Tag Archives: neighbourhood

Silverman Heritage Museum

Conservation/Preservation:

Artefacts

Artefacts include,

  • tzedakah boxes
  • domestic objects
  • photographs
  • prayer books
  • documents pertaining to Jewish heritage, particularly related to life in eastern Europe in nineteenth century and early twentieth century;
  • memorabilia related to the history of Baycrest Centre

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Temporary exhibitions, usually pertaining to Jewish history and culture. Recent exhibitions include,

  • “Herzl Exhibit at the Museum,” which displays items associated with Herzi, a visionary of the modern Jewish state and founder of political Zionism
  • “Terraces in Bloom at the Water Cooler,” which displays cultural art pieces

Swansea Historical Society

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives

The archives includes photographs and memorabilia of the Toronto’s Swansea area.

Public Programming:

Tours

This society offers an annual tour of the Swansea area in June.

Tollkeeper’s Cottage

Conservation / Preservation:

Architecture

The cottage itself is Ontario’s oldest-known example of the rare “vertical plank construction.” Only a handful of extant structures in Ontario were built in this unique style.

Environment

The cottage grounds have been planted with species indegenous to the area or with plants and flowers the pioneers would have brought with them in the nineteenth century.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

  • The cottage is decorated with many furnishings unique to the mid nineteenth century.
  • Docents in period dress describe the road system and life of ordinary Torontonians of the 19th century,

Educational Programming

  • School groups can arrange visits to the cottage.
  • Evening lectures.
  • Workshops on knitting, rug braiding, and other heritage skills.

Other

  • Check the website for special events such as Strawberry Socials and Victoria Day Tea.

North Toronto Historical Society

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

This society has a collection of photographs and slides which depict North Toronto.

Oral Recordings

Oral recordings have been made of early residents.

Public Programming:

Tours

At least one walking tour occurs per year.

Educational Programming

Meetings are open to the public and are held by the Northern District Library. The meetings revolve around various topics pertaining to North Toronto and beyond. Members also conduct research on the local area and families who lived in the area.

Heritage Toronto

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

The organization curates an annual photography exhibition. This years theme is Building Stories 2012: A Photo Exhibit of Transportation in Toronto. Past exhibits include Building Stories 2011: A Photo of Toronto’s Industrial Past and Building Stories 2010: A Photo Exhibit of Toronto’s Aging Spaces.

Historical Plaques

For nearly half a century, the Historical Plaques program has commemorated key people, places, and events in Toronto’s past. The program encourages Torontonians to apply for plaques and find funding support within their communities to make them happen. Heritage Toronto provides expertise in historical research and writing, plaque design and fabrication, and installation of plaques on buildings and in public spaces.

Plaques fall into three broad categories:

  • Century House enamel plaques with street address numbers. These celebrate any house that has been part of the architectural landscape of Toronto for over a century.
  • Official bronze recognition plaques for structures listed or designated on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Register.
  • Commemorative and interpretive enamel panels, complete with maps and images that highlight people, places and events significant to the history of Toronto.

Tours

The Tours program was introduced in 1994 to provide residents and visitors with an opportunity to learn about the heritage and architecture of the city. All tours are researched, designed, and led by local historians, community groups, and professionals who volunteer their time and energy. The Tours season runs from April to October each year.

Digital

  • Heritage Map of Toronto: a google map highlighting archaeological sites, museums, plaques and heritage walks: http://www.heritagetoronto.org/discover-toronto/map
  • iTours: audio downloadable self-directed tours: http://www.heritagetoronto.org/discover-toronto/itours

Heritage Toronto Awards

An important event on the city’s cultural calendar, the Heritage Toronto Awards celebrate outstanding city builders and their contributions to the promotion and preservation of Toronto’s heritage in five main categories:

  • Community Heritage
  • Media
  • Book
  • Short Publication
  • William Greer Architectural Conservation & Craftsmanship

The nominees for the Community Heritage Award are also considered for the Members Choice Award. A Special Achievement Award is also announced, with the recipient named by the Heritage Toronto Board of Directors.

Other

  • Annual Heritage Toronto Awards,
  • William Kilbourn Memorial Lecture.
  • Comprehensive list of history-related organisations and locations in the city.
  • A program of heritage plaques and markers ,

West Junction Historical Society and Archives

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives

The Archives contains

  • Photographs of area residents and buildings, including photographs from the TTC and City of Toronto photograph collections.
  • Files on local people, places, and events.
  • Reports, maps, photographs, documenting the history of the local rail yards and CPR engine house.
  • Audio interviews with area residents documenting life in the early twentieth century Junction and the area’s transportation history.
  • Back issues of the Society’s newsletter, The Leader and Recorder.
  • Detailed area building histories.
  • Rare books and directories, including a special, fire insurance Goad atlas which depicts the Junction in great detail.
  • clippings from old, out-of-circulation Junction newspapers.

artefacts

This society maintains a small collection of artefacts documenting the history of the Junction, including trophies from local sports teams, and goods produced at local factories.

Public Programming

Lectures

Approximately eight public lectures on area and Toronto history, to coincide with membership meetings.

Tours

Occasional walking and driving tours west Toronto. The society typically partners with Heritage Toronto to organize a tour at least once per year.

Publications

Occasional publications on the history of the Junction neighbourhod. The Society also regularly publishes a journal for Society members, The Leader and Recorder.

Digital Exhibits

Searchable database of photographs from the Archive’s collection of photographs and digital copies of The Leader and Recorder.

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.

Cabbagetown Preservation Association

Conservation/Preservation:

Architecture

Walking tours highlight the restoration of Cabbagetown homes in the style of Worker’s Cottage, Georgian, Queen Anne, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, Bay n’ Gable, Romanesque Revival, and Arts and Crafts

Public Programming:

Plaques

The Cabbagetown People Project commemorates more than fifty historical personalities and colourful characters who lived in Cabbagetown and who have contributed to Canada’s rich heritage. The project has expanded to include the many other “heroes” and their inspiring stories which are explored through an online exhibit as well as incorporated in their Program for Schools.

Tours

To facilitate self-guided walking tours by the public, the association has installed a Cabbagetown People Orientation Directory, including images, biographical text and a map of plaque locations, which is located at the northwest corner of Riverdale Park. For that purpose, a brochure exists. All this material is complemented by the www.cabbagetownpeople.ca website.  Cabbagetown People tours are also offered (with guides) free of charge to local schools.

The CPA also offers various seasonal tours (with guides) often organized in cooperation  with organizations such as Heritage Toronto, la Société d’histoire de Toronto, etc. Tours vary every year and can touch on such topic as architecture, social history, remarkable people, medical heritage, artists and writers, etc. CPA guides can also take the public through Cabbagetown’s two historical cemeteries: the Necropolis and the St. James Cemetery.

Educational Programming

Produces and provides teaching manuals (including biographies of the “heritage heroes”) for teachers to use in classroom projects and to “pre-teach” students in advance of participating in guided walking tours of Cabbagetown.

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.