Jon S. Dellandrea - The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case: The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson Forgeries

True crime meets high art in Jon S. Dellandreas riveting and essential investigation into a national art-history-mystery. This daring book shows how the Canadian art market and its insidious twin, the black market in fakes and forgeries, grew up together and remain connected. Dellandrea masterfully lights up the pixels of Canadian history to reveal an exciting and uncomfortable image hidden within our countrys cultural mythology. You have to read this story to believe it.

Joshua Knelman , author of Hot Art

Jon S. Dellandrea has given us a lively account of his adventures in the art world, as he tracks down the story of a major forgery racket in 1960s Toronto. I was fascinated by his gallery of gifted artists, slippery dealers, gullible customers, and a dogged police officer. His research is impressive and his reflections on the real victims of art fraud are provocative.

Charlotte Gray , author of Murdered Midas

Beyond fascinating. Endlessly intriguing. Dellandreas book is the ultimate mix of crime, art, and salacious, delicious detail that you cant stop reading.

Barry Avrich , Director/Producer of Made You Look

Was the last Group of Seven painting you looked at a fake? Quite possibly, according to Jon S. Dellandrea. Packed with art, history, case examples, careful examinations, and jaw-dropping details about how crime has been part of the Canadian cultural ecosystem, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case reveals why for decades scholars, auction houses, galleries, and museums have turned a blind eye to felonies in plain sight.

Sara Angel , Executive Director, The Art Canada Institute

The Group of Seven & Tom Thomson Forgeries

Investigated & Written by

Jon S. Dellandrea

Goose Lane Editions

Copyright 2022 by Jon S. Dellandrea. All images and objects depicted are in the collection of the author unless otherwise noted.

Every effort has been made to trace ownership of copyrighted materials and to obtain permission for the use of their reproductions. The publisher and the author apologize for any errors or omissions that may have occurred. Should copyright holders identify any errors in the acknowledgement of their work, we would be pleased to incorporate corrections in future reprints or editions.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). To contact Access Copyright, visit accesscopyright.ca or call 1-800-893-5777.

Edited by Sarah Brohman and Jill Ainsley. Cover design by Jason Logan. Page design by Jason Logan with Julie Scriver. Cover and interior photographs by Doug Nicholson unless otherwise noted. Printed in Canada by Friesens. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Goose Lane Editions acknowledges the generous support of the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Government of New Brunswick.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: The great Canadian art fraud case : the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson forgeries / Jon S. Dellandrea. Names: Dellandrea, Jon S., author. Description: Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20220193967 | Canadiana (ebook) 20220194173 | ISBN 9781773102535 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781773102542 (EPUB) Subjects: LCSH: MacGregor, William FirthTrials, litigation, etc. | LCSH: Thomson, Tom, 1877-1917 ForgeriesCanada. | LCSH: Group of Seven (Group of artists) | LCSH: Trials (Forgery) Canada. | LCSH: ArtForgeriesCanada. | LCSH: Art forgersCanada. | LCSH: ArtistsCanada. Classification: LCC KE229.M33 D45 2022 | LCC KF224.M33 D45 2022 | DDC 345/.7102635dc23

Goose Lane Editions is located on the unceded territory of the Wlastkwiyik whose ancestors along with the Mi'kmaq and Peskotomuhkati Nations signed Peace and Friendship Treaties with the British Crown in the 1700s.

Goose Lane Editions 500 Beaverbrook Court, Suite 330 Fredericton, New Brunswick CANADA E3B 5X4 gooselane.com

To the love of my life, Lyne Dellandrea, goes my deep gratitude for her encouragement and support.

* Famous, infamous, and lesser-known persons from across the country

1. Max Bell, Calgary business executive and art collector
2. Eric Brown, director, National Gallery of Canada
3. William Hall Brydon and Ethel Dale Brydon, Brampton patrons of W.F. MacGregor
4. Perkins Bull, Brampton lawyer, philanthropist, and art collector
5. A.J. Casson, artist, Group of Seven member, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) art adviser
6. Gordon Chambers, Toronto obstetrician and art collector
7. Thomas Chatfield, artist
8. Frederick Simpson Coburn, artist
9. Alan Collier, artist, colleague of A.J. Casson, creator of the Collier tapes
10. David Crombie, character witness for Neil Sharkey
11. James Erskine, OPP lead investigator
12. Robert Forsyth, trial judge
13. Robert Fulford, columnist, Macleans
14. Clarence A. Gagnon, artist
15. Arthur Gill, Montreal business executive and art collector
16. D.F. Graham, magistrate at the preliminary inquiry
17. J. Russell Harper, curator, National Gallery of Canada
18. Lawren Harris, artist, Group of Seven member
19. E. Patrick Hartt, QC, special prosecutor for the preliminary inquiry
20. S. Hogg, Esq., counsel for Neil Sharkey
21. A.Y. Jackson, artist, Group of Seven member
22. Elizabeth Kilbourn, arts critic, Toronto Daily Star
23. Walter Klinkhoff, Montral art dealer
24. Cornelius Krieghoff, artist
25. Archie and Blair Laing, Toronto art dealers
26. Leslie W. Lewis, Toronto and London, England, art dealer
27. Arthur Lismer, artist, Group of Seven member
28. J.E.H. MacDonald, artist, Group of Seven member
29. J.W.G. (Jock) Macdonald, artist, friend of W.F. MacGregor
30. Thomas Reid MacDonald, director, Art Gallery of Hamilton
31. Charles MacGregor, artist and Williams brother
32. Jesse Hercus MacGregor, Williams mother
33. William Firth MacGregor, artist
34. H.O. (Harry) McCurry, assistant director, National Gallery of Canada
35. Robert and Signe McMichael, Toronto art collectors, founders of the McMichael Canadian Collection
36. James Wilson Morrice, artist
37. Rita Mount, artist
38. L.A.C. Panton, artist, and teacher
39. Robert Pilot, artist
40. E.E. Poole, Edmonton businessman and art collector
41. Reginald L. Pye, Toronto art dealer
42. Hon. John P. Robarts, premier of Ontario
43. Goodridge Roberts, artist, colleague of W.F. MacGregor
44. Joseph (Joe) Sedgwick, QC, counsel for Leslie W. Lewis
45. Neil Sharkey, Toronto art dealer
46. Max Stern, Montral art dealer
47. Nathan Stolow, chief of conservation, National Gallery of Canada