Lot #132: A Century-Old Intercontinental Connection: Early Marjorie C. Bates Print in Its Historic 1

More than decorative artwork, this exceptional piece offers a rare connection between historic England and early Toronto’s flourishing art community. “The Bear and Billet, Chester” is a beautifully tinted architectural print by acclaimed British artist Marjorie C. Bates (1882–1962). The scene captures one of Chester’s most recognizable 17th-century timber-framed buildings, rendered with Bates’s celebrated attention to architectural character, atmosphere and Old-World charm. What truly distinguishes this example is its remarkable original Canadian presentation. Preserved on the reverse is an early artisan label from Fred L. Curry Picture Framing, formerly located at 760 Yonge Street in Toronto. Believed to have been framed between approximately 1916 and 1925, the original dark-stained wooden moulding, backing and glass form an extraordinary time capsule from Toronto’s early-20th-century cultural history. Fred L. Curry’s Yonge Street shop operated within the same developing artistic world that surrounded prominent Canadian painters and pioneering members of the Group of Seven, giving the frame and its surviving label tremendous historical interest. The artwork retains a warm, authentic patina, including historic mat lines and delicate age-related foxing—honest evidence of a journey spanning approximately a century and crossing the Atlantic. These characteristics enhance its atmosphere and provenance rather than diminish its appeal. Elegant, evocative and rich with history, this is an outstanding acquisition for collectors of Marjorie C. Bates, traditional British architectural art, early Toronto memorabilia, historic framing labels or distinctive transatlantic Canadiana. A compelling work with a story on both the front and the reverse—beautiful to display and fascinating to preserve. Dimensions: 10”W x 12”h Pickup category timeslot {A}