CPR dining hall in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, 1891
John de Visser, Photographer
John de Visser’s photographs have entertained Canadians for over 50 years, from images of Royal celebrities to celebrations of the physical beauty of every corner of this country.
Born in Veghel, North Brabant, The Netherlands, on February 8th, 1930. After High School, and two years of compulsory military service in the Dutch army (demobilized as 2nd. Lieutenant), he emigrated to Canada in 1952 and became a Canadian Citizen in 1958.
Working through various jobs, he took up photography in 1954. In 1957, the then Editors of MacLean’s Magazine, Ralph Allen and Pierre Burton, published the first series of his photographs. Spread over two sections totaling 16 pages of colour, the series, called “A New Look at Toronto” received much praise and was awarded Art Directors Club Awards in both Toronto and Montreal.
This led to part time assignments, both editorial and corporate, until in 1959 the time was right to become a full-time freelance photographer.
During the fifties, sixties, seventies and into the eighties, most of his photographic work was editorial; for magazines, annual reports and other business publications, etc. Magazine credits include: MacLean’s, The Star Weekly, Chatelaine, Weekend/Perspectives, The Canadian, Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Esquire, Der Stern, Paris-Match, The National Geographic, The Canadian Geographic Magazine, Century Home, Harrowsmith and others.
The assignments ranged all the way from accompanying Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and other members of the Royal Family on different tours of Canada; Photographing The Queen and Prince Philip in the gardens of Windsor Castle (Her Majesty subsequently selected one of the photographs for Her 1973 Christmas card); Prime Minister Trudeau’s tour of the Soviet Union; life in the Northwest Territories for an Annual report of the Territorial Government; the work of the Canadian Coast Guard ice breakers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; a Mennonite mailman’s rural postal delivery route in his horse and buggy near St. Jacob’s Ontario; a prairie antelope roast in Saskatchewan; to celebrity photographs of Red Skelton, Vincent Price, Robert Goulet, Michael Douglas, et. al,; essays on CBC television “Spectaculars” by the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company; Northern Dancer, retired at Winfields Farm, etc. etc.
Corporate clients have included Imperial Oil, Consumers Gas, Shell Resources, Mobil Oil, Coca-Cola Ltd., IBM, Xerox, Air Canada, Canadian National Railway, Peat Marwick, The Toronto Dominion Bank, Imperial Tobacco, Liquid Carbonic, Ernst & Young and many others.
Government assignments have been carried out for the Government of Canada, Departments of Tourism, Trade, Fisheries, Agriculture and the National Film Board; for the Government of Ontario, Ministries of Tourism and Agriculture; for the Province of Saskatchewan Department of Tourism; for the Government of the Northwest Territories; and for the Tourism Promotion Board of the Government of India.
A turning point came with the publication of “Canada. A Year of the Land” by the National Film Board for Canada’s Centennial in 1967. The book contained more of his pictures than of any other contributing photographer and it became a great showplace for his photographs, turning his thinking to the possibility of concentrating more on books.
Major contributions have also been made to such titles as “The Discoverers”, “ This Land, This People”, “ The Canadian Indian”, “ Forts of Canada”, “ The Newcomers”, Explore Canada” as well as publications such as; “ Between Friends/Entre Amis”, “Call them Canadians”, “ Historic Canada”, “ Canada with Love”, “Ontario. A Bicentennial Tribute”, “The Canadian Encyclopedia”, etc.
In 1967 the opportunity arose for his first full co-authorship. The book “This Rock Within the Sea." A Heritage Lost”, was a photographic essay of life in Newfoundland outports. It was a joint effort between author Farley Mowat and John de Visser and became a best seller. (McClelland & Stewart, 1968)
Over the next 33 years he completed 54 books as the sole photographic author, a list of which is attached.
AWARDS
In addition to the awards already mentioned, he was awarded the National Film Board Gold Medal for Still Photography in 1968; A ‘Special Award’ Medal for Photographic Excellence for the Kodak “ The World and its People” Exhibit at the 1963-64 New York World’s Fair; Award of Merit from the Art Directors Club of New York; and in 1994, the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications (CAPIC) awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award. One man shows have also been held of his work at: Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland; National Film Board Gallery in Ottawa; London, Ontario Art Gallery.
His photographs have participated in group and theme exhibition in Ottawa and in all provinces in Canada via the National Film Board traveling exhibit circuit. They took part in the displays in the Canadian Pavilion at the Worlds Fairs in Brussels, Montreal, Osaka and New York.
In 1976 he was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and served two terms on Council.
John has shared his works and knowledge with a variety of audiences through slide presentations and acted as judge in photographic competitions, mostly in Canada, a few in the United States.
In a country this big and so often disconnected, his magazine work and his books have helped to make Canadians more aware of, and familiar with, each other and their land.
John de Visser currently resides in Cobourg, Ontario.
List of Publications (1968-2003)
* The “Rideau” was short-listed for the Province of Ontario Trillium Prize.
Born in Veghel, North Brabant, The Netherlands, on February 8th, 1930. After High School, and two years of compulsory military service in the Dutch army (demobilized as 2nd. Lieutenant), he emigrated to Canada in 1952 and became a Canadian Citizen in 1958.
Working through various jobs, he took up photography in 1954. In 1957, the then Editors of MacLean’s Magazine, Ralph Allen and Pierre Burton, published the first series of his photographs. Spread over two sections totaling 16 pages of colour, the series, called “A New Look at Toronto” received much praise and was awarded Art Directors Club Awards in both Toronto and Montreal.
This led to part time assignments, both editorial and corporate, until in 1959 the time was right to become a full-time freelance photographer.
During the fifties, sixties, seventies and into the eighties, most of his photographic work was editorial; for magazines, annual reports and other business publications, etc. Magazine credits include: MacLean’s, The Star Weekly, Chatelaine, Weekend/Perspectives, The Canadian, Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Esquire, Der Stern, Paris-Match, The National Geographic, The Canadian Geographic Magazine, Century Home, Harrowsmith and others.
The assignments ranged all the way from accompanying Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and other members of the Royal Family on different tours of Canada; Photographing The Queen and Prince Philip in the gardens of Windsor Castle (Her Majesty subsequently selected one of the photographs for Her 1973 Christmas card); Prime Minister Trudeau’s tour of the Soviet Union; life in the Northwest Territories for an Annual report of the Territorial Government; the work of the Canadian Coast Guard ice breakers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; a Mennonite mailman’s rural postal delivery route in his horse and buggy near St. Jacob’s Ontario; a prairie antelope roast in Saskatchewan; to celebrity photographs of Red Skelton, Vincent Price, Robert Goulet, Michael Douglas, et. al,; essays on CBC television “Spectaculars” by the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company; Northern Dancer, retired at Winfields Farm, etc. etc.
Corporate clients have included Imperial Oil, Consumers Gas, Shell Resources, Mobil Oil, Coca-Cola Ltd., IBM, Xerox, Air Canada, Canadian National Railway, Peat Marwick, The Toronto Dominion Bank, Imperial Tobacco, Liquid Carbonic, Ernst & Young and many others.
Government assignments have been carried out for the Government of Canada, Departments of Tourism, Trade, Fisheries, Agriculture and the National Film Board; for the Government of Ontario, Ministries of Tourism and Agriculture; for the Province of Saskatchewan Department of Tourism; for the Government of the Northwest Territories; and for the Tourism Promotion Board of the Government of India.
A turning point came with the publication of “Canada. A Year of the Land” by the National Film Board for Canada’s Centennial in 1967. The book contained more of his pictures than of any other contributing photographer and it became a great showplace for his photographs, turning his thinking to the possibility of concentrating more on books.
Major contributions have also been made to such titles as “The Discoverers”, “ This Land, This People”, “ The Canadian Indian”, “ Forts of Canada”, “ The Newcomers”, Explore Canada” as well as publications such as; “ Between Friends/Entre Amis”, “Call them Canadians”, “ Historic Canada”, “ Canada with Love”, “Ontario. A Bicentennial Tribute”, “The Canadian Encyclopedia”, etc.
In 1967 the opportunity arose for his first full co-authorship. The book “This Rock Within the Sea." A Heritage Lost”, was a photographic essay of life in Newfoundland outports. It was a joint effort between author Farley Mowat and John de Visser and became a best seller. (McClelland & Stewart, 1968)
Over the next 33 years he completed 54 books as the sole photographic author, a list of which is attached.
AWARDS
In addition to the awards already mentioned, he was awarded the National Film Board Gold Medal for Still Photography in 1968; A ‘Special Award’ Medal for Photographic Excellence for the Kodak “ The World and its People” Exhibit at the 1963-64 New York World’s Fair; Award of Merit from the Art Directors Club of New York; and in 1994, the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications (CAPIC) awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award. One man shows have also been held of his work at: Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland; National Film Board Gallery in Ottawa; London, Ontario Art Gallery.
His photographs have participated in group and theme exhibition in Ottawa and in all provinces in Canada via the National Film Board traveling exhibit circuit. They took part in the displays in the Canadian Pavilion at the Worlds Fairs in Brussels, Montreal, Osaka and New York.
In 1976 he was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and served two terms on Council.
John has shared his works and knowledge with a variety of audiences through slide presentations and acted as judge in photographic competitions, mostly in Canada, a few in the United States.
In a country this big and so often disconnected, his magazine work and his books have helped to make Canadians more aware of, and familiar with, each other and their land.
John de Visser currently resides in Cobourg, Ontario.
List of Publications (1968-2003)
- “This Rock Within The Sea. A Heritage Lost”; with Farley Mowat (McClelland & Stewart, 1968)
- “This Was Expo”; with Robert Fulford, Peter Varley and Harold White (McClelland & Stewart, 1968)
- “Heritage. A Romantic Look at Early Canadian Furniture”; with Scott Symons (McClelland & Stewart, 1970)
- “Pioneer Churches”; with Harold Kalman (McClelland & Stewart, 1970)
- “Portrait of Canada”; with Jay and Audrey Walz (New York Times, 1970)
- “The North East Coast” (Time-Life Books, Wilderness Series, 1972)
- “Rivers of Canada”; with Hugh McLennan (McMillan, 1974)
- “Winter”’ with Morley Callaghan (McClelland & Stewart, 1974)
- “Toronto”; with William Toye (Oxford U Press, 1979)
- “Quebec & The St. Lawrence”’ with Paul von Baich (Oxford U Press, 1980)
- “Upper Canada Village” (Oxford U Press, 1980)
- “Treasures of Canada” (Samuel Stevens, 1980)
- “South Western Ontario” (Oxford U Press, 1981)
- “Visions of Canada” (Samuel Stevens, 1982)
- “City Light. A Portrait of Toronto”; with Robert Fulford (Oxford U Press, 1983)
- “Canada. A Celebration”; with Robert Fulford (Key Porter, 1983) (also published in Holland, Germany, Italy and Japan)
- “The Settler’s Dream” (County of Prince Edward, 1984)
- “Historic Newfoundland”; with Harold Horwood (Oxford U Press, 1986)
- “ The Yellowhead Route”’ with Bill Simpkins and Robert Taylor (Oxford U Press, 1987)
- “Port hope. A Treasury of Early Homes” with Tom Cruickshank (Blue Stone House Inc., 987)
- “The Inland Seas” (The Great Lakes); with Paul Vasey (Key Porter Discovery Books, 1987)
- “Montreal. A Portrait” (Key Porter Discovery Books, 1988)
- “The Farm”; with Jock Carroll (Methuen, 1988)
- “The University of Western Ontario” (Harmony House, 1988)
- “Muskoka”; with Judy Ross (Boston Mills Press 1989)
- “Grand River Reflections” (Boston Mills Press 1989)
- “The University of Toronto” (Harmony House, 1989)
- “1000 Islands”’ with Patricia Fleming (Boston Mills Press, 1990)
- “The University of Guelph” (Harmony House, 1990)
- “St. Lawrence University” (Harmony House, 1990)
- “Ottawa” (Stewart House, 1990)
- “Toronto” (Stewart House, 1990)
- “Montreal” (Stewart House, 1990)
- “The County-Quinte’s Isle” (Stewart House, 1990)
- “hope College” (Holland Michigan), (Harmony House, 1991)
- “Summer Cottages”; with Judy Ross (Boston Mills Press, 1991)
- “Georgian Bay” with Judy Ross (Boston Mills Press, 1992)
- “The Credit River Valley” (Boston Mills Press, 1992)
- “At The Water’s Edge. Boathouses of Muskoka” with Judy Ross (Boston Mills Press, 1993)
- “The Spirit of The Garden”; with Shelagh Meagher (Stoddart, 1995)
- “The Rideau”; with Larry Turner (Stoddart, 1995)*
- “Eastern Ontario”; with Donna Carpenter (Boston Mills Press, 1993)
- “The City of Burlington” with Jane Irwin (Boston Mills Press, 1995)
- “Muskoka Souvenir” (Boston Mills Press, 1995)
- “Newfoundland Souvenir” (Boston Mills Press, 1997)
- “Muskoka II” with Judy Ross (Boston Mills Press, 2000)
- “True Newfoundlanders” with Margaret Mc Burney and Mary Byers (Boston Mills Press, 1997)
- “Canada” with Desmond Morton, (Edgar Kent Publishers, 1998)
- “Old Ontario Houses” with Tom Cruickshank (Firefly Books, 2000)
- “The Trans-Canada Trail” (Boston Mills Press, 2002)
- “Shelter at the Shore” with Judy Ross (Boston Mills Press, 2000)
- “Old Toronto Houses” with Tom Cruickshank (Boston Mills Press, 2003)
- “The Fleet” (in production)
- “Country Houses” (in production)
* The “Rideau” was short-listed for the Province of Ontario Trillium Prize.