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FYLES, Faith

Born
Cowansville, Quebec, 1875
Died
Ottawa, Ontario, 1961
Biography synopsis
Faith Fyles was one of the first women botanists employed by the Canadian government where she brought together her artistic talent and scientific knowledge. After receiving a B.A. from McGill University in 1900, she studied botany with her father, an Anglican minister and naturalist. She also became a member of the Quebec Studio Club where she took art lessons. She taught for a few years and then studied in London and Paris and took study trips to Spain and Italy in 1909. When she returned to Canada in 1910 she worked as a seed analyst at the Department of Agriculture in Ottawa. Two years later she became Assistant Botanist, responsible for the Arboretum, the herbarium of Canada, and published her field studies. She wrote and illustrated various government reports including the "Systematic Botany" chapter in the Report of the Dominion Botanist (1913). In 1914 Fyles travelled through Western Canada to prepare "Principal Poisonous Plants of Canada," which she also illustrated. In 1920, Fyles became the first botanical artist employed by the Horticulture Division; her illustrations served farmers in identifying weed specimens. On retiring in 1931, Fyles participated in exhibitions of the Art Association of Montreal and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and also held exhibitions in private galleries. In 1924, Lady Byng, wife of the Governor General of Canada, bought some of her works and later engaged Fyles to paint her garden.
Media used
Drawing
Painting
Watercolour
Education
Quebec Studio Club (under Robert Wickenden, Walter Griffin)
Newlyn School of Art, Newlyn, England (under Stanhope Forbes)
File & Archive locations
Art Gallery of Ontario - Edward P. Taylor Research Library and Archives
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC
National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives
Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Documentation Centre, QC
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Writings about
Ainley, Marianne Gosztonyi. Despite the Odds Essays on Canadian Women and Science. Montreal, QC: Vehicule Press, 1990
Anderson, Peter. "The Herbarium: An Interior Landscape of Science." Landscapes of Science. Ed. Tina Hancock. Toronto: Network in Canadian History and Environment, (2018): 40-46
http://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10315/35707/Anderson_Herbarium_10_25071-10315-35685-05.pdf?sequence=1
Bertrand, Magdeleine. Les Femmes artistes du Québec de 1875 à 1925 Montreal: Université de Montréal, 1990
Canada. "Report of the Botanist." (Appendix to the Report of the Minister of Agriculture." Sessional Papers. 1915, no. 16, 964-965
Canada. "Report of the Dominion Botanist." Sessional Papers. Report of the Minister of Agriculture. Ottawa, Ontario: 1912, no. 16, 191-2
Canada. "Systematic Botany." (Appendix to the Report of the Minister of Agriculture). Sessional Papers. 1913, no. 16, 493-496
Gillett, Margaret and Kay Sibbald. A Fair Shake: Autobiographical Essays by McGill Women. Montreal, Quebec: Eden Press, 1984
Hinchcliff, Richard. "Faith Fyles." Friends of the Experimental Farm Newsletter. 24.1 (Winter 2012): 6-7
http://friendsofthefarm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/winter12.pdf
Huneault, Kristina. I'm Not Myself at All: Women, Art, and Subjectivity in Canada Montreal; Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2018
Lloyd, Hoyes. "Faith Fyles: Artist-Naturalist (1875-1961)." Canadian Field Naturalist 75 (1961): 220
Loydlangston, Amber. "Women in Botany and the Canadian Federal Department of Agriculture." Scientia Canadiensis 29.2 (2006): 99–130
Smith, Helen. Ottawa's Farm: A History of the Central Experimental Farm. Burnstown, Ontario: General Store Pub. House, 1996

Writings by
Fyles, Faith. Do You Know Your Weeds? Ottawa, ON: Department of Agriculture, 1916
Fyles, Faith. Principal Poisonous Plants of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario: Canada. Dept. of Agriculture (Series: Bulletin), 39 (1920)
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/25336#/summary
Fyles, Faith. Wild Rice. Ottawa, Ontario: Dominion Experimental Farms and Stations (Canada), 1920, 2nd Series: 42.
Fyles, Faith. "A Swamp." Ottawa Naturalist 26 (1912): 17-19

Full text pdfs of exhibition reviews
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 22, 1917) "No Freak Pictures at Spring Show. Big Exhibition at Art Gallery but Works Small in Size. An Added Attraction: French War Posters, Medals and Souvenirs on View to Aid Red Cross Work."  Gazette (Montreal)  March 23, 1917.  p.13.   Full-text pdf
The Joint Annual Exhibition of the RCA and the OSA: (Toronto; Montreal (Fall), April 05, 1918) "Spring Exhibit at Art Gallery. Returned Soldier Exhibits Two Works Sketched at the Front. Four Artists Overseas. Late Exhibition of R.C.A. Held Works that Usually Came to Montreal - Good Watercolors."  Gazette (Montreal)  April 05, 1918.  p.7.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 04, 1918) "Spring Exhibition at Art Gallery. Returned Soldier Exhibits Two Works Sketched at the Front."  Gazette (Montreal)  April 05, 1918.  p.5.   Full-text pdf
The Joint Annual Exhibition of the RCA and the OSA: (Toronto; Montreal (Fall), April 05, 1918) "War-time Note in Academy Pictures. Camouflaged Shipping the Subject of Some Historically Interesting Works. Standard Maintained. Painters Producing Fewer Works Evidenced by Showing Pictures Exhibited Last Spring in Toronto."  Gazette (Montreal)  November 22, 1918.  p.11.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Montreal, November 18, 1920) "Art of Canadians Well Represented."  Gazette (Montreal)  November 19, 1920.  p.9.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 01, 1921) "Fewer Paintings, Higher Standards. Thirty-Eighth Annual Exhibition of Art Association of Montreal. Private View Last Night."  Gazette (Montreal)  April 01, 1921.  p.11.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 27, 1924) "Meritorious Work at Spring Exhibit. Mural Paintings in R.C.A. Competition Part of Entries at Art Gallery."  Gazette (Montreal)  March 28, 1924.  p.15.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Ottawa, November 20, 1924) "Royal Arts Academy. Forty-sixth Exhibition of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts In the National Gallery of Canada."  Ottawa Evening Journal  November 20, 1924.  p.2.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Ottawa, November 20, 1924) "Royal Canadian Academy Opens at the National Gallery Here."  Ottawa Citizen  November 21, 1924.  p.5.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Ottawa, November 20, 1924) "National Atmosphere Produced in the Paintings at the Academy; Opening Night Brilliant Occasion."  Ottawa Evening Journal  November 21, 1924.  p.3.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Ottawa, November 20, 1924) "Art Comment."  Ottawa Citizen  November 27, 1924.  p.18.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 26, 1925) "Art Association's Spring Exhibition."  Gazette (Montreal)  April 03, 1925.  p.6.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Montreal, November 19, 1925) "Fine Work Marks R.C.A. Exhibition. New Schools Offer Contrast to Solidly-Based Qualities of Older and Established Painters."  Gazette (Montreal)  November 20, 1925.  p.10.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 26, 1926) "Private View Held at Art Exhibition. Committee of Selection Had to Perform Obviously Difficult Task. Many Omissions Noted."  Gazette (Montreal)  March 29, 1926.  p.6.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Montreal, November 24, 1927) Albert Laberge.  "Appréciation de quelques toiles du Salon des artistes Canadiens."  La Presse (Montreal)  December 03, 1927.  p.52.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 21, 1929) "Art Association Had Active Year, Special Exhibitions and permanent Collections Viewed by Over 62,000 Persons."  Montreal Gazette  January 01, 1929.  5.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Montreal, November 21, 1929) "R.C.A. Show Opened with Private View. Fifty-first Annual Exhibition Housed in Art Association Galleries."  Gazette (Montreal)  November 22, 1929.  p.18.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 21, 1930) "Spring Exhibition Has Private View."  Gazette (Montreal)  March 22, 1930.  p.3.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Montreal, November 1933) "Governor-General Opens Annual Art Exhibition. His Excellency Recalls Tradition of Predecessors-Stresses Art's Part in Renaissance of National Taste."  Montreal Star  November 17, 1933.  p.20.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 15, 1934) "Art Association Spring Show Opens. Private View Inaugurates Exhibition Containing Over Five Hundred Works."  Gazette (Montreal)  April 20, 1934.  p.17.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, April 15, 1934) "Fifty-First Spring Exhibition of the Art Association."  Montreal Star  April 20, 1934.  p.15.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 21, 1935) "Spring Exhibition of Art Association Opened on Thursday."  Montreal Star  March 22, 1935.  p.17.   Full-text pdf
Art Association of Montreal Annual Spring Exhibition: (Montreal, March 21, 1935) "Nearly 500 Works at Spring Exhibit. Variety in Show at Galleries of Art Association of Montreal. 1,080 Items Submitted. Judges Reveal Open Minds and 52nd Annual Contains Much to Meet Differing Tastes."  Gazette (Montreal)  March 22, 1935.  p.3.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (Montreal, November 18, 1937) "Royal Canadian Academy Show is Opened at Art Association. Portraiture Represented by Good Examples and Landscapes as Usual Predominate."  Gazette (Montreal)  November 19, 1937.  p.12.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (, November 16, 1939) "Canadian Academy Opens Sixtieth Exhibition."  Montreal Star  November 17, 1939.  p.11.   Full-text pdf
Royal Canadian Academy Annual Exhibition: (, November 16, 1939) "R.C.A. Exhibition Has Private View. Over 300 Works in Galleries of Art Association of Montreal. Standard Maintained."  Gazette (Montreal)  November 17, 1939.  p.5.   Full-text pdf

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