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The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case
In May 2016, Jon S. Dellandrea came into possession of a box of the last effects of an obscure artist, William Firth MacGregor. The contents of the box chronicled a major, and long forgotten, trial involving forgeries of the art of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.
The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case takes readers back to 1962, a time when forgeries were turning up on gallery walls, in auction houses, and (unwittingly) being hung in the homes of luminaries across Canada. Inspector James Erskine, enlisting the help of A.J. Casson, the youngest living member of the Group of Seven, set out to discover where the forgeries were coming from. Fifty years later, Dellandrea follows Erskine’s hunt to the end, uncovering the masterminds behind the forgeries.
Lavishly illustrated with reproductions and archival images, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case unravels the mystery of the greatest art fraud trial in Canadian history. Along the way, it also tells the story of a talented artist whose career might have been so very different.
The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case takes readers back to 1962, a time when forgeries were turning up on gallery walls, in auction houses, and (unwittingly) being hung in the homes of luminaries across Canada. Inspector James Erskine, enlisting the help of A.J. Casson, the youngest living member of the Group of Seven, set out to discover where the forgeries were coming from. Fifty years later, Dellandrea follows Erskine’s hunt to the end, uncovering the masterminds behind the forgeries.
Lavishly illustrated with reproductions and archival images, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case unravels the mystery of the greatest art fraud trial in Canadian history. Along the way, it also tells the story of a talented artist whose career might have been so very different.
189 pages, Hardcover
Published October 18, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 28, 2022
I enjoyed this book. Well researched and beautifully illustrated with both real Group of Seven works and some interesting forgeries from the period. A great gift for anyone interested in Canadian art, providing insights into the history a small group of often forged works by a dedicated team of villains and some innocent (?) dupes. I thought the “caveat” section could have been expanded to touch on some of the other more recent Canadian artists that have had their works brought to question through prolific forgeries, and perhaps more on what institutions, dealers and auction houses might be doing to try to weed out the problem works.
November 14, 2022
A very interesting account of an interesting part of our history.
I had a vague knowledge of fraud in Canadian art and this book covered all the aspects of the case.
It was an interesting read and had some interesting pictures. The author began writing this book because he came into possession of a box of stuff by a little known artist William Firth MacGregor. When he started researching MacGregor he found his link to the biggest art fraud in Canada.
I did not know that there were so many forgeries of famous Canadian artists.
If anyone likes art and in particular Canadian artists and the Group of Seven you will find this book an interesting tale.
I liked that A. J. Casson was intimately involved in the tracking down of the forgeries and that there are tape recordings of his experience with this crime that the author listened to in researching his book.
I liked the fact that we were introduced to some relatively unknown artists who painted in the style of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson and whose artwork (unknown to them) was being passed off and sold as a Thomson or other well-known Canadian artists.
I liked that William Firth MacGregor was a good artist in his own right but he never made a name for himself. This is a very good true crime novel.
I had a vague knowledge of fraud in Canadian art and this book covered all the aspects of the case.
It was an interesting read and had some interesting pictures. The author began writing this book because he came into possession of a box of stuff by a little known artist William Firth MacGregor. When he started researching MacGregor he found his link to the biggest art fraud in Canada.
I did not know that there were so many forgeries of famous Canadian artists.
If anyone likes art and in particular Canadian artists and the Group of Seven you will find this book an interesting tale.
I liked that A. J. Casson was intimately involved in the tracking down of the forgeries and that there are tape recordings of his experience with this crime that the author listened to in researching his book.
I liked the fact that we were introduced to some relatively unknown artists who painted in the style of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson and whose artwork (unknown to them) was being passed off and sold as a Thomson or other well-known Canadian artists.
I liked that William Firth MacGregor was a good artist in his own right but he never made a name for himself. This is a very good true crime novel.
December 6, 2024
Interesting story. Shame the writing wasn’t a bit stronger.
June 28, 2023
Ariela- I saw this book on the Nimbus catalogue and I was like “okay that looks educational and interesting. Imma get it” And I enjoyed it, and you should take it from me because don’t usually read non-fiction by choice. Especially the documentary/research report/educational thing. But when the topic captures your interest… well, then my attention span that’s getting shorter can actually pay attention. So enjoy my review of my first non/fiction book from Digitally Lit.
I love art. I love to draw. I would like to illustrate my own book someday. I studied paintings from Canadian artist, like The Group of Seven in school, so I had a bit of an understanding for what kinds of paintings they did. I appreciate art because my dad bought and donated paintings by Canadian artists.
My parents have also taken me to watch movies about art frauds, so it’s a topic that I’m familiar with. I’ve seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. I visited the Vatican Museum in Rome and the Sistine Chapel. I like art. So this book, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case is a great read, and it helped me to learn more about The Group of Seven and the art fraud case of 1962-64.
I think that the author did an amazing job with the amount of research that was put into this book, and the writing was also very nicely done because it kept me reading and it kept me interested. This book is exactly like what you would get from a movie about art thieves and art fraud. There was even a plot twist at the end—and I really did not see that one coming.
The author, Jon Dellandrea, is an art lover who has a large collection of art, so an antique dealer called him to see if he was interested in buying some more. He went to the antique store and came across a cardboard box with some stuff and a painting inside. He started reading one of the journals inside, and what he found was shocking…
I love art. I love to draw. I would like to illustrate my own book someday. I studied paintings from Canadian artist, like The Group of Seven in school, so I had a bit of an understanding for what kinds of paintings they did. I appreciate art because my dad bought and donated paintings by Canadian artists.
My parents have also taken me to watch movies about art frauds, so it’s a topic that I’m familiar with. I’ve seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. I visited the Vatican Museum in Rome and the Sistine Chapel. I like art. So this book, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case is a great read, and it helped me to learn more about The Group of Seven and the art fraud case of 1962-64.
I think that the author did an amazing job with the amount of research that was put into this book, and the writing was also very nicely done because it kept me reading and it kept me interested. This book is exactly like what you would get from a movie about art thieves and art fraud. There was even a plot twist at the end—and I really did not see that one coming.
The author, Jon Dellandrea, is an art lover who has a large collection of art, so an antique dealer called him to see if he was interested in buying some more. He went to the antique store and came across a cardboard box with some stuff and a painting inside. He started reading one of the journals inside, and what he found was shocking…
April 25, 2024
"THE GREAT CANADIAN ART FRAUD CASE reads like the detective story it actually is. It even boasts a real-life police inspector as the protagonist who delves dutifully into a subject that he initially knows practically nothing about but becomes a bonafide art expert and the hero of the hour. Yet, not even the inspector could supply a definitive answer to just who the forger was. (Surely, a painter whose considerable talents could have led to a very different career.)
It is left to Dellandrea to point the finger, following his years of painstaking research among dusty archives and ramshackle attics, tracking down anyone who had even the briefest recollection of the case as well as those involved in it. "
I could’ve read the information on Wikipedia and got just as much knowledge. It was poorly written and often repetitive. I did find it interesting in the fact that I didn’t know about this case.
It is left to Dellandrea to point the finger, following his years of painstaking research among dusty archives and ramshackle attics, tracking down anyone who had even the briefest recollection of the case as well as those involved in it. "
I could’ve read the information on Wikipedia and got just as much knowledge. It was poorly written and often repetitive. I did find it interesting in the fact that I didn’t know about this case.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2023
n May 2016, Jon S. Dellandrea contained a box containing the last effects of an obscure Canadian artist, William Firth MacGregor. The contents of the box lead him to a major, but long forgotten, trial involving forgeries of the art of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven which took place in 1962. At that time forgeries began to turn up in the collections of wealthy owners, galleries and auction houses. Some were good; some not so good. OPP Inspector James Erskine, with the help of artist A.J. Casson, set out to discover the source of these forgeries.
This beautifully designed and richly illustrated book provides a clear analysis of the case and introduces a sadly neglected early Canadian artist, William Firth MacGregor. It also looks at the whole question of art sales and authentication of works. A must read for anyone interested in Canadian art.
This beautifully designed and richly illustrated book provides a clear analysis of the case and introduces a sadly neglected early Canadian artist, William Firth MacGregor. It also looks at the whole question of art sales and authentication of works. A must read for anyone interested in Canadian art.
July 28, 2023
Man I enjoyed this! It's not for everyone but it's got tremendous IP potential! It's MCM Crime Time!
The visuals are amazing, obviously. The promise of a bankers box of old cassettes is podcasturbation material.
It's a bubbling hot, utterly genteel counterfeit market. The post-war middle class of doctors and lawyers have set their wealthy sights on Canadian art to decorate the lobby or the cottage, and they'll buy anything with a Lawren Harris signature or weird blocky looking trees.
I adored the pipe-smoking art cops, the woolly fraudsters, the exploited, fragile artists. Actually it feels like everyone smokes a pipe in this story. Characters read magazines, hiss "communist!" at each other, and help themselves to a third martini.
Super fun!
The visuals are amazing, obviously. The promise of a bankers box of old cassettes is podcasturbation material.
It's a bubbling hot, utterly genteel counterfeit market. The post-war middle class of doctors and lawyers have set their wealthy sights on Canadian art to decorate the lobby or the cottage, and they'll buy anything with a Lawren Harris signature or weird blocky looking trees.
I adored the pipe-smoking art cops, the woolly fraudsters, the exploited, fragile artists. Actually it feels like everyone smokes a pipe in this story. Characters read magazines, hiss "communist!" at each other, and help themselves to a third martini.
Super fun!
September 18, 2023
I found this book very fascinating. I had not heard about this before but someone I was chatting with at McMicheal mentioned that she had just finished it and how the McMicheal gallery was set up to protect the work of the group of seven.
It was very interesting to read words that came from the mouths of these great artists but more than this, the book was well researched and well written. I really enjoyed every second of it and miss it now that it is over. I will likely read again soon.
The only caveat that I have is that it would have been nice for the publishers to make the images in the book accessible as a web page because I (and I am sure others) read the book electronically and the photos quality on kobo leaves much to be desired.
It was very interesting to read words that came from the mouths of these great artists but more than this, the book was well researched and well written. I really enjoyed every second of it and miss it now that it is over. I will likely read again soon.
The only caveat that I have is that it would have been nice for the publishers to make the images in the book accessible as a web page because I (and I am sure others) read the book electronically and the photos quality on kobo leaves much to be desired.
June 20, 2023
I ripped through this book! Was very interested in the subject and appreciated the authors incredible research and connection to the issue. Beautiful pictures and recounting of the history. I did not know how many fakes there were out there. At times the reading was a bit disjointed. Overall made me want to learn more about art houses and art auctions!
November 30, 2024
Art? Cops? Canadian history? Be still my beating heart. This book had everything I love including lots of gorgeous photos. This is a fascinating story of greed, perceived value and emerging Canadian consciousness through the fine arts. It was a bookclub selection but I was thrilled to read it!
October 29, 2023
Written so you can understand the details and idiosyncrasies. Very informative and as usual now I want to do more research.
December 9, 2023
I enjoyed this. I loved that it included pictures of the artwork.
December 30, 2023
The history is interesting and well researched. There was a few spots that the time line being discussed was not obvious. I enjoyed the addition of the paintings.
March 20, 2024
A fascinating, well-written, beautifully illustrated account of a major art fraud case involving some remarkable characters.
July 4, 2025
A fascinating story well told.
March 7, 2024
A real eye opener of a book. The security guards probably thought I was loony because I was examining all the small placards next to the paintings ... and I never did this before I read The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews