Documentary Art

The Documentary Art collection is made up of painted, drawn and printed images that are an invaluable resource for researchers studying the social history of Quebec and Canada. Depicting people, places, scenes, historic and political events and objects, these iconographic documents reflect the perspectives of Canadians over the past three centuries.
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The collection is noteworthy for its corpus of satirical drawings covering over two and a half centuries of Canadian history. Comprising some 45,000 caricatures, this collection has been widely disseminated in print, online, and in exhibitions.

Among the collection’s original works are thousands of portraits of individuals who have marked the history of the country, as well as landscapes and cityscapes documenting the growth of Canada’s urban centres, particularly the Montreal region.

Fonds devoted to illustrators and printers, illustrated newspapers and posters complete this extensive gallery of images typical of Canada, its people and its cultures.

The collection also includes the Stewart Museum’s corpus of historical prints and iconographic documents, a visual compendium of the key events leading to the European presence in what is now known as Canada. It contains over 4,000 illustrations of everyday life and military operations.

Christian joined the McCord Museum team in 1989. An art historian passionate about Canadian iconography from the 18^th century to the present day, Christian is particularly fascinated by graphic satire and the printed image. He focusses on documenting the history of caricature and political cartooning in Quebec.

Meet curator Christian Vachon and learn more about his expertise and his work.
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