Carl Schaefer (1903-1995) studied at the Ontario College of Art (1921-1924) with J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932) and Arthur Lismer (1885-1969), among others. During the 1920s and 30s, Schaefer worked at a variety of jobs, including as an assistant to J.E.H. MacDonald, as a painter of church decoration, as a builder and painter theatre sets, and as a commercial artist and sign painter. He taught at the Central Technical School, Toronto, from 1931 until 1947, and was the first Canadian painter to be awarded a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship (1940). Schaefer spent 1940-1941 painting in Vermont near Dartmouth College and while there made use of the college's printmaking facilities. He had his first exhibition in 1924, which he organized himself in Hanover, Ontario. Schaefer exhibited with the Ontario Society of Artists in 1925, with the Group of Seven in 1928 and 1931, with John Alfsen (1902-1971) at the Art Gallery of Toronto in 1932, and had his first solo exhibition at the Picture Loan Society, Toronto, in 1937. Although better known for his painting of the countryside of southern Ontario, Schaefer produced forty-five prints between 1923 and 1945, including linocuts, wood engravings, drypoints, lithographs, and a stencil. He was invited to become an official war artist and enlisted with the R.C.A.F. in 1943. He was attached to various squadrons in England and Northern Ireland until 1944, posted to Iceland, and was discharged in 1946. In 1948, Schaefer was appointed an instructor at the Ontario College of Art and taught there until 1970. Schaefer received many honours and awards for his work during his lifetime. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the Canadian Society of Graphic Art, the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, the Canadian Group of Painters, and the International Institute of Arts and Letters.

The fonds consists of thirty-four printing blocks and one halftone photomechanical plate of works by Carl Schaefer. Also included in the fonds are a cap and leather mitts that belonged to Schaefer.

Source of supplied title proper: Title based on contents of fonds.

Immediate source of acquisition: Printing blocks and photomechanical plate were donated to the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives by Paul Schaefer, son of the artist, 2008. Carl Schaefer's cap and mitts were transferred to the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives from the National Archives of Canada, April 1998.

Physical description: Fonds includes 34 printing blocks, 1 photomechanical plate, and 3 objects.

Terms governing use and reproduction: Permission to reproduce or publish material from the Carl Schaefer fonds must be obtained from the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives.

Finding aids: Series level descriptions and printing blocks list available.

Related groups of records: Library and Archives Canada holds related material in the Carl Schaefer fonds.