and slated for demolition and urban renewal. The area was deemed slum land that needed to be cleared, but Burton saw the area as a vibrant and hard-working neighbourhood. As one art historian put it, "Working just ahead of the demolition crews, Ralph Burton produced a series of small oil sketches that document the final months of Lebreton Flats...[and he] rendered these architectural portraits with powerful observation." The author also notes that while Burton's artistic style is generally described as "free" and "abbreviated," he was nevertheless "a meticulous recorder of architectural detail." Several of Burton's works are available for public viewing in small galleries across the country. The Ottawa Art Gallery houses his Bennett Lake, Ontario near Perth (1975, oil on plywood); Sun Drawing Water (1977, oil on plywood); Reflection on the Road, Richmond, Ontario (1970, oil on panel) and AYJ Snoozing With Paper in Hand in Hotel Room, Calabogie ON 1960 (oil on plywood). Rolling Hills is on display at the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery, a bequest of A.Y. Jackson; The Dawson City Museum and Historical Society houses his Old Yukon Hotel and Anglican Church, Dawson City, YT (1964). The Canadian Embassy in Washington also has some of his art work on display. Other of his many works reside in personal collections or are housed in the City of Ottawa's archives. Selections from more than 30 of his paintings from the Lebreton Flats series are hanging in the hallways of Ottawa City Hall (Heritage Building, Champlain Room). In December 2007, the John A. Libby Gallery celebrated Ralph Burton's contribution with a retrospective of his major works and published a biographical booklet on his life and work. In March 2010, a popular blog on Ottawa architecture and urban design created a meticulous photo-essay of Burton's Lebreton Flats series, comparing photos of the region from past and present with Burton's artistic legacy. During his lifetime, Burton displayed his works frequently at the Wallack Gallery in Ottawa. The Ottawa Art Gallery houses a portrait of Burton at work done by A.Y. Jackson entitled simply, Ralph Burton (graphite on paper, 1965). See also A.Y. Jackson Banff School of Fine Arts Group of Seven (painters) List of Canadian artists List of Canadian painters Ottawa Valley References 1905 births 1983 deaths 20th-century Canadian painters Canadian male painters Canadian landscape painters Artists from Ottawa Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Canadian war artists World War