Category:Images from Archives of Ontario - F 126 Alexander Albert MacLeod fonds

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A collection of drawings by refugee children and related photographs created during the Spanish Civil War (July 1936-April 1939). The records are part of the Alexander Albert MacLeod fonds (F 126), held at the Archives of Ontario. An online exhibit about this collection can also be found on the Archives of Ontario’s website.

During the Spanish Civil War, various private relief agencies organized evacuations of children to "colonias infantiles" (children's colonies) in eastern Spain and later to southern France and Mexico. Drawings by children living in the colonies were collected over the course of the civil war and displayed in exhibits in England and the United States in order to raise awareness and humanitarian aid. A. A. MacLeod acquired the children's drawings while serving as Chairman of the Canadian League for Peace and Democracy.

The drawings demonstrate the children's impressions of their experiences during the war. As such, they include representations of front-line battles and peaceful scenes, daily life and evacuations and aerial bombardment. The media ranges from coloured pencil to pen and pencil. The ages of the child artists range from 5 to 17 years of age. Captions indicate their Spanish titles and English translations of the titles.

Alexander Albert MacLeod was a steelworker, soldier, politician, and human rights activist. The fonds also contains MacLeod's textual records pertaining to his social and political life such as correspondence, Legislative Assembly notes, speeches, press releases, biographical material, and printed material.

The Archives of Ontario has chosen to share these records because they show children’s experiences during the Spanish Civil War. These drawings possibly show the first organized use of art as therapy. Additionally, these drawings might assist those researching education at the child colonies.