II / A - Biographical information and personal documents
Reference Code
M561 / II / A
Date Range
1919 - 1980
Physical Description
9 documents
Scope & Content
9 documents; 5mm
Content Details
"Interview given by my mother Sonia de Grandmaison to CBC - Mowat" - M561/II/A/1
"The Legacy of Nicholas de Grandmaison" - M561/II/A/2
"N. de Grandmaison Bio" - M561/II/A/3
Copy of certificate and translation from "Department for common Army And personal matters" dated February 19, 1919 re: assist with distribution of food for prisoners of war - M561/II/A/4
Copy of passport substitute and translation re: Nicholas de Grandmaison to permit residence on German territory valid until February 16, 1920 - M561/II/A/5
Copy of letter from Ministere des Affaires estrangeres - Republique Francaise dated July 28, 1921 re: passport approval - M561/II/A/6
"Deed Poll" re: name change from Grandmaison to de Grandmaison - M561/II/A/7
Condolence letter addressed to Sonia de Grandmaison from Jules Leger dated April 13th, 1978 on Order of Canada letterhead - M561/II/A/8
"BoM de Grandmaison Collection (backgrounder) 29th September 1980" - M561/II/A/9
Series I: Photographs (V786) - one sub-series consisting of photographs of Nicholas de Grandmaison; one photograph of Order of Canada event
Series II: Textual (M561) - three sub-series:
A - Biographical information and personal documents
B - Newspaper and magazine clippings and excerpts
C - Invita…
[2] cm of textual records. 19 photographs; b&w and col.
History / Biographical
Nicholas de Grandmaison was born in southern Russian in 1892. He attended military college in Moscow, graduating in 1911 and transfered to military school in 1913 to train as an officer. He was stationed in Warsaw, Poland in early 1914 when World War I began and was captured as a prisoner of war in Germany until 1918. Upon then end of the war, Nicholas de Grandmaison studied art in England, eventually arriving in Calgary, Alberta via some time spent in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He had specific interest in Indigenous peoples and travelled widely throughout North America painting portraits.
Nicholas de Gradmaison moved to Banff in 1939 with his wife Sonia, where they raised five children.
He is a member of the Order of Canada, and holds an honourary doctorate from the University of Alberta, and was made an honorary Peigan "Chief Little Plume".
He died on March 23, 1978 and is buried at the Brocket on the Piikani Nation reserve, west of Fort McLeod.
Scope & Content
Series I: Photographs (V786) - one sub-series consisting of photographs of Nicholas de Grandmaison; one photograph of Order of Canada event
Series II: Textual (M561) - three sub-series:
A - Biographical information and personal documents
B - Newspaper and magazine clippings and excerpts
C - Invitations and exhibit announcements