It was on July 7, 1936 that Claude C. Allen initiated the legacy of the Canadian Club's wonderful gallery collection at a meeting of Board of Governors. The intention was to depict Canada to metropolitan New York as well as to remind its members of their heritage. The idea lay fallow until early 1947 when President John C. McCullen insisted that Mr. Allen chair the gallery Committee, and along with Ray P. Clayberger and Roy T. Yates, pursue plans for commissioning and purchasing a collection. The Governors felt that the paintings, hung in the Canadian Club Lounge at The Waldorf Astoria, would give the room and the Club overall, a Canadian distinctiveness.

All of the galleryists of this collection were born around the turn-of-the century and lived through two World Wars. Most served during one of the Wars and some in the capacity of Official War galleryists. Some were winners of the prestigious Canadian Jessie Dow Prize and many were members of the Royal Canadian Academy of gallery (R.C.A). The Committee held an exhibition of Canadian gallery in 1947, having accomplished its mission of providing the Club with a collection of outstanding paintings of Canadian scenes by Canadian galleryists. It is because of their foresight that we can enjoy these paintings, now hanging at the Canadian Club's home at The Penn Club, today.

The following paintings are representative of the provinces, moving from the west-coast to the east-coast. The paintings originally chosen to represent Canada ("Parliament Buildings"), British Columbia ("Okanagan Valley"), and the Territories ("Northwest Territories-Hudson Bay Post" on behalf of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and since April 1, 1999, Nunavut) are currently on loan to the Canadian High Commission and Canada House in London.

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CLICK HERE to see the thumbnails of the paintings.

CLICK HERE for descriptions of additional paintings in the collection and those currently on loan in London.

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