Lorraine Monk

Lorraine Althea Constance Monk D.Litt (née Spurrell; May 26, 1922 – December 17, 2020) was a Canadian curator, author and executive producer with the National Film Board of Canada who led the production of multiple photography projects chronicling Canadian culture from the 1960s onward. She worked to establish the Canadian Museum of Photography in Toronto, which spawned multiple satellite museums across the country. Over 160,000 of the photographs that she commissioned to detail contemporary Canada are housed at the National Gallery of Canada. She also led the publication of photography books including Canada: A Year of the Land, Call Them Canadians, Canada with Love, Between Friends (which was Canada's gift to the United States on its bicentennial in 1976), and Photographs that Changed the World.

For her contributions in documenting contemporary history of the country and her encouragement of a generation of photographers, she was first made a Member of the Order of Canada (1973) and later made an Officer of the Order of Canada (1983). She was also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), and Order of Ontario (2007).

Early life Lorraine Althea Constance Spurrell was born on May 26, 1922, in Montreal to Eileen Marion (née Nurse) and Edwin Spurrell. Both her parents were from Newfoundland and Labrador, and had relocated to Quebec. Her father was a cod fisherman who had fought in World War I. Her mother was the niece of the then Archbishop of Newfoundland and was raised in his house. The photography projects that she commissioned during her role with the Still Photography Division would not only contribute to the cultural documentation of the country, but would also encourage a whole generation of photographers. Over 160,000 of these photographs are at the National Gallery of Canada. The 262-page photo book documented the life, scenes, and people, from both sides of the shared border between the two countries. Anna Porter, editor-in-chief at McClelland & Stewart, the publishing house that published much of Monk's works, complimented her on her judgement, and went on to say that Between Friends / Entre Amis (1976), "became the gift book of the decade". In 2007, she was awarded the Order of Ontario for having "brought acclaim to Ontario through her contributions as a photographer". She was also awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal

Many of her books were recipients of awards, including Canada (1975) which was the recipient of the silver medal at the Leipzig Book Fair, and Between Friends (1976) which won the gold medal at the Leipzig Book Fair.

Personal life Monk's first marriage to Lloyd Hackwell ended in divorce after the birth of their daughter, after which she moved back with her parents who took care of the daughter when she worked. When she moved to Ottawa, she married John Monk, with whom she had gone to university at McGill University. John had returned injured from having fought in World War II. In order to support John through law school at Osgoode Hall Law School, Lorraine took on a job at the Department of National Defence, researching the history of the Royal Canadian Navy. The couple had two sons and a daughter, author Karyn Monk, and were married until John's death in 1979. In 2010 Monk married Daniel Fernandez, a music composer.

In the 1980s, Monk lost money to fraudster Albert Rosenberg, nicknamed Yorkville Swindler, who promised returns on reselling a Picasso painting only to defraud her. This incident would impact her negatively, and she would later say in a court hearing that she had considered death by suicide due to this incident.

Monk died on December 17, 2020, at a nursing home in Toronto, Ontario. She was aged 98.

Selected bibliography