Canadian Landscape
The Canadian Landscape series is the third series of banknotes of the Canadian dollar issued by the Bank of Canada.[1] First circulated on 9 September 1954, it was designed in 1952 following the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne and replaced the 1937 series. The series introduced a modern design emphasizing Canadian nationalism, with vignettes depicting various landscapes on the reverse sides and a portrait of the Queen on the obverse. It retained traditional elements such as bilingual text (English and French) and standardized denomination colors. All notes measure 152.4 by 69.85 millimetres (6.00 by 2.75 inches).[1] The series was printed primarily by the Canadian Bank Note Company and British American Bank Note Company, incorporating early security features like intaglio printing and watermarks. Denominations ranged from $1 to $100, with some commemorative variants issued later. The design faced initial controversy over perceived imagery in the Queen's portrait, leading to modifications in 1956, and the series was gradually withdrawn starting in the 1970s.Background and Development
Historical Context
The 1954 Canadian Landscape series marked the third iteration of banknotes issued by the Bank of Canada, succeeding the 1937 series and preceding the 1969 Scenes of Canada series. This series was first circulated in September 1954, during the tenure of Governor Graham F. Towers, who had led the Bank since its founding in 1934 and retired at the end of that year.[2][3] The redesign was prompted by the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI, necessitating an update from the previous monarch's portrait featured on the 1937 notes.[1] In the post-World War II era, Canada experienced robust economic growth, with GDP expanding at an average annual rate of over 4% in the early 1950s, fueled by industrial expansion, resource development, and increased immigration. This period of prosperity coincided with a surge in Canadian nationalism, as the country asserted greater cultural and economic independence from Britain and the United States. The Bank of Canada sought a modern banknote design to symbolize this emerging national identity, moving away from allegorical or historical figures toward representations of Canada's natural heritage.[4] A key innovation of the 1954 series was the full integration of bilingual elements in English and French on all denominations, appearing on both obverse and reverse sides, which advanced Canada's evolving official language policy well ahead of the 1969 Official Languages Act. This built on partial bilingualism introduced in the 1937 series but represented a more comprehensive commitment to linguistic duality, reflecting federal efforts to accommodate French-speaking Canadians and promote national unity.[5][2]Design Commission
The redesign of the Bank of Canada's banknote series was initiated in the early 1950s, following the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1952, marking a shift to incorporate her portrait and contemporary Canadian themes.[1] The Bank contracted noted Canadian artist Charles Comfort to serve as the chief designer, tasking him with developing a unified vision for the entire series that would replace the more ornate and allegorical designs of prior issues.[6] Comfort, a painter and war artist who later became Director of the National Gallery of Canada, proposed innovative concepts including landscape vignettes and simplified borders to evoke a distinctly modern Canadian aesthetic.[7] Artistic directives emphasized "modern simplicity" in line with 1950s design trends, prioritizing clean lines, reduced ornamentation, and motifs that highlighted Canada's natural beauty and national identity over historical or imperial symbolism.[1] This approach involved selecting images of pristine landscapes across the country—from the Maritimes to the Rockies and the North—with minimal human presence to symbolize the vastness and untouched character of the nation.[1] Comfort oversaw the overall composition, while specialist engravers contributed to the vignettes; for instance, Harry Dawson engraved the Emerald Lake scene for the $10 note, and other artisans handled additional landscapes to ensure precision in the intaglio printing process.[8] The series adopted a standardized size of 152.4 x 69.85 mm (6.0 x 2.75 inches) for all denominations, narrower than the dimensions of the preceding 1937 series, to facilitate uniformity and practical use in circulation.[2] Thematically, the obverse featured a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to affirm Canada's ties to the monarchy, while the reverse showcased iconic Canadian landscapes intended to foster national pride and a sense of place.[2] This thematic choice reflected the Bank's goal of creating currency that visually represented the country's diverse geography and emerging post-war identity.[1]Design
Obverse
The obverse of the 1954 Canadian Landscape series banknotes features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II positioned off-centre to the right, facing right, marking the first Bank of Canada series to depict the monarch as queen.[2] This engraving, executed in intaglio with simplified line work for a soft vignette effect, is based on a 1951 photograph by Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, taken during a session while she was Princess Elizabeth.[1] The portrait's design emphasized a dignified representation of the monarchy, avoiding any landscape motifs to maintain focus on royal symbolism.[9] Integrated into the central background of the obverse is the Canadian coat of arms, introduced for the first time in this series to symbolize federal unity and national heritage across all denominations.[2] Denomination values are prominently displayed in each corner, printed in black ink alongside intricate border designs that enhance security and aesthetic balance.[1] At the bottom, serial numbers appear on either side of the Bank of Canada imprint, with bilingual text arranged such that English phrases are on the left and French on the right, reflecting Canada's official languages.[2] The obverse uses black ink for the portrait, text, and borders across all denominations, with no varying dominant colors on this side. These elements collectively underscore the obverse's role in embodying monarchical authority and Canadian confederation, distinct from the natural themes on the reverse.[1]Reverse
The reverse sides of the Canadian Landscape banknotes emphasize diverse natural scenes drawn from across the country, evoking the grandeur of Canada's geography and its unspoiled beauty while deliberately excluding urban or historical motifs to highlight the nation's wilderness heritage.[1] These designs serve a broader purpose in fostering a sense of 1950s Canadian nationalism by promoting regional representation and encouraging tourism through vivid depictions of the country's varied ecosystems, from coastal regions to inland expanses.[10] This thematic choice reflects a deliberate effort to portray Canada as a land defined by its natural resources and scenic diversity, aligning with post-war efforts to build national identity.[11] Artistically, the reverses feature photorealistic engravings executed in intaglio printing, characterized by intricate line work that creates depth and texture to mimic the subtlety of natural forms such as foliage, water, and rock formations.[2] A consistent ornamental border frames each composition, providing visual unity across the series while allowing the central landscape to dominate.[1] Dominant colors vary by denomination to aid identification and enhance the naturalistic theme—for instance, terracotta tones for the $10 note and green for the $20 note ($1 green, $5 blue, $10 terracotta, $20 green, $50 orange, $100 brown)—infusing the scenes with hues that echo their environmental inspirations.[2] The reverses include bilingual denomination text in English and French positioned at the top and bottom, ensuring accessibility in both official languages without incorporating portraits or the national coat of arms, which are reserved for the obverse.[10] This layout prioritizes the landscape as the focal element, reinforcing the series' role in celebrating Canada's environmental mosaic as a symbol of unity and pride.[11]Denominations
Standard Denominations
The standard denominations of the 1954 Canadian Landscape banknote series comprise eight values ranging from $1 to $1,000, each distinguished by a dominant color and a reverse design depicting a specific Canadian natural scene with minimal human presence. These notes were issued progressively starting in 1954, with the $1, $5, $10, $20, and $50 denominations released in 1954, the $2 in 1955, and the $100 and $1,000 in 1956, emphasizing regional diversity across provinces and territories.[2] The obverse of all denominations features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II based on Yousuf Karsh's photograph, positioned off-center to the right, alongside bilingual text and Canada's coat of arms.[2]| Denomination | Dominant Color | Reverse Scene |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | Green | Saskatchewan prairie landscape near Fleming, including grain elevators and a truck on the highway, engraved by Carl Louis Irmscher.[12][13] |
| $2 | Terra cotta | Saint-François River valley from Upper Melbourne in Richmond, Quebec, showing rolling hills and farmland, engraved by Harry Dawson.[14][15] |
| $5 | Blue | Otter Falls on the Aishihik River along the Alaska Highway in southwestern Yukon, capturing cascading water and forested surroundings, engraved by C. Gordon Yorke.[16][2] |
| $10 | Purple | Emerald Lake and Mount Burgess in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, illustrating turquoise waters and snow-capped peaks, engraved by Harry Dawson.[8][2] |
| $20 | Olive green | Winter scene of the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, featuring snow-covered peaks and evergreen forests, engraved by William Ford.[17][2] |
| $50 | Orange | Seascape at Crescent Beach near Lockeport on Nova Scotia's south shore, depicting rocky coastline and ocean waves, engraved by Warrell Alfred Hauk.[18][2] |
| $100 | Brown | Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, showing calm waters amid orchards and distant mountains, engraved by William Ford.[19][2] |
| $1,000 | Rose pink | Covered bridge over the Saguenay River fjord at L’Anse-Saint-Jean in Quebec, portraying rustic architecture against forested cliffs, based on a photograph by Max Sauer.[20][2] |