1959
The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, founded by Lord Beaverbrook (William Maxwell Aitken), opens in Fredericton, N.B. From the beginning and over subsequent years, Lord Beaverbrook donates paintings to the gallery.
March 23, 2004
The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation and its British counterpart seek acknowledgement that they own a number of paintings at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, saying that the paintings are only on loan. The foundations also indicate plans to remove some of the paintings. Fifteen of the 18 members of the gallery's board resign when the foundations refuse to allow the board time to seek a legal opinion regarding ownership. Two of the paintings reportedly in question include The Fountain of Indolence by British Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner, and Hotel Bedroom by Sigmund Freud's grandson, Lucian. Sotheby's of London estimates the Turner to be worth $25 million and the Freud to be worth $5 million.
April 15, 2004
The gallery establishes a new board of governors, which includes 10 of the original board members. A committee of board members is also appointed to attend meetings with the Beaverbrook foundations to determine the ownership of the artwork.
April 16, 2004
A deadline of April 30, 2004, is set to resolve the dispute.April 23, 2004
Timothy Aitken, president of the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation and grandson of the first Lord Beaverbrook, makes public the foundations' offer to the gallery:
- At least two valuable paintings would be removed and auctioned.
- The gallery would receive $5 million from the proceeds of the sale.
- The gallery must agree that 175 artworks in its collection belong to the Canadian Beaverbrook Foundation and its British counterpart.
Aitken also reveals his anger at his family's portrayal by local critics.
April 30, 2004
The Beaverbrook foundations and the art gallery's board agree that discussions have gone well and decide to postpone the board meeting where a decision was expected to be announced.
May 13, 2004
The New Brunswick government announces that both Beaverbrook foundations have decided to sue the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. The suit is filed in the High Court of Justice in London, England, on May 5, 2004.
May 14, 2004
Beaverbrook Art Gallery launches its own legal action against both foundations in a New Brunswick court. They claim ownership of the paintings in dispute.
May 18, 2004
The lawsuit filed by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is made public. It reveals that Lord Beaverbrook's heirs are accused of making personal threats against gallery officials.
May 25, 2004
Lord Beaverbrook's former personal secretary, Josephine Champsaur, pledges to testify in court that the artworks were permanent gifts to the people of New Brunswick. She worked for the first Lord Beaverbrook when he created the art gallery.
July 26, 2004
The Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the British Beaverbrook Foundation agree to settle their dispute through arbitration in Canada. However, the dispute between the gallery and the Canadian Beaverbrook Foundation remains in the courts.
Aug. 20, 2004
Lawyers for the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation file notice that they will fight the lawsuit brought by the Fredericton gallery in New Brunswick's courts. It's uncertain whether this means that the foundation is abandoning its British lawsuit.
The head of the Canadian foundation, Timothy Aitken, also files an additional lawsuit against the gallery, accusing it of fraud and lying or misrepresenting ownership of the disputed paintings in annual reports, financial statements and other documents. The new suit calls for the return of $10 million in funding over 30 years, and $5 million in punitive damages and legal costs.Aug. 27, 2004
A New Brunswick court approves changes to the gallery's lawsuit against the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation, essentially forcing the lawsuit to begin again, since the foundation must draft a new response to the suit.
Sept. 16, 2004
The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation threatens to pull hundreds of thousands of dollars of charitable funding to groups in New Brunswick in order to pay for its legal fight with the gallery.
Dec. 20, 2004
The New Brunswick government gives the gallery a substantial financial boost to help pay for legal fees in its dispute with the two Beaverbrook foundations.
June 30, 2005
The gallery responds to overwhelming public demand to see the paintings at the heart of the dispute, opening an exhibit of the 211 works entitled Art in Dispute. The exhibit is set to run from Canada Day until November 2005.
Oct. 26, 2005
Vincent Prager, spokesperson for the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation, says that Lord Beaverbrook's heirs are contemplating building a new art gallery in New Brunswick – possibly in Saint John – to house the paintings at the centre of the dispute.
Oct. 2, 2006
To resolve the dispute, an arbitration hearing begins in New Brunswick, headed by retired Supreme Court justice Peter Cory.
Dec. 8, 2006
The arbitration hearing wraps, with retired Supreme Court judge Peter Cory saying he hopes to hand down his decision in the case by the end of February.
March 26, 2007
Cory rules that 85 paintings were gifts to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery by Lord Beaverbrook, and will remain in the gallery's hands. The gallery will also be compensated for three other paintings that were taken to England in 1976 and sold the next year. The Beaverbrook United Kingdom Foundation says it will appeal the decision.
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- Nov. 1, 2006
- Records changed after Beaverbrook's death, accountant says
- Oct. 31, 2006
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- Oct. 25, 2006
- Art ownership down to semantics at Beaverbrook hearing
- Oct. 25, 2006
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- Oct. 24, 2006
- Paintings never belonged to gallery, says Aitken kin
- Oct. 23, 2006
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- Oct. 18, 2006
- UK foundation discounts Beaverbrook's 'second thoughts'
- Oct. 17, 2006
- Beaverbrook gallery accused of removing clues to paintings' provenance
- Oct. 11, 2006
- 1959 catalogue proves paintings were gifts, gallery lawyer says
- Oct. 5, 2006
- Gallery's case for paintings depends on historical papers
- Oct. 4, 2006
- Arbitration begins in dispute
- Oct. 2, 2006
- Beaverbrook heirs propose new gallery to settle dispute
- Oct. 26, 2005
- Beaverbrook gallery shows 'Art in Dispute'
- June 30, 2005
- NB gives Beaverbrook gallery $1M loan, additional funding
- Dec. 17, 2004
- Beaverbrook dispute drags on but spurs attendance at NB galley
- Dec. 14, 2004
- Beaverbrook heir threatens to pull local funding over art dispute
- Sept. 16, 2004
- Beaverbrook's disputed art draws more visitors
- Aug. 30, 2004
- Changes slow Beaverbrook art dispute proceedings
- Aug. 27, 2004
- Beaverbrook heir launches new lawsuit in art dispute
- Aug. 20, 2004
- Beaverbrook art dispute to be settled through arbitration
- July 26, 2004
- Gloves come off in Beaverbrook dispute
- May 18, 2004
- Former Beaverbrook aide says paintings were gifts
- May 25, 2004
- Lawsuit alleges threats by Beaverbrook heirs
- May 17, 2004
- Fredericton gallery exchanges legal fire with Beaverbrooks
- May 17, 2004
- Beaverbrook dispute heads to court
- May 14, 2004
- Former NB premier speaks out on painting dispute
- May 10, 2004
- No fuss in Fredericton as Beaverbrook deadline passes
- April 30, 2004
- Legal battles loom if Beaverbrook Gallery deadline passes
- April 30, 2004
- Beaverbrook descendant angered by negative portrayal of family
- April 23, 2004
- Deadline set for Beaverbrook art dispute
- April 16, 2004
- New gallery board appointed to face Lord Beaverbrook
- April 15, 2004
- Ownership of high-profile paintings disputed at New Brunswick gallery
- March 23, 2004
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