City of Toronto Archives
Encyclopedia
The City of Toronto Archives is the municipal archives for the City of Toronto
. It holds records created by the City of Toronto government and its predecessor municipalities
from 1792 to the present day, as well as non-government records created by private groups and individuals. There are also over one million photographs of Toronto within its collection, with over 50,000 available to view on its website.
. These are the earliest known photographs of Toronto. Other important photographic collections are the William James collection, the Alexander Galbraith collection and the F.W. Micklethwaite collection, the Globe and Mail collection (1922-56), as well as over 100,000 photographs taken by city photographers.
, who also designed the Toronto Eaton Centre
, as a state-of-the-art purpose-built archives building incorporating a climate controlled records, a central atrium and exhibition area; a 60-seat theatre and a Research Hall.
The original purpose of the building was to hold the records of the government Metro Toronto. Since amalgamation in 1998, documents from the other six constituent municipalities have been housed there. Prior to amalgamation, the archives were held in the respective city halls.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It holds records created by the City of Toronto government and its predecessor municipalities
Amalgamation of Toronto
The amalgamation of Toronto was the creation of the current political borders of Toronto, Ontario, Canada after amalgamating, annexing, and merging with surrounding municipalities since the 18th century...
from 1792 to the present day, as well as non-government records created by private groups and individuals. There are also over one million photographs of Toronto within its collection, with over 50,000 available to view on its website.
The Collection
The oldest record in the Archives is a map of Toronto harbour dated 1792, and the newest one is a DVD of the previous month’s Toronto City Council meeting. Of the 1.2 million photographs within the Toronto Archives collection, the oldest are a set of twenty-five prints of the city taken in 1856-57 by the firm of photographers, Armstrong, Beere and HimeArmstrong, Beere and Hime panorama
The Armstrong, Beere and Hime panorama is an almost complete panorama of the city of Toronto taken in 1856–1857 by the firm Armstrong, Beere and Hime. They are the earliest known photographs of the city of Toronto, and create an almost complete record of the city at that time...
. These are the earliest known photographs of Toronto. Other important photographic collections are the William James collection, the Alexander Galbraith collection and the F.W. Micklethwaite collection, the Globe and Mail collection (1922-56), as well as over 100,000 photographs taken by city photographers.
The Building
The present Archives building was opened in 1992. It was designed by the architectural firm of Zeidler RobertsEberhard Zeidler
Eberhard Heinrich Zeidler, OC, O.Ont is a Canadian architect.he studied at the Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe, Germany....
, who also designed the Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...
, as a state-of-the-art purpose-built archives building incorporating a climate controlled records, a central atrium and exhibition area; a 60-seat theatre and a Research Hall.
The original purpose of the building was to hold the records of the government Metro Toronto. Since amalgamation in 1998, documents from the other six constituent municipalities have been housed there. Prior to amalgamation, the archives were held in the respective city halls.