Jay Peterson’s Girl, Sled and Snowman, circa 1961
My mother, Jay Peterson (1920-1976), painted this girl, sled and snowman on the wall of my father, Charles T. Peterson (1913-2007)’s, periodontal office. My father’s office was located at 281 Dufferin Avenue in London, Ontario, Canada.
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| Jay Peterson’s ca. 1961 artwork |
It is believed my mother painted this around 1961, along with other artwork of children engaging in various activities. If you want to see other images that she painted on the wall, click on the “Jay Peterson” label in the right sidebar. Scroll down to view my posts dated May 11, 2013 and December 15, 2016 (Part One of Four of the latter).
My father retired circa 1977, and his office was torn down shortly afterwards. But before it was dismantled, he cut my mother’s pictures out of the wall, and had them individually framed. To make a long story short, two of about four that were previously at the Peterson cottage in Leith, Ontario, are now on the wall of my home in London, Ontario.
Am grateful to my brother, Stuart Peterson, who, in August 2016, mailed me three more of my mother’s paintings that had been on the wall of my father’s office. My cousin, John Tinker, found them at my maternal grandparents’ former cottage in Leith, Ontario. Consequently, I now have five of these treasured reminders of my mother.
Artwork in 2017 Season’s Greetings Card
I incorporated my mother’s girl, sled and snowman artwork into my 2017 Season’s Greetings cards. This is the eighth year I have used her artwork to brighten up my end-of-year correspondence. For the previous seven years, I used the Staples Copy and Print online greeting card templates to create them. This year’s card was developed via the Staples Live Design System.
Here is a photo of the front of the 2017 card.
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| Jay Peterson’s artwork in 2017 Season’s Greetings card |
The inside of the 2017 card.
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| Inside of 2017 card |
It says “Season’s Greetings from the Peterson residence” because I provide my two surviving brothers (who also have the last name of Peterson) with multiple copies of the cards. This is so they can distribute them to their own network of family, friends and associates. I particularly appreciate the fact that my brothers pass on the cards to their children–my four nieces and one nephew–who never knew their grandmother, because she passed away before they were all born.
The Ivey Family London Room Receives Copies of My Season’s Greetings Cards
The Ivey Family London Room, at the Central Branch of the London Public Library, has been one of the recipients of my cards featuring my mother’s artwork for all of the eight years I have produced them. I have happily complied with the London Room Librarian, Arthur McClelland’s, request to provide additional copies of each year’s card. This is so the staff can not only retain them in the archives, but also so they will have extras for display purposes.
(For further information about the London Room, refer to my December 14, 2013 post, which you can find by clicking on the “Ivey Family London Room” label in the right sidebar.}
2015 and 2017 Cards in Ivey Family London Room “Winter in London” Display
Barb Scott, the London Room Library Assistant, included both my 2015 and 2017 cards in this year’s “Winter in London” display. In a Decembet 5, 2017 email to me, Scott explained that this year’s focus is on “skating, tobogganing, outdoor ice rinks and such.”
On December 6, 2017, I went down to the London Room to view the wonderful displays, which are housed in wall and flat cabinets in various parts of the repository.
Here is a photo of Scott at the entrance to the London Room.
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| Barb Scott at entrance to the London Room, December 6, 2017 |
And this is one of Scott and I standing beside the display cabinet containing the 2015 and 2017 cards. This cabinet is located outside the London Room’s front doors, on the left. The cards are on the second from the bottom shelf, on the left.
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| Leith Peterson and Barb Scott beside display, December 6, 2017 |
The 2015 and 2017 cards in the display.
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| 2015 and 2017 cards in London Room display, December 6, 2017 |
(For further information about the carollers artwork in my 2015 card, refer to my April 11, 2016 post, which you can find by clicking on the “Jay Peterson” label in the right sidebar.)
Scott said the “Winter in London” display should be up until mid-January 2018. If you are in the London area during this period, I recommend checking it out.
Ivey Family London Room Celebrated 50th Anniversary, July 31, 2017
On July 31, 2017, I enjoyed being present at the London Room’s 50th anniversary. This well-attended event included speeches, the unveiling of a new collection of historical postcards, and the launch of the book London: 150 Cultural Moments.
So, if you do make it down to the London Room to see the “Winter in London” display, or, if you venture there at any point in the future, you will have an opportunity to see what more than 50 years of hard work, and a dedicated staff, have accomplished.
Bibliography
Carbone, J. (2017, July 31). Central Library’s London Room marks 50th Anniversary. globalnews.ca
London Public Library (2017, Summer). 50 years of local history. Access, pp. 1-2, 32, 42.
London Public Library (2012, September). Ivey Family London Room [brochure].
Montanini, C. (2017, July 27). London culture in 150 meaningful moments. londoner.ca
Pinkerton, C. (2017, June 5). London Room: Becoming city’s know-it-all. lfpress.com