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"Mount Assinaboine" Lino-Block Print by Barbara Leighton (Barleigh)
20th Century, Circa 1930's-1980's
Mount Assiniboine, British Columbia, Canada


Credits:
The Leighton Foundation Permanent Collection (Artwork)
Leighton Staff (Text)

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A.C. Leighton and Assinboine

During his time as an artist for the CPR, A.C. Leighton discovered Assiniboine. He would return to the region several times in his painting career, as he found the scenery exactly to his liking. His first trip, in 1927, was plagued by heavy snow, and attempts to paint were thwarted when his watercolours froze, so he switched to pastels. Leighton was very satisfied with the results of the Assiniboine trip, and completed nearly one dozen sketches during his eleven day stay, depicting what he thought to be "some of the most fascinating scenery in the world". The snow was unrelenting, and he wrote upon arrival back in Banff on October 12, "When I arrived my outside clothing which was covered with snow had turned to ice, like a suit of armour and tin hat. We made camp tonight in the dark. The food we had brought was all frozen."