Nearly a century ago, a group of artists travelled into northern Ontario and farther afield to capture the raw, terrible beauty that lay just beyond the outskirts of Canada's cities and towns. Armed with sketchbooks, brushes, and paint boxes, they set off into the heart of the wilderness with the singular purpose of interpreting the landscape in a modern mode of artistic expression.

In July 1977, Jim and Sue Waddington set off on their own expedition to discover the places that inspired these artists. Determined to locate, document, and photograph the actual landscapes that inspired A.Y. Jackson, Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, Lawren Harris, A.J. Casson, J.E.H. MacDonald, Tom Thomson, and Frederick Varley, the Waddingtons began a thirty-six-year journey -- tracking down clues, deciphering bits of information, tracing ancient portage routes, and exploring hidden inlets -- all with the purpose of finding the very spots that gave birth to the work of the Group of Seven.

The result was an amazing story of discovery. In this paper-bound edition of their bestselling book, in which original paintings are paired with contemporary photographs of the locations where the original works were created, Jim and Sue Waddington invite their readers to come face to face with the elusive muses that enlightened and enriched this renowned group of artists.