Follow the tweets and journal entries of my last days. Live tweeting and journal entries from the period November 28, 1916 to July 21st, 1917.
My journal and live-tweets start once again on November 28th, 2013 when I return to the Shack in Toronto. I promise that this time around you’ll learn more of my days in Toronto, why I didn’t exhibit in the Ontario Society of Artists Exhibition and why I never became a member of the Art and Letters Club.
In the meantime, during the summer please follow my tweets from my readings, sketches and reflections. Some of my sketches that I plan to tweet have never been seen before in public. These were the lost, sold and stolen sketches from 1912-1917 that only now have begun to reappear. I found them after a long and hard search – attics, basements, sheds and behind bookshelves not moved in almost a century.
If you do wish to engage me or contact me, reply to my tweets @TTLastSpring , my blog entries at Ttlastspring.com , or send me an email at ttlastspring@gmail.com.
I can’t promise to tell you who I truly am but I’ll definitely do my best to tell you what Tom was thinking, sketching or reading.
Affectionately,
Tom Thomson’s Last Spring
Tom Thomson's Last Spring 
I found the following posted by @TTLastSpring on Twitter: “There are only two things in this world that can prevent me from painting: black flies and conscription.” As a specialist of black flies at the Royal Ontario Museum, I like to collect quotes about these creatures. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any context for this quote on your website (I assume it was in a letter to someone). Could you point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance,
Doug Currie
Curator of Entomology
Royal Ontario Museum
Doug,
I believe this that tweet was a reference to one of Tom Thomson’s last letters, I believe to either MacCallum or Harkness where he says that he couldn’t sketch outside for very long due to the black flies. The letter was sent the spring that he died. I suggest looking at Roy MacGregor’s Northern Light he quotes this part of the letter.
Doug,
This is a reference to one of Tom Thomson’s final letters written the spring before he died to either MacCallum or Harkness, I can’t remember. You should check out Roy McGregor’s Northern light, he quotes this letter.
are these entrys a published book you can buy somewhere ?
Not yet a book. Hopefully soon.
I look forward to your return. Each year adds another layer to the story.
Thank you. More to come. To be sure.
When I used to take the northbound Yonge subway I used to crane my neck each trip to see the old shack. A great connection to the Toronto of long ago.
Thanks!
Absolutely loving the detailed story as it unfolds on Twitter. One of the best Twitter chronicles I have ever followed. I have an old map of the Park from the Tom Thomson era in digital form. I would like to send it to you. You can contact me via email or as @hifliercanada on Twitter.
Hello,
Do you have any idea where the quote ” Someday they will know what I mean” comes from? It’s attributed to T.T. but I can’t find it in all my material.
Thanks, Jill
Blodwen Davies mentions this in the 1967 edition of her book. Not sure if it can be directly attributed to TT though.
I know about a photograph that bears an uncanny resemblance to Tom Thomson. Am trying to track down the backstory. Need an opinion from an expert. Interested? Please get in touch. jillboschulte@gmail.com
We could meet before you go to Leith to unicycle. Huntsville? I’ll bring the photo.