152 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The prehistoric art of Canada, as distinct from historic Indian 

 art, to-day includes no less than four hundred different specimens, 

 which may be useful to designers in developing distinctively Canadian 

 manufactures and trademarks. Besides these there are many dupli- 

 cates, and when archaeological work has progressed further we may 

 have many more. 



A glance at a few of these earliest art works of Canada shows 

 that each part of the country has an art all its own. The humid 

 Pacific coast, with its great cedars and plentiful supply of sea food, 

 where the modern Indians are noted for the sculpture of their great 

 totem poles, has a remarkable prehistoric art in which animal forms 

 predominate. Many prehistoric art specimens come from this area. 



The interior plateau and Mackenzie basin form another art region 

 where geometric figures are common. 



The art of the buffalo plains, formerly inhabited chiefly by nomads 

 is distinct from the other art areas of Canada, but as yet compara- 

 tively few archaeological specimens have been collected from this 

 area. 



Most of the specimens come from the eastern woodlands — the 

 land of the birch canoe, maple sugar and wild rice. Both animal 

 forms and geometric patterns are numerous. Some of this art is 

 charactistically Algonkian, some is clearly Iroquoian. Many designs 

 are on fragments of pottery or entire pots, although pottery is not 

 found on the Pacific coast or in fact west of Blackfoot crossing. Entire 

 pots are rare, having been broken by the frost or the plow. 



An album of these motives for distinctively Canadian manu- 

 factures from prehistoric Canadian art has been prepared and may soon 

 be published by the Geological Survey. Meanwhile the matter has 

 been brought to the attention of over eight hundred firms in Canada 

 by personal correspondence, and to still others through an exhibit, 

 the public press, and lectures. Over fifty of the large firms have 

 expressed a desire for the publication of the album, and some state 

 that they have tried to secure distinctively Canadian designs, but 

 have been unable to get them from the artists. A few state that they 

 cannot get designs as usual because of the war. Six at once sent 

 representatives to Ottawa to see the specimens. These representatives 

 expressed surprise at both the quantity and quality of the motives. 

 Several firms have volunteered to consider endowing scholarships, or 

 otherwise aiding art schools that will devote attention to distinctively 

 Canadian designs suitable for their business, so that they may have 

 an opportunity to buy such designs. 



The artists and designers of the country have also been informed 

 that these firms are anxious for such designs, and have been urged to 



