YVES BARIL AND THE "DEVIL'S HEAD" PORTRAIT

Gene Hessler writes:

It may have been slightly embarrassing, but when his first ever stamp engraving was preferred above that of his well-established tutor, it became obvious that Yves Baril was destined to enjoy a successful career.

The engraver Yves Baril was born in Verdun, which is now part of Montreal, Quebec, in 1932. From a young age he could be seen perfecting his artistic talents. From watercolour lessons at a local library at the age of ten to the study of figure drawing under Trottier, his entire education was geared toward the arts. After graduating from the School of Graphic Art in Montreal, Baril became a pupil of the well-known engraver Silas Robert Allen, who worked at the Canadian Bank Note company.

Although such apprenticeships normally last for a decade or so, Yves was allowed to engrave his first stamp design only two years into his training, in 1955. The Canadian postal authorities, not satisfied with the quality of the engraving submitted by the master, Silas Allen, accepted Baril’s version, and found it much superior. Indeed, Baril’s engraving was used for the eventual stamp, which marked the 50th Anniversary of the Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces.

It goes without saying that this created tension between master and pupil, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise that Silas Allen died within a year or two of this incident. Not being fully qualified yet, Yves Baril perfected his engraving craft for a few more years to come, by being tutored by a number of engravers linked to the American Bank Note Company and also Bradbury Wilkinson in London

For more information on Yves Baril, see:
Presentation No 8 The Security Engravers Group (www.cointalk.com/threads/presentation-no-8-the-security-engravers-group.82059/)
BARIL, Yves (stampengravers.blogspot.com/2013/04/baril-yves.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE 1954 “DEVIL’S FACE” CANADIAN BANKNOTES (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n01a23.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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