This is a very significant piece of Canadian History. It is an early image of the DONALDA farm outside of Toronto. It is signed M. Andres, and is likely a romanticized interpretation of the fabled farm. Even though the gate in the forefront says Alda Farm, its identity has been supported by the Donalda Country Club, and a member of the Dunlap Family, who not only built the farm, but paid for the Dunlap Observatory seen as a stylized domed building at the top center of the image. …The Farm’s name was originally hyphenated Don -Alda, even though it was named after Jessie Donalda Dunlap, the wife of the founder, David Dunlap, but often was shortened by locals who dropped the Don simply because the farm sits in the Don Valley…. The farm was famous for its prized cattle, produce, and exceptional Rose Gardens. The figure in the carriage is likely Mrs. Jessie Donalda Dunlap, who financed the observatory after her husband David's death in 1924 This picture was probably executed in the early 1930s prior to the observatory’s completion in 1936. The painting is executed on tin and is housed in a gilt wood frame. Dimensions With frame: 31.75” wide x 19.5” tall. Without frame: 28” wide x 15 7/8” tall H 19.5 W 31.75 D 1.5 Weight 7LBS

19.5 x 31.75 x 1.5 in

7 lb