Communicating Places, Ideas, and Canadian Identity In A Changing World: A Social Biography of Thomas Clarence Cummings, 1904-1996.
Loading...
Authors
Campeau, Mary
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Thomas Clarence Cummings , TC Cummings , Modernity , Canadian Identity
Alternative Title
Abstract
Other than at his birthplace in Pittsburgh Township, Ontario, and his lived-in community of North Bay, Ontario, Thomas Clarence Cummings (T.C.) is a relatively unknown presence in the collectivity of those who have contributed to the representation of Canadian identity at the community, regional, and national levels. Cummings left us a prolific number of statements in several media communicating how he perceived who we were as Canadians in the twentieth century. These are examined through an analysis of several stages in T.C.’s “life-path”: as a youngster on a farm in Pittsburgh Township and as a student in a one-room schoolhouse on Woodburn Road; as a young man in North Bay pursuing a career in education and the initiation of a life-long commitment to international travel; as a volunteer in World War II serving in Atlantic Canada; on his return to teach in North Bay and the resumption of his travels worldwide; as a retired teacher, an active artist, and social critic producing reflexive commentaries on society in a modern and post-modern world. In particular, Cummings’ journals, poems, and artwork are connected to his travels and his commentaries about our evolving Canadian identity and our relationship with a global society. His later allegorical paintings, poetry, and writings expressed his assessment of how Canadian society was being affected by modernity and globalization during his life-time. This thesis examines Cummings’ various messages to demonstrate his appreciation of the complexity of the social landscape in his time, and concludes with an assessment of the significance of his contributions in the context of current priorities and concerns in Canadian society today.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
CC0 1.0 Universal
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.