Canada’s First Bank A History of the Bank of Montreal, Denison, Merrill. Published by McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 1966. First Edition. 4to – over 9¾” – 12″ tall. Volume 1: 472 pp. Volume 2: 453 pp. Black and white and color photographs, black and white and color illustrations, double page illustrations, maps, appendices, bibliography. Green cloth boards with white and red spine labels, and armorial device to front, pictorial endpapers. Housed in an illustrated slipcase. Illustrations include 38 paintings by Canadian artists commissioned specifically for the books. Contents of both volumes are in fine, unread condition. Spine of Volume 2 has a crease with small loss of colour to red label. Slipcase is structurally fine with moderate edge wear and light scuffing.
The Bank of Montreal first opened on November 3, 1817 and became a pivotal institution in the financial, commercial and industrial expansion of Canada. Twelve years in the making, author Merrill Denison provides the Bank’s 150-year history.
Merrill Denison (1893-1975) was a Canadian playwright and son of Flora MacDonald Denison (1867-1921) Canadian activist, journalist, and businesswoman known for her leadership in the Canadian suffragist movement.
