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L ANE BDRSTAD > ESSAY I ES SAI
FIG. 7. WALTER ALLWA RD, SKETCH FOR BRANT FO RD WAR
MEMORIAL (BORSTAD CATALOGUE #221), C 192 1.
FIG. 8. WA LTER ALL WARD, PHOTOGRAPH OF PLASTER
MODEL FOR BRANTFORD, C. 1921.
FIG. 9. WA LTER ALL WARD, BRAN TFORD WAR MEMORIAL,
BRANTFORD (BORSTAD CATALOGUE #538), 1930.
sketches may relate to the Brantford fig-
in Allward's career from the traditional
biographical representation of Simcoe
(Toronto) through progressively bolder designs
of South African Memorial (Toronto),
Baldwin and Lafontaine (Ottawa) and Bell
Telephone Memorial (Brantford).
This evolution continued in the commission
Allward received in 1918, for the Peterborough
War Memorial, 1918-1922 (fig. 6). The
sketch model was completed in November
1920 35 and once again, Allward designed
the monument with two large allegorical
bronze figures similar to Stratford. Here,
Allward's romantic debt to Rodin is again
evident in the handling of the figures and
treatment of surfaces. More importantly,
however, is the use of a wall to define the
space. This results in a stage like setting
upon which the characters act out their dramatic
confrontation. The drama becomes
even more powerful when the viewer enters
the defined space.
Allward explained that one figure is
standing:
with out stret ched han d, the idle sh iel d worn
on the back of the figure and an id le sword
expressing t he idea t hat there can be no
further conflict On the r ight is the figure of
strife or ba r barism , beat en and retreating
before the strengt h of civilizat ion , the sword
ha s fa llen t o the ground and t he flambeau
has been extinguished. 36
Here are the lofty and universal ideas, dramatic
gestures, and powerful silhouettes
set against the sky that Allward came to
favour. The models for the Peterborough
figures were finished by Allward in 1921 but
he was unable to complete the commission
because he won the competition for the
Canadian Memorial in France and subsequently
left for England in June 1922. 37
He was also unable to complete Brantford
War Memorial (1921-1930) and the city
of Brantford was never to receive its memorial
as originally conceived. 38 The initial
design of the monument was to include
a group of bronze figures representing
humanity depicted by:
the wounded fi gure of a r ecumbent youth
gazing up at th e cross , wh ile a mother,
with head held high, typifies unbroken faith
and pa t riotic fervor; a t hird figure is in t he
attitude of praye r.os
As Allward states, these figures were
never completed because "of my whole
time being given to Vimy". 40
Among All ward's drawings severa l
ures, but none agrees exactly with the
description quoted above. One drawing
(fig. 7) inscribed as the Brantford war me-
morial 41 represents the breaking of the
sword rather than a recumbent youth and
mother. There are also no drawings that
include pylons in a configuration similar
to the completed monument (fig. 9).
The architect credited with the construction
of the memorial was Walter Allward's
eldest son, Hugh L. Allward 42 and it may
be that Hugh in fact is responsible for the
design. A third architect is also associated
with the project. Undated blueprints in
the Ontario Archives entitled Proposed
Memorial Gallery - Brantford War Memorial
are signed by C. H. Brooks, Architect.'3The
monument depicted is identical
to the monument as built in Brantford.
It is not possible then to assign exclusive
credit for the Brantford memorial to Walter
Allward. He may have been responsible
for the initial concept. Hi s plaster
model included pylons and a grave below
that strongly foreshadow the concept for
Vi my, but the orientation and the lack of
figurative sculpture differ from Brantford
as executed (fig. 8).
PERSONAL DRAWINGS AT THE
START OF THE WAR
Walter Allward never took an active part in
the war, nonetheless he "reacted strongly
to the brutality of enemy invasions
and conquest". 44 A series of pen and ink
drawings dating from 1913/14 give a very
personal self-portrait of the artist as he
approached mid-life, a successful sculptor
JSSAC ! JSE':AC 33 > N' 1 > 2008
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