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{{about|the Canadian design company|other companies|Grip (disambiguation)}}
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}
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'''Grip''' was the name of the [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]] design firm that was home to many of [[Canada]]'s premier designers and painters during the first half of the 20th century.


[[File:Thomson, View from the Windows of Grip Ltd.jpg|thumb|[[Tom Thomson]], ''View from the Windows of Grip Ltd.'', {{circa}} 1908-10. [[Gouache]] and [[Watercolor painting|watercolour]] on paper, 14.9 x 10.2 cm. Private collection]]
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The company was founded in 1873 by the cartoonist [[John Wilson Bengough|J. W. Bengough]] to publish his satirical weekly magazine ''Grip''. In addition to publishing the magazine, Bengough published chap books and did design work and advertising for various clients. After Bengough lost control of the company in the 1890s, the company became better known as an important design firm, providing artwork, wood cuts, and other services for merchandise and print advertising. Many artists like [[C. W. Jefferys]], [[Tom Thomson]] and members of the [[Group of Seven (artists)|Group of Seven]] were employed there.


⚫
'''Grip''' was a [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]] design firm that was home to many of [[Canada]]'s premier designers and painters during the first half of the 20th century.
⚫
The company was later renamed Rapid Grip. Later it became known as Batten, then Bomac Batten, until it was finally purchased by the [[Laird Group]].


⚫
The company was founded in 1873 by the cartoonist [[John Wilson Bengough|J. W. Bengough]] to publish his satirical weekly magazine ''[[Grip (magazine)|Grip]]''. Bengough also published [[chapbook]]s and did design work and advertising for various clients. He lost control of the company in the 1890s and the magazine ceased publication in 1892.
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Grip magazine was briefly revived in 2000 as a satirical quarterly, published by Toronto-based Lategan Media Group.


After that date the company became better known as an important design firm, providing artwork, wood cuts, and other services for merchandise and print advertising. In the early 20th century it was technologically and artistically one of the most sophisticated design firms in the country.
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[[Category:Media companies of Canada]]

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[[Category:Canadian art]]
It was one of the first employers of many of Canada's major artists of the period, and is perhaps most important as where many of the [[Group of Seven (artists)|Group of Seven]] met one another for the first time. In 1906 [[J.E.H. Macdonald]] became its head designer. In 1908 [[Frank Johnston (artist)|Frank Johnston]] and around 1909 [[Tom Thomson]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Chronology |url=https://www.tomthomsoncatalogue.org/section/?id=chronology |website=www.tomthomsoncatalogue.org |publisher=Tom Thomson catalogue raisonné |access-date=30 September 2023}}</ref> joined the firm as two of Macdonald's designers. In 1911 [[Franklin Carmichael]] was hired as an office boy. That same year [[Arthur Lismer]] crossed the Atlantic to come work for the firm. The year after, [[Fred Varley]] made the same journey to work for Grip.<ref name="King2010">{{cite book|author=Ross King|title=Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven|date=25 September 2010|publisher=McMichael Canadian Art Collection|isbn=978-1-55365-807-8|pages=82–84}}</ref>

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The company was later renamed Rapid Grip. Later it became known as Batten, then Bomac Batten, until it was finally{{vague|reason= in sense of "last so far" or "last considered as carrying on 7's tradition" or perhaps other nuances|date=December 2017}} purchased by the [[Laird Group]].

⚫
''Grip'' magazine was briefly revived in 2000 as a satirical quarterly, published by the Toronto-based Lategan Media Group.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*''A Caricature History of Canadian Politics. Events From the Union of 1841, As Illustrated by Cartoons From "Grip", and Various Other Sources'' (1886) by [[John Wilson Bengough]].

{{Group of Seven}}
{{Tom Thomson}}

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[[Category:Magazine publishing companies of Canada]]
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[[Category:History of art in Canada]]

Latest revision as of 15:51, 30 September 2023

This article is about the Canadian design company. For other companies, see Grip (disambiguation).
Tom Thomson, View from the Windows of Grip Ltd., c. 1908-10. Gouache and watercolour on paper, 14.9 x 10.2 cm. Private collection

Grip was a Toronto, Ontario design firm that was home to many of Canada's premier designers and painters during the first half of the 20th century.

The company was founded in 1873 by the cartoonist J. W. Bengough to publish his satirical weekly magazine Grip. Bengough also published chapbooks and did design work and advertising for various clients. He lost control of the company in the 1890s and the magazine ceased publication in 1892.

After that date the company became better known as an important design firm, providing artwork, wood cuts, and other services for merchandise and print advertising. In the early 20th century it was technologically and artistically one of the most sophisticated design firms in the country.

It was one of the first employers of many of Canada's major artists of the period, and is perhaps most important as where many of the Group of Seven met one another for the first time. In 1906 J.E.H. Macdonald became its head designer. In 1908 Frank Johnston and around 1909 Tom Thomson[1] joined the firm as two of Macdonald's designers. In 1911 Franklin Carmichael was hired as an office boy. That same year Arthur Lismer crossed the Atlantic to come work for the firm. The year after, Fred Varley made the same journey to work for Grip.[2]

The company was later renamed Rapid Grip. Later it became known as Batten, then Bomac Batten, until it was finally[vague] purchased by the Laird Group.

Grip magazine was briefly revived in 2000 as a satirical quarterly, published by the Toronto-based Lategan Media Group.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chronology". www.tomthomsoncatalogue.org. Tom Thomson catalogue raisonné. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ^ Ross King (25 September 2010). Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven. McMichael Canadian Art Collection. pp. 82–84. ISBN 978-1-55365-807-8.

Further reading

[edit]
  • A Caricature History of Canadian Politics. Events From the Union of 1841, As Illustrated by Cartoons From "Grip", and Various Other Sources (1886) by John Wilson Bengough.
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