Alan Beddoe
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Commander Alan Brookman Beddoe, OC
, OBE
, HFHS
, FHSC
(June 1, 1893 – December 2, 1975) was a Canadian
artist, war artist, consultant in heraldry and founder and first president of the Heraldry Society of Canada
in 1965.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1893, he studied at Ashbury College. During World War I
, he was captured at Second Battle of Ypres
in 1915 and spent two and a half years in the prisoner of war
camps at Gießen
and Zerbst
. He studied art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After the war, he studied at the Art Students League of New York
under DuMond and Bridgman. In 1925, he opened the first commercial art studio in Ottawa. He was also an expert in heraldry
. The Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada contains designs and studies for the Book of Remembrance, postage stamps, posters, crests, money, architecture and coats-of-arms. His fonds
include slides, colour transparencies, prints, watercolours and drawings related to Canadian heraldry.
, now housed in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The artist originally chosen for the job, James Purves, died in 1940, at which time Beddoe took on the task. He supervised a team of artists over the next 30 years to illuminate and hand-letter the books, listing the names of Canadians who lost their lives serving their country's military during World War II
, and the campaign in Korea. He was inducted to the OBE
and received the Allied Arts Medal awarded by the Royal Architectural Institute for his work on the Books of Remembrance. He was instrumental in the creation of the Ontario Book of Remembrance n.d.; Perth Book of Remembrance 1932–1934; South Africa Book of Remembrance 1956–1966; Korea Book of Remembrance 1957–1958 and the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance 1972.
appointed him its heraldic advisor. His designs for ship's badges including the designs for , , and are in the Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada.
, Quebec
, New Brunswick
, and Yukon
. In 1956, he designed coats of arms for the Yukon
and Northwest Territories
.
In 1957, he was asked to revise the Coat of Arms of Canada
, and his version was in use until further changes were made in 1994.
and the Township of Gloucester, Ontario.
, the University of Moncton and the University of Manitoba
. Photographs of his watercolours entitled "Arms of the University of Windsor
" and "The Bearings Massey College in the University of Toronto
" (coat of arms) are in the Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada.
, Viscount Monk and Charles Vincent Massey
. His fonds include a colour slide of the Earl of Dufferin's coat of arms and the armorial bearings of Georges Vanier, Governor General of Canada 1959–1967. He also designed the arborial bearings for Richard Bedford Bennett
The Viscount Bennett
.
and the Royal Society of Canada
and his fonds includes black and white photographs of the letters patent.
of 1964, Beddoe was one of the primary artists working on potential designs for the new flag. He designed the Pearson Pennant design with three red maple leaves on a white background, with blue bars on either side representing "From sea to sea."
. He created group portraits of the Ottawa Choral Society, 1898, the Canadian Expeditionary Force
, the Provincial Model School, Ottawa, Ontario, 1904–1905, and the 7th Officers' Disciplinary Training Class, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1942.
. In 1943, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
for services as a war artist
. Alan Beddoe died in 1975.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, HFHS
The Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society is one of the leading organizations in the world devoted to studying heraldry. In 1947, a twenty year old John Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries. This title was changed to The Heraldry Society in 1950. It was incorporated in 1956 and is now a registered...
, FHSC
Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada is a Canadian organization that promotes the art of Canadian Heraldry. Founded as the Heraldry Society of Canada, the mission of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada and its branches is to promote the art of heraldry, particularly Canadian heraldry, and to...
(June 1, 1893 – December 2, 1975) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
artist, war artist, consultant in heraldry and founder and first president of the Heraldry Society of Canada
Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada is a Canadian organization that promotes the art of Canadian Heraldry. Founded as the Heraldry Society of Canada, the mission of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada and its branches is to promote the art of heraldry, particularly Canadian heraldry, and to...
in 1965.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1893, he studied at Ashbury College. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was captured at Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
in 1915 and spent two and a half years in the prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camps at Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
and Zerbst
Zerbst
Zerbst is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until the administrative reform of 2007, Zerbst was the capital of the Anhalt-Zerbst district. Since the 1 January 2010 local government reform, Zerbst has about 24,000 inhabitants.It is not clear when was it founded;...
. He studied art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After the war, he studied at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
under DuMond and Bridgman. In 1925, he opened the first commercial art studio in Ottawa. He was also an expert in heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
. The Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada contains designs and studies for the Book of Remembrance, postage stamps, posters, crests, money, architecture and coats-of-arms. His fonds
Fonds
Fonds is an archival term used to describe an aggregation of documents that originate from the same source. More specifically, a fonds distinguishes itself from a collection through its organic nature, as archival documents that have been naturally accumulated by an individual, company,...
include slides, colour transparencies, prints, watercolours and drawings related to Canadian heraldry.
Books of Remembrance
Beddoe was instrumental in the creation of the Books of RemembranceBooks of Remembrance
The seven Books of Remembrance housed in the Peace Tower of the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are illuminated manuscript volumes recording the names of members of the Canadian Forces and Canadian Merchant Navy killed on active service in wartime, and in other conflicts...
, now housed in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The artist originally chosen for the job, James Purves, died in 1940, at which time Beddoe took on the task. He supervised a team of artists over the next 30 years to illuminate and hand-letter the books, listing the names of Canadians who lost their lives serving their country's military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the campaign in Korea. He was inducted to the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and received the Allied Arts Medal awarded by the Royal Architectural Institute for his work on the Books of Remembrance. He was instrumental in the creation of the Ontario Book of Remembrance n.d.; Perth Book of Remembrance 1932–1934; South Africa Book of Remembrance 1956–1966; Korea Book of Remembrance 1957–1958 and the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance 1972.
Ships badges
The Royal Canadian Navy formed a Ships Badge Committee in 1942, and commissioned Beddoe to design official badges for the navy's ships. He designed badges for over 180 ships and establishments of the Royal Canadian Navy. In 1957, the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
appointed him its heraldic advisor. His designs for ship's badges including the designs for , , and are in the Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada.
Provinces and territories
He painted watercolours of the coats of arms for Canada, provinces and territories. His fonds include preliminary sketches for the coat of arms of Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. In 1956, he designed coats of arms for the Yukon
Coat of arms of Yukon
The Coat of Arms of Yukon was commissioned by the federal Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and designed by well-known heraldry expert Alan Beddoe in the early 1950s...
and Northwest Territories
Coat of arms of Northwest Territories
The original coat of arms of the Northwest Territories was granted by a Royal Warrant of Queen Elizabeth II on 7 February 1957. The shield is also featured on the territorial flag...
.
In 1957, he was asked to revise the Coat of Arms of Canada
Coat of arms of Canada
The Arms of Canada is, since 1921, the official coat of arms of the Canadian monarch, and thus also of Canada...
, and his version was in use until further changes were made in 1994.
Municipalities
He painted watercolours of municipal coats of arms for many Canadian municipalities. His fonds include the designs for the Township of Esquimalt (Vancouver Island), the City of Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and the Township of Gloucester, Ontario.
Universities
He designed coats of arms for a number of university coats of arms including Memorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
, the University of Moncton and the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. Photographs of his watercolours entitled "Arms of the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
" and "The Bearings Massey College in the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
" (coat of arms) are in the Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada.
Individuals
He designed the coats of arms for a number of individuals including Georges VanierGeorges Vanier
Major-General Georges-Philéas Vanier was a Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation....
, Viscount Monk and Charles Vincent Massey
Vincent Massey
Charles Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Canadian Confederation....
. His fonds include a colour slide of the Earl of Dufferin's coat of arms and the armorial bearings of Georges Vanier, Governor General of Canada 1959–1967. He also designed the arborial bearings for Richard Bedford Bennett
The Viscount Bennett
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years...
.
Institutions
He designed the arms for a number of institutions including the Royal Canadian Geographical SocietyRoyal Canadian Geographical Society
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada — its people and places, its natural and cultural heritage and its environmental, social and economic challenges.-History:The...
and the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
and his fonds includes black and white photographs of the letters patent.
Flag of Canada
During the Great Flag DebateGreat Flag Debate
The Great Canadian Flag Debate took place in 1964 when a new design for the national flag of Canada was chosen. The flag debate began on June 15, 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson proposed his plans for a new flag in the House of Commons. It lasted more than six months, bitterly...
of 1964, Beddoe was one of the primary artists working on potential designs for the new flag. He designed the Pearson Pennant design with three red maple leaves on a white background, with blue bars on either side representing "From sea to sea."
Art
Alan Beddoe was an artist. A drawing by Alan Beddoe entitled 'The Condemned Bridge' is in the Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada. He created individual photographic portraits of Major Forbes Thrasher and John Wilfred KennedyJohn Wilfred Kennedy
John Wilfred Kennedy was a farmer and political figure in Ontario. Canada. He represented Glengarry and Stormont in the Canadian House of Commons from 1919 to 1925 as a United Farmers and then Progressive Party member.He was born in Apple Hill, Ontario, the son of John Kennedy and Catherine...
. He created group portraits of the Ottawa Choral Society, 1898, the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
, the Provincial Model School, Ottawa, Ontario, 1904–1905, and the 7th Officers' Disciplinary Training Class, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1942.
Book plates
He designed several hundred book plate designs. His book plate designs for Charles Clement Tudway, Henry J. Turner, Edward Milner, and George Stacey Gibson are in the Alan Beddoe collection at Library and Archives Canada.Legacy
In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 1943, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services as a war artist
War artist
A war artist depicts some aspect of war through art; this might be a pictorial record or it might commemorate how "war shapes lives." War artists have explored a visual and sensory dimension of war which is often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.- Definition and context:A...
. Alan Beddoe died in 1975.
Publications
One of his most important contributions to the heraldry of Canada was Lt. Cdr. Alan Beddoe's book, Beddoe's Canadian Heraldry Rev. by Col. Strome Galloway, Belleville, Ontario: Mika Publishing Company, 1981.- "Address on Heraldry" - by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “A Brief on the Subject of Heraldry in Canada” by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “A Commentary on Heraldry in Canada” - by A. Beddoe n.d.
- "Flags used in Canada" - by A.Beddoe n.d.
- “Heraldry in Canada” by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “Heraldry and Its Relation to Genealogy” by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “Some Notes about Heraldry in Canada” - by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “The Coat-of-Arms” - by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “The Heraldry of Canada” - by A. Beddoe n.d.
- “The Legal and Constitutional Position of Heraldry in Canada” by A. Beddoe