The series largely comprises letters received by Franz Johnston. Also included are his letters to his wife Florence and son Paul Rodrik, as well as some correspondence addressed to Florence. The early correspondence relates to Johnston's work as an official war artist for the Canadian War Memorials Board during WWI and to his involvement with the Group of Seven, as well as his teaching at the Winnipeg School of Art and the Ontario College of Art and his membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. The later correspondence largely relates to the sale of Johnston's paintings. Notable among the correspondents are: Eric Brown, 1918-1919, documenting his early support and encouragement; Lawren Harris, 1919, arranging the second sketching trip to Algoma; Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1919, announcing Johnston's election as an associate member (on back is a rough sketch of a Group of Seven logo, and other small sketches, and a note about a Bliss Carman benefit); L.L. Fitzgerald, 1921, praising Johnston's paintings of northern Ontario; George Reid, 1921, describing his wife's death; Winnipeg School of Art, 1921-1922, about Johnston's post as principal; Herbert S. Palmer, [1922], about his recent marriage; Jay Hambridge, 1923, about his work on dynamic symmetry; Island Arts and Crafts Society (Victoria), 1924, about an exhibition; Keith MacIver, 1927, about a joint mining investment; J.E.H. MacDonald, 1929, acknowledging Johnston's resignation from the Ontario College of Art; William Finlayson, 1931, regarding a request from Johnston for a commission to do a tree series; E. Wyly Grier, 1932, responding to Johnston's worries about his Royal Canadian Academy of Arts nomination; Reginald Stewart of the Bach Society, 1936; Claire Wallace of CFRB, 1937; Richard Finnie, 1941-1942, commenting on writings about the Inuit and on Johnston's paintings and referring to Diamond Jenness; William Watson, 1943, inviting Johnston to exhibit at Watson Galleries in Montreal; and R.G. McLean Ltd., Scythes and Co. Ltd., Coutts, and Rous and Mann, 1940s, regarding commercial work. The letters from Franz Johnston to his wife Florence include 3 letters, 1919, written in the fall while Johnston was on a sketching trip in Algoma with Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald and A.Y. Jackson; 12 original letters and one photocopied letter, 1924, written while Johnston was travelling in the west, sketching around Banff and Lake Louise and visiting Vancouver and Victoria; 4 letters (and 2 documents), 1927, written while Johnston was on a sketching trip on the Bell River in Abitibi, where he became involved in a mining investment scheme with Keith MacIver and others (see also Financial Records Series); 5 letters or notes, 1928-1933, including 2 from a trip to Jasper; 5 letters, 1939, written while Johnston was on a sketching trip in the North West Territories, from the Eldorado mine at Port Radium on Great Bear Lake and from Coppermine on the Coronation Gulf; and one letter, 1944, reporting on their house at Wyebridge, Ontario, and on a recent exhibition. Other letters to Florence include 2 letters, 1920-1921, from Robert Holmes relating to the Ontario Society of Artists, and personal letters of condolence upon Johnston's death in 1949. The letters from Johnston to Paul Rodrik comprise 4 letters, 1939, written while Johnston was at the Eldorado mine at Port Radium, largely relating to his filming and writing while there.
