No. 2 Platoon, School of Infantry, April 3rd, 1917: Original World War I Presentation Photograph Inscribed to the Commanding Officer, Lieut. Col. A. D. Le Pan [WWI / PHOTOGRAPHY / MILITARY HISTORY / UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO]; Henry Harrison Madill (1889-1988); Arthur D'Orr LePan (1885-1976) Photographs

Original silver gelatin photograph measuring 7.5" x 9.5", mounted on its original heavy card mat to an overall size of 13.75" x 11.75". Bears a printed label identifying the unit: "No. 2 PLATOON / SCHOOL OF INFANTRY / APRIL 3RD, 1917" and its instructors, "LIEUT. J. L. LEWIS, MAJOR H. H. MADILL, SRGT.-MAJOR T. RANSOM." A superb, period ink inscription in the lower margin makes this a highly unique presentation copy: "To Lieut. Col. Le Pan / C.O. School of Infantry / Toronto, Ont. / April 10th 1917."A remarkable and historically significant group portrait of Canadian officers and NCOs taken on the home front in the midst of the First World War. The photograph is staged on the steps of the iconic Norman-Romanesque entrance to University College, at the University of Toronto, which served as a central hub for the Canadian Officers Training Corps (C.O.T.C.) and other military training schools for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.). The men pictured were part of an advanced "School of Infantry," learning the brutal arts of trench warfare and command before being sent to the front.The photograph's date is especially notable: dated April 3rd, 1917, the portrait was captured a mere six days before the launch of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 9, 1917). It captures a moment of intense, final preparation on the home front, as the men completed their training at the very same time their compatriots in France were moving into position for Canada's most defining battle of the war.Inscribed to Lieut. Col. A.D. Le Pan. The recipient, Lieut. Col. Arthur D'Orr Le Pan (1885-1976), was the C.O. of the School of Infantry and a major figure at the University. An engineer and the university's Assistant Superintendent of Buildings, he oversaw the C.O.T.C. program which trained thousands of officers. Later in 1917, he would command the Polish Army Camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a service for which he was later decorated by the French and Polish governments.Instructor Major H. H. Madill: One of the named instructors, Major Henry Harrison Madill (1889-1988), was a Toronto architect who served overseas. After the war, he would have a distinguished academic career at the University of Toronto, eventually becoming the Dean of the School of Architecture.A rare, and personal artifact connecting the C.E.F.'s training infrastructure, the University of Toronto's immense wartime contribution, two highly significant Canadian officers, and the eve of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.The silver gelatin print retains exceptional clarity and full tonal range. The original embossed mat is in very good condition, with some light soiling and minor wear to the corners. The inscription is clear and bold. Very Good+.