A gentlewoman in upper Canada; the journals, letters, and art of Anne Langton.

9780802035493

A gentlewoman in upper Canada; the journals, letters, and art of Anne Langton.

Ed. by Barbara Williams.

U. of Toronto Press

2008

436 pages

$55.00

Hardcover

FC3072

In the 1830s, Anne Langton, a well-brought-up Englishwoman, came to what is now Ontario to live with her brother, who had recently settled there. When she died in 1893, Langton left a collection of letters, journal entries and exquisite works of art in several media. Williams, a freelance writer and curator who has arranged exhibits of Langton's art, now presents a newly-edited selection of her writings along with reproductions of some of her drawings. Williams has done exhaustive work in annotating the text, placing Langton in the context of both her privileged life in Europe and her experiences on the Canadian frontier. Langton is a skilled writer and her observations aid in providing a window into the lives of women and their role in establishing lasting communities. Williams's commentary fleshes out the story of Langton's experience.

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