City of Toronto Archives

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

Government Records

The archives collects documents created by the City of Toronto government and by its predecessor municipalities that existed between 1792 and 1997, including records of councils, agencies, boards, and commissions.

Cities and towns included are the current City of Toronto 1998-Present, the former City of Toronto 1834-1997, East York 1924-1996, Etobicoke 1850-1997, North York 1922-1997, Scarborough 1850-1997, York 1792-1997, Brockton 1881-1888, East Toronto 1888-1909, Forest Hill 1924-1966, Leaside 1913-1966, Long Branch 1915-1966, Mimico 1911-1966, New Toronto 1913-1966,North Toronto 1889-1913, 1942, Parkdale 1879-1889, Swansea 1926-1966, Weston 1882-1966,West Toronto 1888-1910, Yorkville 1853-1883.

Non-Government Records

These records were created by a wide variety of groups and individuals, including interest groups, resident and ratepayers’ associations, clubs, social service groups, businesses, retired politicians and civil servants, artists, activists, families, and ordinary citizens. A complete list is available on the website.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

The archives has two exhibit spaces which features photographs and textual records from its collection. The smaller exhibit space highlights recent acquisitions, while the larger main-floor gallery explores changing themes, such as how immigrants in Toronto’s notorious slum “The Ward” were portrayed in the media, or the history of food production in Toronto. Main exhibits change annually and smaller ones change more frequently.

Online

  • The archives’ descriptive database provides an online finding aid for its collection, and includes well over 10,000 digitized images of Toronto and its former municipalities, including photographs and maps.
  • Web Exhibits include such topics as, “The Earliest Known Photographs of Toronto”, “A Work in Progress: Preserving Toronto’s Architectural Heritage” and “An Infectious Idea: 125 Years of Public Health in Toronto”. The archives also has a Flickr account and a very active Twitter account.

Tours and educational programming

The archives’ educators provide curriculum-based programming for students in public and high school. For university or college students, they provide educational workshops on archival theory and practice using the archives’ collection, or on a specific research area which aim to provide students with the skills needed to conduct future research. Tours of the facilities are available to fit the visitors’ requirements.

Museum of Inuit Art

Conservation/Preservation:

Permanent Collection

Gallery I: Artistic History and Thematic Foundations of Inuit Art

The first gallery examines the evolution of art in Canada’s Arctic through the recognized historical periods; prehistoric Thule culture; post-European contact; and early modern Inuit art.

Gallery II: Diversity of Styles and Artistic Expression

The second gallery provides an overview of modern artistic styles and media that have evolved in Canada’s Arctic in the various regions and major communities, thus reflecting the scope and depth of artistic expression within Inuit art. The varied media employed in Inuit sculpture – stone, bone, antler, ivory and ceramic – are represented as prints, drawings and textiles.

Gallery III: Masterworks and Contemporary Sculpture

The principal feature of the third gallery is the presentation of major works by leading Inuit artists, including Pauta Saila, Judas Ullulaq, Barnabus Arnasungaaq, Oviloo Tunnillie, and Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok.

Special Exhibitions

Gallery IV and V: Special Exhibitions and Audio-Visual Presentation Centre

The fourth and fifth galleries are devoted to rotating special exhibitions. The goal of these exhibiition is to focus more specifically on particular artists, communities, themes and media.

Virtual Museum of Canada

Conservation/Preservation:

Online Exhibitions

Virtual exhibits and interactive learning resources on numerous subjects, created by Canadian museums and galleries. Local history exhibits that capture Canadian community memories, drawn from the collections of small museums and local memories and treasures are also available.  Organized by museum, name or subject, the themes of Aboriginal Art, Culture and Tradition, Arts in Canada, Canada at War, Canadian Musical Traditions, Canadian Women, Science and Medicine and Vancouver 2010 make up the bulk of the collection.

Image Gallery

Showcases thousands of artefacts, photos, paintings and objects from Canadian museums. Amongst others, it contains the works of the Group of Seven, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Emily Carr, and many other artists. 

Costume Society of Ontario

Public Programming:

Events

A variety of lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips, and publications for members only.

Past symposiums include topics such as “Dancing Through Time: Toronto’s Dance History from 1900-1980” and “Eternal Style: Ancient Egyptian Influence in Modern Times”.

Bata Shoe Museum

Conservation/Preservation:

Digital Archive

Highlights from past exhibits, both Main and ‘Snapshot’, featuring digital photographs and historical contextualization for the artefacts.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions:

Main Exhibits:

One semi-permanent and three changing exhibitions in specially-designed galleries.

Past exhibits include:
The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits, Art in Shoes, Shoes in Beauty, Identity, Pride, Native North American Footwear, All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages.

Snapshot Exhibits:

Occasional small-scale themed displays, on view for one or more weeks, consisting of three to ten display cases, which are usually in the lobby and/or lower (B1) level.

Past exhibits include The New Woman 1890’s – 1910’s: These Boots Were Made For Walking, Pitter Patter: Little Feet and the Influence of Adult Styles.

Online exhibitions

All About Shoes:

This online exhibition features stories and artifacts, based on the Museum’s existing collection, that focus on the footwear traditions of Aboriginal groups and Canada’s multicultural communities.

On Canadian Ground: Stories of Footwear in Early Canada:

Hosted by the Virtual Museum of Canada, this bilingual exhibition website allows visitors to listen to audio clips, explore artifacts and learn about the various methods of footwear production used by skilled aboriginal and immigrant peoples.

On Canadian Ground features the largest display of three-dimensional photography in an online exhibition to date. For the first time ever, visitors can ‘handle’ artifacts from the collection online.

Tours

Group and School tours daily, focusing on main exhibits as well as highlighting the architecture of the museum building

Special Events

A variety of special tours and events.

Past special events include films and lecture series pertaining to non-permanent exhibits, and hands-on demonstrations with artefacts.

Archives of Ontario

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

Ontario Government Records:

The majority of the records in the collections of the Archives were created by the government of Ontario and its predecessors in the fulfillment of its legal and administrative functions. These records date from the late eighteenth century to the present day concerning:

  • Political and legal decisions.
  • The evolution of provincial administration.
  • The interaction between the government and its citizens.
  • The rights and responsibilities of Ontarians.

Private Sector Records:

Since 1903, the Archives of Ontario has been acquiring records from the private sector. The Archives holds the records of over 2600 private individuals, businesses, clubs and associations, labour and political organizations. These collections can range in size from one or two items to thousands of items that occupy hundreds of metres of shelf space.

These records include:

  • Paper files, diaries and photographs.
  • Maps and architectural records.
  • Sound recordings and moving images.

Genealogical Records:

The Archives of Ontario holds many important sources for researching family history in Ontario. There is no single finding aid or database for this type of research.

Vital Statistics:

Historical registrations of births, marriages and deaths. No database yet exists that allows you to search these records by name. Rather, these records must be searched using microfilm.

Records Relating to Aboriginal Peoples:

The Archives of Ontario has a substantial number of records relating to aboriginal history, very widely scattered through the Archives’ total holdings. Dating from the 1760s, most focus on what is now Ontario. However, a reasonable number — for example, fur trade and missionary papers — refer to Aboriginal people of Quebec, other parts of Canada, and the United States

Library:

The J. J. Talman Library at the Archives of Ontario is a research and reference collection for the general public and the staff of the Archives. Most of the Library collections relate to the social, political, economic, cultural and military history of the Province of Ontario.

There are approximately 75,000 pieces including:

  • Books, pamphlets and Ontario Government publications.
  • Periodicals, microfilm, microfiche and other printed and published items.

Special Collections

Photographs:

The Archives of Ontario’s photographic collection consists of approximately 1.7 million images documenting activities, people, places and events in Ontario from the mid-1800s to the present.

These images come in many formats including: colour and black and white prints, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, slides, and glass plate negatives.

The Archives photographic holdings include images from many private sources such as: photojournalists, studio photographers, amateur photographers, and corporate collections.

The Archives’ photographic holdings also include images created by many Ontario government ministries and agencies to document programs and activities.

Photographs are accessed through the Reading Room.

Online Photographic Database:

A selection of images drawn from the holdings of the Archives of Ontario which document the province’s history and landscape. Images are continually being added to the database.

Cartographic Records:

The Cartographic Records Collection of the Archives of Ontario contains over 40,000 maps, plans, hydrographic charts, atlases, bird’s eye views, and other cartographic materials relating to the Province of Ontario. Many of these maps are in manuscript form and thus are unique items.

The Archives has significant collections of private cartographic records including those produced by or for: Lieutenant Governor Simcoe, Thomas Talbot, the Canada Company, and David Thompson.

The foundation of the collection consists of maps produced by and for the Government of Ontario, most notably the Ministry of Natural Resources and its predecessors. Maps in the collection span the period from the early eighteenth century, when Ontario was still part of New France, to the present.

The collection contains maps and plans documenting many aspects of the province’s history and development including:

  • Exploration maps, settlement maps and township and town surveys.
  • Road maps, fishing maps and boundary maps.
  • Electoral plans, fire insurance plans, and maps showing the location and distribution of various natural resources.

Architectural Records:

An extensive architectural records collection of approximately 200,000 drawings and other items, dating from the early 1820s to the 1990s. These records document Ontario’s built environment and heritage.

The collection consists of architectural materials created or accumulated for government purposes. An example would be the records of the Public Works Department, which was responsible for the construction of prisons, hospitals, special schools, and other facilities.

The Archives also holds architectural records created by individual architects or private sector firms. The scope of these records ranges from houses to factories to skyscrapers.

Documentary Art:

The Archives of Ontario holds a collection of approximately 4000 documentary art records that document the people, places and events in Ontario from the 1790s until the 1900s.

The collection contains paintings, drawings, and prints by both amateur and professional artists, such as: Caroline Armington, William Armstrong, Thomas Burrowes, Anne Langton, C. W. Jefferys, Stewart C. Shaw, Elizabeth Simcoe, Fred Brygden, Robert Sproule, Owen Staples, and Dorothy Stevens.

It covers a wide range of subjects such as views of small towns, famous and infamous people, and historical events.

Public Programming:

Exhibits

Several exhibitions that highlight the collections. The most recent online exhibits can be accessed directly from the website.

Market Gallery

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Although not all exhibitions have a historical theme, a substantial portion are related to Canadian history, particularly Toronto’s history. Some past exhibits include, The St. Lawrence Ward: A Pictorial View of Toronto’s Oldest Neighbourhood, Dancing Through Time: Toronto’s Dance History from 1900-1980 and People and Places of Riverdale. A full list of current as well as past exhibits and their descriptions is available on their website. Exhibits change every 4-5 months.

Educational Programming

  • Twelve different educational sessions can be arranged through the Market Gallery, which pertain to different disciplines in the Ontario curriculum, such as history. The subject of each session is listed online, as well as the appropriate grade level or audience for each particular session.
  • General history presentations can be booked by seniors groups and community groups, with or without a Victorian Tea.

Online

A short description of the Market Gallery’s building can be found on their website, providing insight into its historical significance. The website also provides a history of the City of Toronto’s fine art collection and a searchable database of digitized images from it.

Sculptors Society of Canada

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Founded by some of the most prestigious sculptors in Canadian art history, this society has been exhibiting and raising the profile of sculpture in Canada for more than 88 years. It continuously adds new exhibitions to its gallery and there is always something on display. The gallery showcases members’ works on a rotating monthly basis. A list of past, current and upcoming exhibits can be found on its website.

Adhering to its educational mandate, the SSC organizes and sponsors “Juried Graduating (BFA, BA, Diploma, Certificate) Sculpture Student Exhibition” and “juried Emerging Sculptors Exhibition”, annually.

The SSC is also co-founder of the John B. Aird Gallery (celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015), Macdonald Block, 900 Bay St. Toronto ON, where it holds the annual membership exhibition.

Tours

Walking tours available, studio and gallery tours.

Other

Professional development workshops, artist talks, and guest lectures.

National Ballet of Canada Archives

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives

Records of the company from 1951 to the present including,

  • Costumes
  • Dance materials
  • Photographs
  • Posters
  • Programmes
  • Videos

Library

The Erik Bruhn Library and Archive Video Collection contains over 2,500 items related to dance, theatre, music, scenography, choreography, and anatomy.

Public Programming:

Online Programming

The Virtual Museum is an online gallery featuring items held within the National Ballet Archives. Items digitized for inclusion in the National Ballet’s Virtual Museum are catalogued and preserved in The Helen G. Balfour Soutron Database.