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Photograph of the Leighton Home in the Alberta Foothills, Designed by Alfred Crocker (A.C.) Leighton
20th Century, Circa 1950-1960s
Calgary, Alberta, Canada


Credits:
The Leighton Foundation Permanent Collection (Photograph)
Glenbow Archives RCT-172 (Recording)
Leighton Staff (Text)

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In 1924, after designing a working scale model of the Port of Liverpool, A.C. Leighton was discovered by the Canadian Pacific Railway and hired to paint promotional materials to encourage travel, immigration and freight traffic to Canada. At that time the CPR provided established and emerging artists with railway passes and accommodation to travel around Canada with the agreement that the CPR would have the first chance to view and possibly purchase any work created. Leighton came to Canada in August of 1925 to find inspiration. His first visit lasted only a few short months but he quickly fell in love with the Canadian Rockies-a passion that remained with him for the rest of his life.

When Leighton returned to Canada in 1927 he remarked to The Studio about the Rockies, "The grandeur of the scenery, the purity and beauty of the colouring being indescribable, there was no lack of subject, for one could be found at every angle. The scale of the landscape was tremendous. I soon found that a 14" by 10" was too small even to rough-in composition, and something much larger was necessary to portray the magnitude, the imposing force and dignity of those mountains."

In 1929, Leighton resigned from the CPR and settled permanently in Alberta, Canada.