Charles Hannah. Sculptor. Montreal (Verdun), Quebec. Active mid 20th century.
One of the original three Hannah brothers (Charles, Gerald ‘Pat’ and Tom) who became wood carvers in the 1930’s in Quebec. Charlie Hannah and his brother Pat learned wood carving from C.J.Trygg (the founder of the Trygg family of artists) who had a carving school near Saint-Sauveur, Quebec. Charles used to spend part of his summers in Morin Heights, Quebec (where the author’s mother met him) and where he sold his carvings to tourists in the Laurentian mountains north of Montreal. This area was a very attractive destination for tourists in all seasons; from skiing in the Winter to the hundreds of lakes in the Summer. It became a magnet for artists, both Academy trained and outsider folk artists, who came to paint, carve and meet their public.
‘Chas’ Hannah eventually moved there. ‘Charlie’ Hannah, as my mother knew him, carved ‘character’ sculptures in the Trygg Scandinavian flat-plane tradition. Lamps with wooden shades and figures were a specialty. His individual character carvings ranged from 7 to 10 inches high and were always painted in bright primary colors. Charlie Hannah carved in Pine or Bass wood. He signed his work ‘C. Hannah’, ‘Chas Hannah’ or simply ‘Hannah, Canada’; often in pencil or pen on the base or with a chisel. Charles, Pat, and Tom Hannah were the first of an extended family of Hannah carvers in Canada and, later, in the U.S. (See other Hannah Family posts.)
Some examples of his work:
A Group of Charles Hannah Wood Carvings:
Charles ‘Chas.’ Hannah. Verdun, Montreal, Quebec. A Group of Carvings. Photo: Mark Zannis.
‘The Mountain Climber’ by Charles Hannah:
Charles Hannah. Verdun, Quebec. ‘The Mountain Climber’. Photo: Mark Zannis.
An Early Mark of Chas. Hannah:
Charles Hannah. Verdun, Montreal, Quebec. Early Mark. 1930’s. Photo: Mark Zannis.
Two Later Marks of Charles Hannah:
Charles ‘Chas’ Hannah. Verdun, Quebec. Two later Marks. Photo: Mark Zannis.
A Table lamp by ‘Chas.’ Hannah. C.1940:
Table Lamp by ‘Chas.’ Hannah. 1940.
The “Chas. Hannah, Morin Heights” mark on the base:
Table Lamp by Chas. Hannah. The Mark on the base.
With thanks for the Illustrations and History from Mark Zannis. Montreal, Quebec.
