The fonds documents the career of Yves Baril as an engraver at the Canadian Bank Note Company from 1953 to 1996. It includes his daily log books and commentary notebooks on his works as well as an important collection of first day covers, of which many are signed by the engraver.
In 2016, Yves Baril took part in an oral history program for the donors to Library and Archives Canada. The fonds includes the sound recordings produced as result this interview as well as related photographs.
The fonds is divided into three series and a file which consists of an album of photos and stamp production material.
Baril, Yves, 1932- : Yves Baril, engraver, was born on May 20, 1932, in Verdun, Quebec. After studying painting under Albert Delorimier at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts School in Montréal, Quebec, he attended the School of Graphic Arts in Montréal, where he was taught by Arthur Gladu and Albert Dumouchel. In 1951, he received his diploma in typography, artistic category. On January 3, 1953, Yves Baril was hired as an apprentice engraver by the Canadian Bank Note Company (CBNC) in Ottawa, Ontario. For four years he worked as an apprentice under master engraver Silas Robert Allen. Then, in 1967, he became head of the CBNC engraving department. During his 43 years with the CBNC, he developed his craft by studying at the American Bank Note Company (ABNC) in New York, parent company of the CBNC, and with Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company in London, England, another subsidiary of ABNC. In Ottawa, he took anatomical drawing courses with the painter Gerald Trottier. He is a member of the International Plate Printers, Die Stampers and Engravers Union of North America and the Graphic Communications International Union.
Yves Baril engraved 146 Canadian postage stamps, 6 for the United Nations and 11 for the United States. As well, all Canadian bank notes issued from 1955 to 1996 display his engravings. He is also credited with many vignettes for bonds, coupons, passports and other security documents, including the famous Canadian Tire store coupons. His most important works include portraits of Queen Elizabeth II based on a painting by Pietro Annigoni and on a photograph by Anthony Buckley. Yves Baril is one of the last Canadian representatives of this category of artists specialized in steel engraving portraits.
