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Statue of Timothy Eaton

The statue of Timothy Eaton is a well-known sculpture with two castings, one in Toronto, Ontario, and the other in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After Eaton's declared bankruptcy in 1999, the statue became a symbol in news coverage and public remembrance, with flowers and cards left at both locations. The Toronto casting was eventually moved to the Royal Ontario Museum, where it is now displayed in the Lower Rotunda outside the Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre. The Winnipeg casting was the subject of a dispute before the Manitoba government designated it a protected provincial heritage object in 2002. It now stands in the concourse of Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, and visitors in both cities continue the tradition of rubbing Timothy’s toe for luck.

Timothy Eaton statue showing a seated bearded man in a double-breasted suit on a rectangular base.
The Timothy Eaton statue depicts a seated figure in a suit, photographed against a plain background.
© · Public domain
Timothy Eaton statue seated on a dark tiered pedestal in an alcove under spotlights.
The Timothy Eaton statue displayed on a tiered pedestal in the Lower Rotunda of the Royal Ontario Museum.
April 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Timothy Eaton bronze statue seated in a chair on a marble pedestal with plaques.
Timothy Eaton statue in the Eaton Gallery of the Royal Ontario Museum.
January 2007 © Keith Schengili-Roberts · CC BY-SA 3.0
Timothy Eaton statue shown in low-angle silhouette against a bright window
The Timothy Eaton statue stands silhouetted in front of a grid-paned window in Winnipeg.
April 2005 © · CC BY 2.0
Close-up of the polished shoe toe on the Timothy Eaton statue.
A close-up of the worn, polished shoe toe on the Timothy Eaton statue.
February 2006 © · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleStatue of Timothy Eaton
TypeBronze statue
Number of castingsTwo
SubjectTimothy Eaton

Creator

ArtistIvor Lewis (1882–1958), from Eaton's advertising department

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byEmployees of Eaton's department store
Commissioned forA gift to the Eaton family for the store's 50th anniversary (golden jubilee), as a tribute to Timothy Eaton

Historical context

Corporate wartime actionsEaton's promised returning overseas-serving employees their jobs or equivalent jobs, paid married volunteers full wages and single volunteers half wages, sent parcels with store goods to soldiers, and donated profits from government war contracts to the war relief effort
Polo Park significancePolo Park was the site of Eaton's first suburban Manitoba location and the proposed site of Sears' only Winnipeg 'eatons' store
Reason for giftEmployees wanted to express gratitude for Timothy Eaton's loyalty and generosity during the war
ContextMade shortly after the end of World War I, after Eaton's had recently celebrated its golden jubilee
Date1919

Physical characteristics

MaterialBronze
CastingsTwo cast statues made for Toronto and Winnipeg
Wear from handlingOne bronze foot has become golden from rubbing compared with the darker rest of the statue

Appearance

TraditionRubbing Timothy's left toe or shoe for good luck

Location and ownership

Ownership disputeAfter Eaton's bankruptcy and Sears' acquisition of many corporate assets, a brief legal dispute arose between Sears Canada and the Eaton family over ownership of the statues; it was averted when the family produced documents showing the statues belonged to the family, not the defunct chain
Winnipeg relocation planThe Eaton family agreed to move the Winnipeg statue to Polo Park Shopping Centre, but Fred Eaton also arranged for it to be moved to St. Mary's, Ontario
Toronto museum traditionMuseum visitors continue to rub the statue's toe for luck
Toronto relocationMoved to the Royal Ontario Museum after the Main Store was demolished in the late 1970s
Winnipeg later locationPlaced in the lobby or concourse of Winnipeg's new hockey arena, now known as Canada Life Centre, on the site of the demolished downtown Eaton's store
Toronto current locationLower Rotunda of the Royal Ontario Museum, near the Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre
Original Winnipeg locationDowntown store on Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
Original Toronto locationInside the Main Store at Yonge and Queen streets, Toronto

History and restoration

Toronto unveiling date8 December 1919
Winnipeg unveiling date11 December 1919
Toronto unveiling attendanceThousands of employees attended
Toronto unveiling presentationPresented to Margaret Eaton and John Craig Eaton, Timothy Eaton's widow and son
Toronto unveiling musicThe Eaton Choral Society sang 'O Canada'
Public reception at unveilingThe statue was presented amid strong affection from employees for the Eaton family
Public response to Eaton's bankruptcyPeople left flowers and cards at the bases of the Toronto and Winnipeg statues in sympathy for the end of a Canadian institution
Public attention during bankruptcyMany television news broadcasts opened with shots of the statue when Eaton's declared bankruptcy in 1999
Toronto museum policyThe Royal Ontario Museum generally discourages touching artifacts but allows it for this statue because a plaque invites visitors to do so
2002 Sears announcementSears announced the end of the eatons mini-chain and planned to convert the Polo Park store to The Bay
Heritage designationOn 22 October 2002, with the cooperation of the Eaton family, the Manitoba government designated the statue a provincially protected heritage object