Bertram Brooker
Bertram Brooker (1888-1955) was an influential Canadian artist and writer, known for his diverse contributions to literature, advertising, and visual arts. Born in Croydon, England, he immigrated to Manitoba, Canada, in 1905, where he initially worked for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. His journey into the arts began with the purchase of a movie theater and the sale of screenplays to American studios. Brooker's multifaceted career included roles as an editor for various newspapers and advertising publications, most notably as the editor of Marketing, which sparked his interest in graphic design.
As a painter, he exhibited his works in the late 1920s, while his writing career flourished with the publication of novels that explored themes of good and evil. His significant works include "Think of the Earth," "The Tangled Miracle," and "The Robber." Brooker also produced plays, with "Within: A Drama of Mind in Revolt" marking his theatrical debut. His contributions to Canadian literature earned him the prestigious Toronto Governor General's Award. Through his versatile artistic expressions, Brooker left a lasting legacy in contemporary Canadian culture.
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Subject Terms
Bertram Brooker
Writer
- Born: March 31, 1888
- Birthplace: Croydon, Surrey, England
- Died: March 21, 1955
- Place of death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Biography
Bertram Brooker was born March 31, 1888, in Croydon, England, to Richard Brooker and Ann (Skinner) Brooker. He and his family remained in Croydon until 1905, when the Brookers relocated to Portage-la-Prairie, in the province Manitoba in Canada, when Bertram was seventeen years old. When he finished with school, Brooker sought work to help support his family. He laid track for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and quickly was promoted to an office clerk job within the company. After working with the railroad for six years, Brooker pursued his interests in motion pictures and the entertainment industry. By 1911 he and one of his brothers had formed a partnership and purchased a movie theater in Neepawa, Manitoba. Surrounded by movies, Brooker decided to try writing his own. Once satisfied with his screenplays, he contacted American movie studios and sold several of his scripts to Vitagraph. Encouraged by his sudden success, Brooker attempted other ventures in literature and journalism, and by 1914 became the editor of the Portage-la-Prairie publication The Review. He met and married Mary Aurilla Porter in 1913, and they had three children: Victor, Doreen, and Phyllis. He was called into service in the Royal Canadian Engineers during World War I, and in the years following the war he worked for several newspapers, including The Telegram and The Free Press. During this time, Brooker also began working in the advertising industry. By 1921 he had moved to Toronto, fused his journalism and advertising experience, and began his career as the editor of Marketing, an advertising trade journal. Through his editing work he began to develop an interest in design, which led to relationships with key visual and graphic artists in Toronto. These relationships resulted in the publication of three how-to books on graphic design and the advertising industry.
At the same time, he began painting, and he exhibited his works in local galleries in the late 1920’s. In 1929, and again in 1936, he served as the editor of the Yearbook of the Arts in Canada, where in addition to editing and writing essays he also designed the layout of the compilation. By 1935 Brooker saw his first play, Within: A Drama of Mind in Revolt produced, followed the next year with The Dragon: A Parable of Illusion and Disillusion. 1936 saw the publication of the first of Brooker’s three novels, Think of the Earth. His three novels; Think of the Earth, The Tangled Miracle: A Mortimer Hood Mystery, and The Robber: A Tale of the Time of Herods, dealt with the definition, evolution, and relationship between good and evil. Bertram Brooker died March 21, 1955. He was awarded the Toronto Governor General’s Award in honor of his many contributions to contemporary Canadian literature, his ability to cross genres, and his service as a pioneer in many media.