Happy Birthday Sir John A.

Happy Birthday Sir John A.! January 11th is the anniversary of Sir John A. Macdonald’s birth. The photograph of Sir John A. Macdonald pictured above was taken by William Sawyer, an itinerent artist and photographer from the Kingston area. The date on the photograph is circa 1863 and it was used as a reference in the creation of Sawyer’s oil painting of Macdonald. The completed oil portrait, which shows Macdonald with a book in his extended hand and a detailed background is on display in Memorial Hall at Kingston City Hall and available for viewing during regular business hours. Sawyer’s artwork can be spotted throughout City Hall as he also completed a number of commissioned portraits of City Mayors. (QUA, Sawyer fonds, 2054-4-44)