Tag Archives: culture

Ontario Jewish Archives

Conservation / Preservation:

The OJA has worked in partnership with Heritage Toronto on an initiative that saw 14 sites of Jewish importance recognized in the city with official heritage plaques. In the summer of 2015, the OJA worked to ensure the safe removal of the Mandel’s Creamery glass window at 29 Baldwin Street that featured original Yiddish writing, saving this historic remnant of Yiddish culture in the Kensington Market area from destruction.

Archives

The archives contains over 1,670 linear metres of textual records documenting the activities of Jewish organizations, institutions and individuals; over 60,000 photographs; 400 oral histories; 2,000 blueprints and drawings created by some of Ontario’s most notable Jewish architects; unpublished histories of Jewish communities in Ontario; Yiddish, Hebrew, and English language newspapers; and the Toronto and London Jewish Directories.

Some of the larger fonds include:

    • Act to End Violence Against Women (formerly Jewish Women International)
    • Benjamin Brown (architect)
    • Board of Jewish Education (Toronto)
    • Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
    • Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region
    • Canadian Jewish News
    • Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
    • Jewish Family and Child
    • Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto
    • Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto
    • Men’s Clothing Manufacturers’ Association of Ontario
    • National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
    • Rabbi Nachman Shemen
    • Toronto Haddasah-WIZO
    • United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto
    • Zionist Organization of Canada

Other fonds relate to synagogues, families, politicians, and photographers’ collections.

Public Programming:

Educational programming

Works in collaboration with university departments at York University and University of Toronto on research assignments. Provides information literacy sessions to school groups from elementary to university level.

Exhibitions

Occasional exhibits dedicated to telling the history of Jewish communities and prominent Jewish individuals in Ontario.

Public Lectures

PowerPoint presentations and workshops about various aspects of Ontario’s Jewish history, given to historical societies, clubs and lodges, student groups and sometimes to coincide with an exhibition, intended for wide circulation.

Tours

Regular historical walking tours of Kensington Market and Pape Avenue Cemetery.

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.

Joan Baillie Archives of the Canadian Opera Company

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

  • Corporate and administrative records.
  • Audio and video recordings of performances.
  • Slides and photographs.
  • Set and costume designs, historical Canadian Opera Company memorabilia.
  • Periodicals and documents associated with the opera dating back to the mid-twentieth century.
  • Blue prints of stage settings ,costume sketches  and posters are encapsulated.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

The archives participates in certain publicity events such as Open Doors Toronto for which they set up temporary displays of historical posters and costume designs.

Montgomery’s Inn

Conservation / Preservation:

Library

Over 2,000 volumes including works on social history, genealogy, food history, local heritage and history.

Artefacts

  • Montgomery’s Inn has undergone a number of major alterations and restorations over time and is one of the finest examples of late Regency or Loyalist architecture in Ontario.
  • Reproductions of nineteenth century American and British furnishings, which are reflective of a middle-class Irish agricultural-based family. The building once served as a Presbyterian church, but these elements have been removed. Only a few original items from the Montgomery family remain.
  • Archival materials documenting the history of Etobicoke, notably diaries and letters from local families.
  • Islington Community Hall trustee book, local family photography collections, and the Tweedsmuir History for Richview.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Permanent and temporary exhibitions which include photographs, artefacts of local history and local artwork.

Educational programming

A range of programs and workshops for audiences of all ages. Programs include curriculum based education programs, heritage talks where a speaker presents stories of the Inn and local history, to art and culinary workshops, where participants can learn to work with images, draw maps, or cook baked goods.

Tours

The tour  takes visitors throughout Montgomery’s nineteenth century rooms, showcasing architectural style and furniture.

Holocaust Education Centre

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

Composed of a permanent collection of archival photographs, art, artefacts and testimonies associated with the history of the Holocaust and Jewish religion.

Library

The Ekstein Library contains nearly nine thousand volumes of books and an array of films, pedagogical materials, and oral and written testimonies. Testimonies can be viewed as a DVD or read as transcripts, totalling sixty-five recordings.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Permanent displays include holocaust stories and photographs, such as Young Voices from the Holocaust and We Who Survived. There are also temporary exhibits which are related to the Holocaust.

Educational Programming

Educational programming is available for students by field trips or student symposium. Educational Bar & Bat Mitzvahs can also be organized that will link current B’nai Mitzvah students to child victims of the Holocaust for mentoring. In addition, there are also an educational programs for teachers on approaches to teaching the Holocaust.

Events

The Holocaust Education Centre is involved in numerous public events such as, Raoul Wallenberg Day, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah V’Hagvurah, Holocaust Education Week. They also co-present other programs related to the Holocaust.