Peter E. Baker 
Celebrating Canada 
Decorating with History in a Contemporary Home

A visual journey showcasing how history can make a house a home, a reminder of the strength of character and ingenuity entrenched in Canada’s history.



Inspired by the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation — the same year recognizing 375 years of settlement in Montreal — Quebec antiques professional Peter E. Baker brings life to Canadian history and demonstrates how antiques and folk art can successfully be incorporated into a contemporary lifestyle, providing a home with a unique identity.



Drawing from a single collection, the author selects and showcases objects spanning three centuries of Canadian history, from the early days of French settlement to the creative boom of late-20th-century folk artists. Amply illustrated, and written in a conversational, easy-to-read style, this is not a traditional technical study of antiques representing a specific type or region.
Celebrating Canada showcases the story and the artistic merits of each object.

Table of Content

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

The Entrance

• Diamond Point Doors


• Neoclassic Pine Corner Cupboard


• Walking Stick — Ancienne Lorette


• Mi’kmaq Quillwork


• Frederick S. Barnjum — Painter

Living Room

• Chantecler Weathervane


• French Régime Armchair


• Drum Table


• Niagara Falls — Robert Whale


• Draught Horses


• Diamond Point Armoire


• A View of Dundas — J.R. Seavey


• Damase Richard


• Northwest Coast Motif Blanket Chest

Library

• Tiger Maple Corner Cupboard


• 1837 Rebellion Box


• Carved Brush


• Abenaki Deed Boxes


• John Tulles Card Table


• John Tulles Side Chair


• Holland Landing Red Mill


• Jean-Baptiste Côté — “L’habitant”


• New Brunswick “Nisbet” Sewing Table


• Bird Sculptures — Jean-Baptiste Côté


• Stevens Family Portraits


• Newfoundland Keepsake Box


• Death of Wolfe


• Mc Gee Table


• Joseph Romuald Bernier — Lumberman


• Beaver Crooked Knife


• Portage in the Fog — F.A. Hopkins


• Exploring New Lands — Journals of Mackenzie and Weld

Dining Room/Kitchen

• The Huron Box


• Convent Boxes


• Seminary Parrot


• Three-Tier Chandelier


• S.J. Doyle/J.A. Mahar Trade Sign


• Carved Figure of Napoleon


• Louis XV Armoire


• Fruit Vendor Trade Sign


• Fort Duquesne Game Board

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

• Hooked Rug — Laurentian Village


• Silas Patterson Heart Table


• Decorated Canoe Paddle


• Hooked Rugs


• Miss Madilla Smith — E.S., Painter


• Quebec Chest of Drawers


• Thomas Nisbet Legislative Desk


• Josefina


• Halifax Dressing Table


• Horse and Buggy — Punkeydoodles Corners


• Longpré Bird Shelf


• Timber Shanty


• Logging Scene — Julius Hümme


• Carved Deer


• Main Street, Winnipeg — E.J. Hutchins


• The Steamship S.S. Quebec


• Indian Mother and Hunter — D. Gale

Mud Room/Stairwell

• Norfolk County Buffet


• Canadian Shorebirds


• Bakery Trade Sign — J. Bourgault


• Game Boards

Family Room/Den

• Captain Robert Chestnut


• Hooked Rugs — Deanne Fitzpatrick


• Manitoba Pheasant


• Horse Pull Toy


• Beaver Weathervane


• The Fenian Raids


• Recruitment Posters

Acknowledgements

Select Bibliography

Index

About the author

Peter E. Baker has led a 40-plus-year career as a Quebec-based antiques dealer, participating in major shows in both Canada and the U.S. He is a long-standing member of the Canadian Antiques Dealer Association and was a featured Canadiana appraiser on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and the Canadian Antiques Roadshow. He lives with his wife Susan in Elgin, Quebec.