From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
The Algoma region has produced many remarkable artists, and Anthony Chelsom is no exception.
Known as Tony, he came from a family of artists, starting with his great-grandfather, who was an artist in Paris. Tony was educated in what he called ‘Robin Hood’ country, having attended Nottingham Art College in England.
While in Nottingham, Tony took on several commercial and freelance jobs to help cover his tuition costs. Once he graduated, he began working for J. Arthur Rank Studio. It was during this time that Tony developed a love for wildlife, spending hours drawing and sketching any living animal he could.
After a year of working, he began travelling with four other artists who made their way to Australia and New Zealand. It was during his travels that he met and fell in love with Esther Faulkner. The couple would later settle in Chicago to attend the Chicago Institute of Design, before studying education in Toronto.
Tony became a teacher at Sault Collegiate and then White Pines in 1973. As a teacher and artist, Chelsom was not only able to teach his students art in various mediums but also created a portfolio to showcase their work. Chelsom was involved in the local community and in 1967 attempted to create a Natural History Museum in Sault Ste. Marie.
Tony Chelsom has created several famous pieces of art, with his most famous being Overflight, which was presented to HRH Prince Philip in 1983 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario.
At the time, Prince Philip was the Chairman of the World Wildlife Fund. The painting depicts two Canadian geese in midflight. Chelsom was also commissioned by Texaco to create the artwork and logo for the 1981 Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay.
Chelsom was commissioned by Environment Canada to create 45 paintings over several years, with each one showcasing at least one of the country’s national parks. The artwork was to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of the Canadian National Parks system. In 1987, Chelsom unveiled his National Parks of Canada Centennial Collection at the National Museum in Ottawa.
In 1995, Chelsom created 2 acrylic paintings to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Which were signed by famed Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot. Tony Chelsom passed away suddenly in August 2017, leaving behind a legacy as a great Canadian painter and educator.
Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more "Remember This?" columns here.