Fonds comprises textual records, artwork and photographic records relating to the life and career of Montreal artist, member of the Canadian Air Force and Official War Artist Moses Martin (Moe) Reinblatt (1917-1979).
The textual records include several series of correspondence, manuscripts, printed material and art association documents. Correspondence includes approximately 125 letters written to his wife Lilian while Moe Reinblatt served as an Official War Artist (1944-1945); others were received from Harry Mayerovitch 1943, Arthur Lismer 1943, Robert Ayre 1943-1944, K. B. Conn 1944, Harold Town n.d., Louis Muhlstock 1953, John Stegman 1954, Jean Drapeau 1955, Donald Buchanan 1959, and Alan Jarvis 1960. There are postcards and one letter from Reinblatt's students Louise Scott and Dawn McCracken [1957] and some correspondence to Lilian Reinblatt about her husband's work. Manuscripts include essays on Alexandre Bercovitch, on his own philosophy of art, on graphics, and on the artist and fascism. The printed material includes a 1967 Centennial medal certificate; clippings [1939-1991], relating to art education, war service, exhibitions, teaching, awards, involvement with other artist and obituraries; Clippings and other documentation relating to a Moe Reinblatt Retrospective held at the Université de Québec à Montrèal 1990; copies of periodicals, including "Canadian Art" [1944-1961] and "Wings" May 1944, containing reproductions of his work; and exhibition catalogues documenting the artist's shows from war art of the Second World War to group shows of the Canadian Society of Graphic Art and Canadian Group of Painters, ones mounted by the National Council of Jewish Women, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Library of Congress, Sears Vincent Price Gallery, Quebec Hadassah, and others. The art association series also includes newsletters and circulars of the Canadian War Artists Committee 1943, and the Federation of Canadian Artists 1943.
Fonds includes a series of portraits entitled [Significant figures of Jewish Montreal] including charcoal drawings of the following: Guido Molinari, Harry Mayerovitch, Philip Surrey, Theo Waddington, Monique Champagne, Ray Affleck, Sam Solomon, John Fox, and George Waddington. The series also includes oil paintings of Joey London and Bram Appel. Fonds includes a series of other artworks comprising two greeting cards, one a watercolour and one produced by the Jewish General Hospital featuring a reproduction of a work by the artist.
A series of ca. 85 largely black and white photographs includes portraits of Reinblatt at Mon Joli 1944; portraits of Moe Reinblatt by Aline Gubbay; a photo of Alexandre Bercovitch and a reproduction of his portrait of Bercovitch; the artist in his studio 1976; Reinblatt and his art class at the Saidye Bronfman Centre [1978 or 1979]; an RCAF [1943 or 1944] Reinblatt stage design; reproductions of his drawings, watercolours and oils produced while he was a war artist with the RCAF 1944-1945 and colour reproduction of "Weighing Down the Tail" 1945; a photo of the mural "The Silk Dyers" 1950s; an exhibiton installation of Reinblatt sculpture; and a reproduction of the portrait "Claire".
Reinblatt, Moe, 1917-1979 : Moses Martin (Moe) Reinblatt was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1917. He studied art under Anne Savage at Baron Byng High School before graduating in 1935. From 1936 to 1942 he studied under Alexandre Bercovitch at the YM-YWCA, and also at the Museum School of Fine Arts and Design (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts?). By 1936 he was already exhibiting his work in Montreal and was reviewed in local newspapers.
In 1942 he became a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and gained recognition when he exhibited two prize winning artworks at the Air Force exhibition of art held at the Art Association of Montreal. Named an Official War Artist in 1944, he was commissioned with the rank of Flying Officer and produced art documenting scenes around aircraft stations. After returning to Canada, sixty of his artworks were deposited int the Canadian War Records collections, and are now at the Canadian War Museum. After retiring from the service in July of 1945 he continued his development with friends and colleagues like Goodridge Roberts, Jacques de Tonnancour, Eldon Grier and Gordon Webber. From 1945 to 1967 he taught design and plastic arts at the Montreal Museum School of Fine Arts and Design, and on his own time explored themes of city street scenes, market scenes, and character studies especially those of the workers and the poor, a reflection of the early teachings of Bercovitch.
At about this time art critics noticed his portraits and scenes, especially his prints of social commentary, such as the dry point print "The Drinker" for which he received the Rolph, Clarke Stone Award in 1948. Other awards and general recognition followed such as the Adrian Séguin Award in 1958 for his etching "Girl's Head with Bow,", a shared award - The C. W. Jeffreys Award in 1962 for his etching "Acrobats," and the Canada Centennial Medal in 1968 for outstanding service to Canada. Waddington Galleries became his Montreal dealer during the 1950s where he exhibited his work regularly. In the 1970's he exhibited at Wallack Galleries, Ottawa, and Roberts Gallery, Toronto. From 1967 until his death in 1979 he taught at the Saidye Bronfman Centre.
