Emanuel Hahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emanuel Otto Hahn
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| Born | 30 May 1881 |
| Died | February 14, 1957 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | German-Canadian |
| Known for | Sculptor and coin designer |
Emanuel Otto Hahn RCA (born May 30, 1881 – died February 14, 1957) was a talented German-born Canadian sculptor and coin designer. He taught art and later married Elizabeth Wyn Wood, who was also a famous sculptor. He helped create the Sculptors' Society of Canada and was its very first president.
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About Emanuel Hahn
Early Life and Learning
Emanuel Hahn was born in Reutlingen, which is now part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In 1888, when he was seven years old, his family moved to Toronto, Canada.
He studied art and design at the Toronto Technical School and the Ontario College of Art. From 1899 to 1903, he also learned about Industrial Design. In 1901, he started working for a company that made monuments. There, he created bronze designs for different memorials.
In 1903, Hahn went to Stuttgart, Germany to continue his art studies. He learned at the local art and design school and the Polytechnical School. He also spent some time working with a sculptor who taught at the art academy.
Working with a Famous Sculptor
From 1908 to 1912, Hahn worked as an assistant to another well-known sculptor, Walter Seymour Allward. He helped Allward build several important monuments. These included the South African War Memorial (Toronto) in Toronto, the Alexander Graham Bell Telephone Memorial in Brantford, Ontario, and the Baldwin-Lafontaine Monument in Ottawa.
In 1912, Hahn began teaching modeling at the Ontario College of Art. He eventually became the head of the sculpture department. He taught there until he retired in 1951. He also became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Family Life
In 1926, Emanuel Hahn married Elizabeth Wyn Wood, who had been one of his students. They had one daughter and lived in Toronto. Hahn passed away in Toronto in 1957.
Important Artworks and Projects
Hahn created many important sculptures and monuments across Canada.
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Emanuel Hahn's statue of Sir Adam Beck (1934) in Toronto.
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Emanuel Hahn's monument to Ned Hanlan (1926) on the Toronto Islands.
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Emanuel Hahn's design for Canadian stamps (1953) for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
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Emanuel Hahn's Robert Burns monument (1902) in Allan Gardens, Toronto.
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Emanuel Hahn's Memorial to Samuel Lount (1938) at Mackenzie House, Toronto.
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The Bell Telephone Memorial in Brantford, Ontario, which Hahn worked on with W.S. Allward.
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Emanuel Hahn's "Mackenzie Panels" (1938) at Mackenzie House, Toronto.
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The Saint-Lambert, Quebec Cenotaph by Emanuel Hahn, unveiled in 1922.
In 1916, a monument designed by Major Gideon Miller and sculpted by Emanuel Hahn was dedicated. It honored members of the Salvation Army who died when the RMS Empress of Ireland sank in 1914. This memorial is in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto.
After World War I, Hahn became well-known for his war memorial designs. Many communities wanted to honor their veterans with monuments. He designed a statue of a soldier "going over the top" for Saint-Lambert, Quebec. He also created a thoughtful figure of a soldier in his greatcoat for Lindsay, Ontario.
Hahn won a competition to design a war memorial for Winnipeg. However, a controversy started in 1925 when people found out he was of German background. Even though he was a Canadian citizen, Hahn had to give up the project. He was allowed to keep the prize money. The competition was reopened, and his wife, Elizabeth Wyn Wood, won it. But she also faced criticism and had to withdraw. The memorial was then given to the third-place winner.
Despite this challenge, Hahn's career was not badly affected. He received a lot of support from the public and the press. The next year, he was chosen to create the Edward Hanlan monument (1926). This statue was first placed at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds and later moved to the Toronto Islands in 2004. In 1929, he won another important competition for a memorial to Sir Adam Beck. This was his largest project, and it was unveiled in 1934 in Toronto.
Hahn was a member of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto. He also helped start the Sculptors' Society of Canada in 1928 with Frances Loring, Florence Wyle, and Elizabeth Wyn Wood. Being part of this society allowed Hahn to show his smaller sculptures in places other than museums and galleries.
One of Hahn's last works was the Robert H. Saunders Memorial. This is a special marker located in Toronto, completed in 1957.
Coin Designs
Emanuel Hahn designed several well-known coins of Canada.
- He created the Voyageur Dollar. This coin shows a fur-trapper (called a coureur de bois) and a First Nations man in a canoe. In the background, you can see the Northern Lights.
- He designed the 10-cent coin, which features the famous Nova Scotia racing schooner Bluenose.
- He also designed the 25-cent coin, showing the head of a caribou.
- He designed the back of the 1939 silver dollar, which showed the Canadian Parliament Buildings. This coin was made for the 1939 royal tour of Canada.
Artworks of Emanuel Hahn
Emanuel Hahn was also the subject of art himself. His former student, Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook, created a large bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) of him. It was called Head of Emanuel Hahn. The National Gallery of Canada bought this sculpture in 1962 for its collection.
