Blog Archives

Toronto Railway Historical Association

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

This museum houses a collection of artefacts relating to nineteenth and twentieth century railway history, including a roundhouse, an 1896 railway station, an 1894 interlocking tower, a steam locomotive, cabooses, passenger and freight cars, a gatehouse, cranes, and railway machine shop equipment and machinery.

Archives

A nascent archive will ultimately offer an extensive library of railway-related material. The collection will be made available online. A special collection will be dedicated to the history of the United Aircraft TurboTrain, Canada’s fastest train, which operated between Toronto and Montreal from 1968 to 1982. Presently, the collection includes internal Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railway documents, drawings, artefacts, and other ephemera.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

  • Visitors can explore and interact with several displays, including, the restored Canadian Pacific Railway John Street Roundhouse, and several historic locomotives and passenger and freight cars, with signs and plaques documenting their origin and history.
  • A ride on a miniature railway through Roundhouse Park
  • The TRHA Facebook page is updated daily with information about museum events as well as photographs and information about Toronto railway history.
  • Occasional public lectures on railway history.

Trinity College Archives

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives

  • Institutional records of the College, including, yearbooks and calendars, records of the Trinity Medical College, student cards, architectural drawings, and other administrative records.
  • Records of student organizations and publications, including the Dramatic Society, Heads of College, and Theological and Missionary Society; a complete run of the Trinity University Review (1880 – present), and other publications originating at the College.
  • Private papers of notable individuals involved with the College.
  • Artwork in possession of the College.

Textile Museum of Canada

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

12,000 artefacts documenting 2,000 years of textile history from all over the world, including fabrics, ceremonial cloths, garments, carpets, and quilts.

Public Programming:

Exhibits

  • Themed exhibits based on the Museum’s permanent collection of historical garments, rugs, and other textiles, representing a variety of world cultures.
  • Travelling exhibits based on the permanent collection created in partnership with other cultural institutions.
  • Exhibits of the works of Canadian and international textile artists that illuminate contemporary life.

 Online Resources

  • Three online exhibits of digital artwork, Canadian cultural diversity, and Mexican, Central and South American cultural history, as seen through cloth.
  • Online image gallery of the permanent collection, searchable by keyword, artefact type, geographical region, nationality, material, and technique.

Library

H.N. Pullar Library offers an extensive collection of publications (books, journals, DVDs, videos) and subject files dealing with non- industrial textiles from around the world.

education

This museum offers educational programming for students of all levels, including undergraduate students. Fibrespace is an interactive exhibit where school classes (as well as adults) can learn about textiles while working with fabrics. Social Fabric, an online exhibit, allowed students to generate content while engaging in research of textiles.

Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

  • Historic ceramics, including some by notable ceramics artist, Oleksa Bakhmatyuk (1820-1882).
  • Ukrainian woodwork, including crosses, musical instruments, boxes, plates and bowls, chests and toys.
  • Religious pieces such as crèche, icons, crosses, bibles and prayer books
  • Historic and contemporary jewelry and other adornment.
  • Reproductions of historic costumes of Ukrainian nobility from the eighth to the eighteenth century; folk dress, ritual cloths, kylyms, and household textiles.
  • Prints, engravings, etchings, lithographs, silk screenings, and currency and stamps from the period 1918-1920.
  • Pysanky representing many regions in Ukraine.

Public Programming:

Exhibits

Large rotating and traveling exhibits dealing with historic and contemporary Ukrainian handicrafts and art, Ukrainian immigrants in Canada, and Christianity. Each exhibit is inaugurated with a public lecture.

Educational Programming

Educational programs are developed for each exhibit and can be accessed by school teachers and students of all grades.

Theatre Museum Canada

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

Set designs, playbills, photographs, props, and other memorabilia dealing with the development of live theatre in Canada.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Temporary and touring exhibitions deal with various aspects of the history and art of live theatre in Canada. Past exhibits have focused on set design, notable performances and individuals, women in theatre, and historic theatres.

Online

The Legend Library is a video database of interviews with prominent members of the Canadian theatre industry, including actors, directors, set designers, and more.

Toronto’s First Post Office

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

  • Primarily early nineteenth century letter-writing materials such as pens, penknives, quill cutters, inkwells, seals, pounce pots, a post master’s desk and a portable post master’s desk.
  • Artefacts pertaining to the history of the Bank of Upper Canada and the De La Salle Institute, buildings to which the 1833 post office was conjoined after 1873.
  • Nineteenth century currency from Upper and Lower Canada, United Kingdom, United States, and Spain.

Architecture

The building itself has been restored to its original condition. The original fireplace has been uncovered and restored.

Archives and Library

  • Correspondence relating to the postal service in Upper Canada.
  • Several rare books relating to the early postal system in Upper Canada.
  • Documents relating to the Bank of Upper Canada and De La Salle Institute.
  • Research files on subsequent owners of the Post Office building, such as Christie Brown and Co..
  • Hundreds of letters by nineteenth-century Torontonians.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

  • The post office is decorated with furniture and accessories authentic to the period, and visitors can write letters using nineteenth-century paraphernalia.
  • The Post Office reading room houses permanent and changing exhibitions relating to the history of Toronto’s postal service.
  • Scale model of Toronto (York) in 1837, with an online legend that identifies significant landmarks.
  • Occasional traveling exhibits featuring items from the Post Office’s collection.

Public Lectures

  • Annual public lecture on Toronto history to coincide with the annual meeting of the Town of York Historical Society.
  • Occasional public lectures in conjunction with the work of other heritage organizations in Toronto.

Publications

  • Quarterly newsletter that updates members on developments in heritage preservation efforts in Toronto, particularly as regards the city’s built heritage, and events in the heritage community.

St. James Cathedral Archives and Museum

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives

  • Marriage and burial records.
  • Parish personnel records and biographical information about prominent parishioners
  • Pew records listing individuals who owned and rented pews, and related correspondence.
  • Photographs and sound recordings.
  • Records of parish deliberations, decisions, actions, administration, correspondence, and finances.
  • Pictorial records including site maps, engineering and architectural drawings.
  • Records of special events of the congregation.
  • Music written and arranged for the Cathedral.

Museum

  • Bibles, prayer books, and a small reference library.
  • Organ pipe and portable organ.
  • Coat of arms, paintings, drawing, prints, icons.
  • Memorial plaques and busts.
  • Textiles: embroideries, flags, and regimental colours.
  • Woodenware and furnishings: crosses, candlesticks, carvings, prayer desks, seats and chairs.
  • Ironwork: bell, fencing, weathervane.
  • China.
  • Brass and silver, both liturgical and secular.
  • Créche collection.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Two regular exhibits include The September Art Show to mark Toronto Arts Week, and The Crèche Exhibit of Nativity Scenes from Around the World in December. Other exhibits are held throughout the year such as,

  • Black History, (opening February 5, 2017).
  • The Cathedral during the War of 1812, focusing on Bishop Strachan’s role in the Battle of York and the Cathedral’s use as a field hospital.
  • Vision and Devotion, organized in partnership with the Ontario Society of Artists, focusing on the society’s connections to the Cathedral. The exhibit displayed art by the society’s members housed within the Cathedral.
  • A celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the links between the British monarchy and the Cathedral (to close October 28, 2012).

Tours

  • Specially organized Cathedral Tours for school classes normally engaged in the study of medieval history, Canadian history, art, architecture, religion, the Cathedral itself, and the broader theme of the Anglican Church and Christianity (the focus of tours catering to the grade 11 World Religions curriculum). Tours also focus on memorials and biography, church windows, carvings, military history, prominent local historical figures, and church architecture.
  • Tours of special exhibits.
  • Tours of Toronto’s Old Town and churches elsewhere in Toronto.

Public Lectures

The Archives and Museum Committee offers public lectures related to exhibitions and / or publications related to the history of the Cathedral and its parishioners.

Publications

Occasional publications related to Parish, Cathedral, and neighbourhood history.

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.

Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

Public Programming:

Tours      

Great Indian Bus Tour- Three-hour tour of pre-contact and historical landmarks illustrating the Indigenous presence in Toronto

Projects

The Toronto Native Community History Project (TNCHP)- revolves around three key components: popular education, resource centre, and youth involvement, and manifests itself in a variety of events and projects that rotate year round at the center (e.g., Full Moon Ceremonies put on by Anishinaabe Women / Grandmothers)

Other

Dodem Kanonhsa’ Open Teachings at the Elder’s Cultural Facility (located at 55 St. Clair Avenue East)-The purpose of the Dodem Kanonhsa’ is to promote sharing and understanding of Aboriginal culture and its philosophies.

The Dodem Kanonhsa’ is open to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with the hope that it will benefit intercultural relations, cross-cultural communication and understanding. The lodge allows for continuing the tradition, started by grandmothers and grandfathers, of oral teachings. Visiting elders and teachers are available throughout