Photocopies of a series of around 80 long and detailed typed letters (one handwritten) from artist Duncan MacGregor Whyte to his wife, Mary Barnard, and his son, Tearlach, during his travels, from boarding the steamship ‘Caledonia’ in Nov. 1911, across Canada in 1912-13, sailing to Australia via Hawaii in 1913, and around Australia in 1913-1919. In the letters, DMcGW describes his journeys, the people he meets and the paintings he produces. He frequently refers to the Gaelic language and Tiree, where he built The Studio at Balephuil.
I’m a descendant of Duncan MacGregor Whyte and would dearly like to read these letters (2018.54.2) if you have a link that would give me access. I live in Sydney and am particularly interested in his travels and painting subjects and locations in Australia. I own two of his paintings and other family members also have his paintings.
Sincere regards,
Pamela McGowan
Hello Pamela, We will send you an email
I’m just discovering McGregor Whyte and his marvellous paintings and biography, and doing so inspired by the painting “The Golden West, Tiree” in the Sotheby’s catalogue of their Gleneagles sale of 31/8/2005.
To think of him setting up a studio in Toronto and getting such good publicity in the city press and then being a success in Western Australia: his portrait “A Young Violinist” hailed as the soundest ever done there.
Three other Scots artists that I know of went to Canada round that time; Maclauchlan Milne 1903- c1906 (doesn’t appeared to have painted during that time), Donald MacQuarrie 1906-1914 (at first a homesteader in Saskatchewan was later the first curator of Winnipeg Art Gallery and an instructor at the school of art there), and finally his life-long friend and brother-in-law George Telfer Bear 1906- c. 1914/9 (a homesteader and real estate agent but painted and exhibited).
Duncan McGregor Whyte should be much more highly regarded.