Exhibition Park in Guelph in Wellington County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Edward Johnson

1878-1959

Photographed by Tim Boyd, September 1, 2025

1. Edward Johnson Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Edward Johnson, musician, impresario, and educator, was born and died in Guelph. After initial successes on Broadway, he went to Italy to study and emerged as one of the distinguished tenors of a generation that also produced Caruso, Gigli, and Martinelli. He sang for 23 years in the leading opera houses of the world before becoming General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera Company (1935-1950). During his tenure in New York, and after his retirement and return to Canada, Edward Johnson worked to make opera a popular art on this continent and to develop North American singers.

Edward Johnson, musicien, imprésario et éducateur, naquit et mourut à Guelph. Après un premier succès à Broadway, il alla étudier en Italie, se classant bientôt parmi les ténors les plus éminents de sa génération, qui comptait les Caruso, Gigli et Martinelli. Il se fit entendre dans les plus grandes salles d'opéra du monde pendant vingt- trois ans, avant de devenir directeur général du Metropolitan Opera (1935- 1950). Au cours de sa carrière à New York et après son retour au Canada, Edward Johnson travailla à populariser l'opéra

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et à former des chanteurs nordaméricains.

Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1878.

Location. 43° 33.035′ N, 80° 15.252′ W. Marker is in Guelph, Ontario, in Wellington County. It is in Exhibition Park. It is on Cardigan Street 0.1 kilometers south of London Road East, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75 Cardigan Street, Guelph ON N1H 0A4, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within

Photographed by Tim Boyd, September 1, 2025

2. Edward Johnson Marker

walking distance of this marker: Robert Stewart Lumber Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Goldie Mill Ruins (within shouting distance of this marker); Norwich Street Bridge (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Henry Langley 1836-1907 (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Guelph Public Library / Bibliothèque publique de Guelph (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Crown Attorney’s Office (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); The Masonic Centre (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Heffernan Street Footbridge (approx. 0.6 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Guelph.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, September 1, 2025

3. Edward Johnson Marker

Visible on the right

Edward Johnson, ca 1905 image. Click for full size.

4. Edward Johnson, ca 1905

Wikipedia (Philip Hale Photograph Collection) public domain

Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 55 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 11, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.