Born in Suffolk, England, Frederick Samuel Barnjum settled in Montréal Quebec in the 1850's. During his lifetime, Barnjum was both a painter and an educator. Barnjum was an active painter from 1858 to 1866, creating both oil and water colour paintings of genre scenes and Quebec landscapes. Barnjum's artworks can currently be found in the collections of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Library and Archives Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Following his brief career in the arts, Barnjum would achieve a lasting legacy as an educator at McGill University in the department of physical education. Barnjum would host regular gym classes at a rented gymnasium for McGill students. This program transformed into the Gymnastics Club, later becoming the Montréal Amateur Athletics Association which is currently Canada's oldest athletic association.
Sources:
Auf Der Maur, Nick. “As a Leader in Sports, Montréal Has a Great Track Record.” The Gazette, February 3, 1993. ProQuest: The Gazette.
Hall, Roger, Gordon Dodds, and Stanley Triggs. The World of William Notman: The Nineteenth Century Through a Master Lens. Boston: David R. Godine Publisher, 1995.
Harper, J. Russell. Early Painters and Engravers in Canada. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 1970.
McKenzie, R. Tait. “Frederick S. Barnjum and His Work.” American Physical Education Review 2 (1897).
