the battle for Delhi, and provides excellent details about Tytler's birth
and the first few weeks of his life. Unfortunately, his later life is not
discussed at all.
THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)
ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY - List of Exhibitors
CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1926 (refer to DIR)
B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE marriage, death (refer to BCVS)
" ... Mr. S. Tytler's Woodland Studies ... are among the best of the
remaining landscapes and sea pieces."
From "Some Pictures by B.C. Artists" by
A.N. St. John Mildmay
News Advertiser, November 21 1911
"This year's exhibitors were ... Messrs. Stanley Tytler ... "
From "Fine Arts Society Makes Fine Exhibit"
Vancouver Daily World, November 23 1911
"The Lions", No. 11, by Stanley Tytler is a considerable piece
of work in water color which shows much dash and freedom of execution. This is a large
and important water color and it is essentially modern, standing a yard or two away from
it its successes may be judged of. The trees are exceedingly well put in, though one
could have wished for a little difference in the color employed. A little less gray in
the foreground and a little more differentiation of "values" would in our opinion have
been desirable. But this does not prevent the expression of the estimate that this is
one of the most worthy efforts in the entire exhibition. The same artist exhibits in
No. 92 a poetic pastel of a backwater in the Fraser River. His "Moonlight On Burrard
Inlet", No. (89?), is of the same character. In No. (93?) "Study, Capilano", Mr. Tytler
shows a certain facility in the use of his materials though the immediate foreground of
white stones and water is scarcely convincing. At the same time the little oil sketch
is interesting."
From "With The B.C. Artists" by "A Visitor"
Vancouver Province, September 27 1916
"Australian artistic training is represented by Stanley Tytler ... "
From "Eleventh Annual Exhibition of Fine Arts"
by Bernard McEvoy
Studio Magazine, London England, February 15 1918
"Two members of this committee exhibit (?) paintings of their own -
Mr. Stanley Tytler and Mr. J.R. Wilson, the (?). The former shows two broadly
painted pictures in all, one of Burrard Inlet, Vancouver, and the other a
representation of the driftwood on (?) bluff at Comox - a difficult (?) (?) cleverly treated."
From "Local Work is on View" by Bernard McEvoy
Vancouver Province, October 2 1919
"For some time the meetings and exhibitions of the club were held at the
studio of Miss Wake, but about two years ago an independent
studio was secured at the present quarters, 342 Pender street west.
This location has become known for its art associations, the building having also
contained the studios of such well known artists as
Mr. Thos. W. Fripp,
Miss Margaret Wake,
Miss Isabel Weir, and
Mr. Norman Hawkins."
From "Sketch Club Is Well Organized" by I.B.
Vancouver Province, July 17 1920
"Mr. Stanley Tytler brings a breezy picture full of life and merging
the color and poetry of industry with the quite majesty of nature in white mountains, - nearer
the sheltering hills and inlet in the foreground. It is called "The Golden Ears from New
Westminster.""
From "Exhibition of B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Second Notice)"
Vancouver Province, May 9 1924
"Mr. Stanley Tytler was represented by an interesting sketch of "Freshwater Bay.""
From "Private View Precedes Sketch Club Exhibition"
Vancouver Province, November 30 1925
"Stanley Tytler also is thus known, besides
being an honored life member. He shows three pictures."
From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts" by
Diogenes
Vancouver Province, November 13 1930
"G.T. Tyler (sic), G.L Thornton Sharp,
James Amess, and Stanley Tytler and others
make contributions which should be studied."
From "Leading Provincial Artists Exhibit at Show" by T.H.W.
News-Herald, June 10 1939
"With the death of Stanley D. Tytler, well-known nonagenarian artist, the
B.C. art world has lost one of its most interesting personalities. ... "
From "S.D. Tytler, B.C. Artist Succumbs" by
Palette
Vancouver Province, February 27 1948
"The original group of founders included ... Stanley D. Tytler, who passed away
only recently in his ninetieth year after an adventurous life, beginning with his
birth during the siege of Delhi in the Indian mutiny."
From "B.C. Society of Artists - A History" by J.D. Parker
B.C. Society of Fine Arts 40th Annual
Exhibition Catalogue, 1950