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James Llewellyn Frise

One of Ontario's leading cartoonists, Jimmy Frise was born near here about 1891 and educated at Myrtle, Seagrave and Port Perry. Wounded at Vimy Ridge in the First World War, he went to Toronto to resume his career in illustrations, a field in which he was entirely self-taught. For the Star Weekly Frise collaborated with the noted humorous writer Gregory Clark in a weekly series. In 1921 he created a half page cartoon, first entitled "Life's Little Comedies" and later "Birdseye Center". It was featured for a quarter of a century in what was Canada's biggest weekend newspaper. The popularity of Birdseye Center arose from Frise's gentle and humorous interpretation of the relationship between rural and urban life. He died in 1948.

Location

On the grounds of Scugog Shores Historical Museum, at the corner of Portview and Island Roads, on the northwest side, Scugog Island

Region: Greater Toronto Area

County/District: Regional Municipality of Durham

Municipality: Township of Scugog

Themes