Historic Road Trip: a talk hosted by the Canadian Automotive Museum

August 11, 2026

Announcing a FREE online talk for automotive history enthusiasts by author Patricia Gostick hosted online by the Canadian Automotive Museum:

WHAT: "Historic Road Trip: Searching for McClelland Barclay"
WHEN: Thursday, September 17, 2026 from 7:00-8:00 pm.

Register today for FREE

About the talk:

See many of his Jazz Age automotive paintings. Learn how McClelland Barclay's lifestyle illustrations helped fuel demand for many makes of motorcars, trucks, tires, gas and motor oil from 1916 to the early 1940s.

This talk will showcase some of Barclay's works from the Canadian Automotive Museum collection, along with his works for FWD Trucks, Hupmobile, Goodyear, National, Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, Saxon Six, Texaco, Atlantic Gasoline, U.S. Royal Cords, and more.

Come along for the ride as author Patricia Gostick, shares her unusual story of discovery of this artist while searching for his vintage jewellery all over North America...and how she came to write his biography.

Expect many stops and detours along the way!

About the Artist

McClelland Barclay (1891-1943) was most famous as the creator an painter of the Fisher Body Girl in 1920s-30s advertising for Fisher Body Corporation, the auto body division of General Motors for all their makes of cars including Buick, Cadillac and Overland. Barclay illustrated many other ads, hundreds of popular magazine covers and serial stories, and Hollywood movie posters during the 'Golden Age of Illustration".

In the 1930s and early 40s, he also created Art Deco decorative metal art and, from 1938-1943 a line of McClelland Barclay costume jewellery was made by Rice-Weiner & Co. With commercial work disrupted during WWI and WWII, he applied his artistic skills while serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve.