Fonds consists of watercolours by William Henry Edward Napier entitled "Mont Royale, 1870", "Lower St. Lawrence", "Tadousac, 1863", "La Grand Mère", "Slave Falls, Winnipeg River, August 29, 1857", and "Monitor Black Feet Bay". Also included are untitled works depicting: a winter scene; a waterfall with distant figures fishing; figures in the wilderness near rapids; rapids and wilderness scene with native and non-native onlookers; two winter scenes of horse-drawn sleighs. Fonds also consists of a watercolour entitled "St. Boniface, Red River Settlement"; a watercolour depicting Quebec from Montmorency; a print signed "C.P. 1842"; and a watercolour entitled "Fort William, Lake Superior, Canada West, 1857", all by or attributed to William Henry Napier. Fonds also includes two sketchbooks and nine watercolours by William Henry Edward Napier, depicting scenes of Quebec and Ontario landscapes, portraits of political leaders as well as views of the United States and England.
Napier, William Henry Edward, 1829-1894 : William Henry Edward Napier (1829-1894) was born in Canada, the son of Duncan Campbell Napier, personal secretary to Lord Elgin. He became well-known as a civil engineer during the construction of the Grand Trunk Railway. He was also an accomplished painter in watercolour. In 1857 and 1858, he served as chief engineer on the Canadian Government Exploring Expedition where he produced many of his best-known works including watercolour scenes from Lake Superior to the Red River settlement. Napier moved to Scotland in 1870 where he died in 1894.
