William Daniel Blatchly

Blatchly was born in Bristol, England. He worked for the illustrated magazine Punch in London^[2] where, in 1877, he transformed several of Charles Decimus Barraud's watercolours into chromolithographs for publication.^[3]

In 1881 he emigrated to Canada, settling in Toronto. He worked for Rolph, Smith & Co. in 1884 and for the Toronto Lithographing Company, known as Canada's largest and most advanced lithograph company from 1885 to 1889. He then may have worked in the United States.^[4][5] A drawing of him at work at the Toronto Lithographing Company by his colleague C. W. Jefferys is in the National Gallery of Canada.^[6] In 1885, he illustrated The white stone canoe: a legend of the Ottawas by James D. Edgar (Toronto News Company).^[7]

Blatchly is perhaps best known for his chromolithographic renderings of North West Rebellion battle-scene sketches such as the Capture of Batoche by F.W. Curzon, "Special Artist" of the Canadian Pictorial and Illustrated War News, which were published by Grip P. & P. Co. and the Toronto Lithography Company in 1885.^[8]

He was elected the first president of the Toronto Art Students' League (1886–1904) and held the post till 1890,^[9] and contributed prolifically to the League Calendars (1893–1904).^[10][11] He was included In the Toronto Art Students' League winter exhibition of 1899.^[12] His works in the show were favorably reviewed by Toronto Saturday Night, one even being called "a pleasing pleasure" by the reviewer.^[12]

He exhibited his work at the Ontario Society of Artists in Toronto and was elected a member in 1885, remaining one until his death in 1903.^[13] He is shown standing first on the left in a photograph of OSA members in 1889. He was also a member of the Mahlstock Club (1891).^[4] He exhibited his work as well at the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1885–1903).^[1]

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art Fort Worth, Texas, the McCord Museum, Montreal and the Ontario Government Collection, Toronto have his work in their collections.^[14][8][15]

He died in Toronto in 1903. Blatchly's work in the Toronto Art League Calendars was included in a show about the calendars at the National Gallery of Canada library and archives in 2008, curated by Charles C. Hill.^[16]