Lorraine Monk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorraine Monk
OC OOnt
|
|
|---|---|
Monk meets Gerald Ford during the United States Bicentennial, 1976
|
|
| Born |
Lorraine Althea Constance Spurrell
May 26, 1922 |
| Died | December 17, 2020 (aged 98) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|
| Alma mater | McGill University |
| Awards |
|
Lorraine Althea Constance Monk OC OOnt (born Spurrell; May 26, 1922 – December 17, 2020) was a Canadian photographer and a leader at the National Film Board of Canada. She was known for creating many photography projects that showed Canadian culture from the 1960s onwards.
Lorraine Monk helped start the Canadian Museum of Photography in Toronto. This museum later led to other photography museums across Canada. She also helped publish famous photography books like Canada: A Year of the Land and Between Friends. Over 160,000 photos she helped create are now kept at the National Gallery of Canada.
For her important work in documenting Canada's history and helping new photographers, she received many awards. These included the Order of Canada in 1973 (and again in 1983), the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002, and the Order of Ontario in 2007.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lorraine Althea Constance Spurrell was born on May 26, 1922, in Montreal, Quebec. Her parents, Eileen Marion and Edwin Spurrell, were from Newfoundland and Labrador. Her father was a cod fisherman who fought in World War I. Her mother was related to the Archbishop of Newfoundland.
Lorraine was the first person in her family to go to university. She studied at McGill University. In 1944, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and sociology. She then completed a Master of Arts degree in 1946. She started a doctorate program but had to leave because she became ill.
A Career in Photography
Lorraine Monk began her career in Ottawa, working for the government. She wrote about the history of the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. In 1957, she joined the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Her job was to write captions for their photo stories. These photos were used in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Leading the Still Photography Division
In 1960, Monk became the executive producer of the Photo Services at the NFB. She later changed its name to the Still Photography Division. This group's goal was to provide photos to different government departments. Over time, she started working with freelance photographers instead of only using in-house staff.
Lorraine Monk and her team wanted to create more realistic, documentary-style photos. In 1967, she opened the NFB Photo Gallery in Ottawa. This was Canada's first photo gallery for modern Canadian photography. She also started a program that sent photography exhibitions on tour across Canada and to other countries.
Documenting Canada's Culture
In 1980, Monk moved to Toronto. There, she continued to organize photo exhibitions and produce photo books. In 1985, she helped create the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography in Toronto. This museum also opened smaller locations in other cities.
Throughout her career, Monk was known for commissioning photos that showed Canada's landscapes, people, and culture. She helped create books like Canada: A Year of the Land and Canada with Love. Her projects not only documented the country but also encouraged many new photographers. More than 160,000 of these photos are now kept at the National Gallery of Canada.
A newspaper, The Globe and Mail, noted that during her time at the NFB, photos became more than just news. They became a way for artists to express themselves and a form of art to collect.
Between Friends and Other Works
One of Monk's most famous photo books was Between Friends / Entre Amis (1976). This book was Canada's special gift to the United States for its United States Bicentennial in 1976. Monk traveled with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to give the book to U.S. President Gerald Ford in Washington, D.C. The book had 262 pages of photos showing life, scenes, and people from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Anna Porter, an editor at McClelland & Stewart (who published many of Monk's books), praised her excellent judgment. She said that Between Friends / Entre Amis became "the gift book of the decade."
Some of Monk's other award-winning photo books included Photographs that Changed the World (1989) and Canada: These Things We Hold Dear (1999). She supported many photographers, including Thaddeus Holownia, John Max, and Freeman Patterson.
From 1998, Monk was a member of the board for the Roloff Beny Foundation. She helped create an annual prize for the best photo book, which ended in 2004.
Honours and Awards
In 1973, Lorraine Monk was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This was for her excellent work in publishing and showing photography, and for helping young photographers. She was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada in 1983.
In 2007, she received the Order of Ontario. This award recognized her contributions as a photographer, which brought fame to Ontario. She also received the Canadian Centennial Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. In 1982, she was given honorary degrees from York University and Carleton University.
Many of her books also won awards. Canada (1975) won a silver medal at the Leipzig Book Fair. Between Friends (1976) won the gold medal at the same fair.
Personal Life
Lorraine Monk's first marriage ended after her daughter was born. She moved back with her parents, who helped care for her daughter while she worked. Later, when she moved to Ottawa, she married John Monk. They had met at McGill University. John had been injured fighting in World War II. To support John while he studied law, Lorraine worked at the Department of National Defence.
Lorraine and John had two sons and a daughter, author Karyn Monk. They were married until John's death in 1979. In 2010, Lorraine Monk married Daniel Fernandez, a music composer.
Lorraine Monk passed away on December 17, 2020, in Toronto, Ontario, at the age of 98.
Sources
- Gould, Allan M. (June 1982). "Lorraine Monk: Woman with a Mission". Chatelaine 55 (6). ProQuest 1715352519.
