Inspired by Canada

Frances Anne Hopkins (1836-1919)

The name “Frances Anne Hopkins” has long been synonymous with images of voyageurs of Canada’s fur‐trading past. Born in England, Hopkins arrived in Canada in late 1858, a young bride and new stepmother to three young boys, ready to engage artistically with her new, if temporary, home.

As wife of Edward Hopkins, Chief Factor for the Hudson’s Bay Company at Lachine, Quebec, Frances Anne’s Canadian experience, as revealed by the ROM’s sketches and watercolours, was both domestic and touristic. Whether settled on the home front, sightseeing, or travelling the voyageur routes as far as present‐day Thunder Bay, Hopkins clearly was taken with Canada.