The National Archival Development Program (or NADP ) is administered by the Canadian Council of Archives and it – and it’s previous incarnations- have been vital in the completion of a number of projects here at the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections. One of the strongest examples is the survival of the Toronto Telegram photographic archives despite the challenges of preservation and a serious case of vinegar syndrome.
The delicious smell of fish and chips: harbinger of photographic doom
Photograph of Del’s Fish & Chip Shop in Toronto, 24 June 1964 for an article on teenage gangs. Photographer: Browne. Image number: ASC04605.
The majority of modern photographic film is cellulose diacetate, which is an inherently unstable material. Over time, fluctuations in humidity and temperature can lead to spontaneous decay with the photographic image detaching from the chemical base and eventually becoming illegible. This chemical process results in an acidic odour very similar to vinegar, hence the term vinegar syndrome (or VS). A proactive approach is essential as VS is a contagious process: once one photographic negative begins to degrade, there is a cascade effect on adjacent materials.
Our shared documentary heritage: saved with the help of the CCA
From 1995 to 1998 archivists at York University applied for a combined $13,390 in funding from the CCA to purchase preservation supplies and conservation services to protect the photographic negatives of the Toronto Telegram. This initial investment (matched by $15,825 direct and $8,075 in-kind investment from the archives) has ensured that the photographic record of the Toronto Telegram has been preserved for researchers, publishers and scholars now and in the future.
Long-term outcomes of short-term investment in archival preservation
In the past year alone, the following publications and projects have drawn on images from The Toronto Telegram, including:
- a textbook on educational psychology;
- a true-crime publication on the life and death of Donald “Mickey” McDonald;
- glass tabletops for a new cafe in the Maple Leaf Gardens flagship Lowblaws store;
- heritage panels in the new Maple Leaf Gardens renovations;
- an exhibit on the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario;
- a publication on the environmental history of Canada;
- a speech given at Massey College;
- article on death of Ângelo Nóbrega in 1969, published in Senso Magazine;
- a textbook on human geography;
- a blog post on Ryerson University’s mascot Eggy (the second of his name);
- an exhibition at the City of Toronto Archives celebrating the 90th Season of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra;
- Margaret Conrad’s A concise history of Canada published by Cambridge University Press;
- Donald Smith, Richard Jones and R. Douglas Francis’ Destinies: Canadian history since Confederation;
- Andrew Burtch’s Give Me Shelter: the failure of Canada’s Cold War Civil Defence;
and
- Carol Bishop-Gwyn’s The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca.
That’s just the projects in the past year. Over the past twenty years, the Toronto Telegram has been used in documentary films, history monographs and television programs. The newspaper’s holdings have inspired student plays, have been used in undergraduate and doctoral research, gallery exhibits and art projects.
The Toronto Telegram is one of our largest archives and it is by far the most heavily used in our department. From undergraduate students to international scholars, local historical societies to big corporations, there’s something for everyone in the Telegram. Without the funding the Canadian Council of Archives twenty years ago, there’s no telling how much of this unique documentary heritage would have been lost to vinegar syndrome.
Above are a selection of photographs from the Toronto Telegram, including:
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Three workers removing an item from a hurricane-destroyed home on Raymore Drive from 1954. Photograper: Nelson Quarrington.
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Two women in Resolute Bay sewing kamik in 1958. Photographer: Ward.
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HRH Princess Elizabeth exiting the Legislative Assembly of Ontario after a tour of the building in 1951. Unknown staff photographer.
You can browse over 5,000 photographic prints and negatives from the Toronto Telegram on our institutional repository YorkSpace here.
Hello,
In a recent article on Torontoist.com about Elvis Presley’s concerts at Maple Leaf Gardens, a number of photos from the Toronto Telegram Archives were used. One of them shows my mother in the audience. How would I go about getting a copy? Thanks for your help!
Hi Colby!
Thanks for getting in touch with us. One of our archival staff will be in touch by email to explain how you can get a copy of this image.
Where can I go to get a copy of the front page of the old Telegram from Novmeber 28, 1952?
Hi Randy:
If you want to get a copy of the front page of an issue of the Toronto Telegram, your best bet is to look up the issue on microfilm reels held here, at the Scott Library’s Microtext Department (see here: https://www.library.yorku.ca/find/Record/12862) , or at the Toronto Reference Library (see here: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM2724880&R=2724880).
Just curious how I could find out if a certain picture is in the archives. Apparently back in the 1930′s – maybe early 1940′s my great grandparents were photographed with all of their grandchildren and it was published in the Toronto Telegram. The family name was Plummer. They had over 100 grandchildren. Is there a way to find out if this picture survived, and if so, how I could get a copy? Thanks!
Hi Wendy!
I will follow up with you directly with some advice on how to approach this search.
If a copy has survived in the Toronto Telegram Photograph Collection, we can certainly make a high resolution scan for your personal use for $10.00 per image.
I am trying to find a Picture from the 1950′s of Davie Keon, George Armstrong & some other Hockey Players. The Picture was taken at The Sacred Heart Orphanage run by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Toronto. My Husband was in that picture. He always talks about that picture & I would Dearly love to try & get a copy of it. I called the Sisters of St. Joseph Archives on Bayview Ave…edited for content…
Hi Dianne:
I’ve followed up with you by email with more details.
It is great that you have a number of important pieces of information: names, dates, locations and contexts.
These kinds of keywords and time frames are useful when a researcher is attempting to navigate the over 1.4 million photographic prints and negatives in the Toronto Telegram.
The Toronto Telegram Photographic Collection is arranged by subject headings (established by the Telegram staff) based on the assignment given to individual staff photographers. As a result, when you use our finding aids to locate promising assignments, you’ll have to rely on broad terms that might have been attributed to the image (i.e. The Toronto Maple Leafs, perhaps, or orphanages, charities, or special events).
Another challenge is that even if you locate a photo assignment, there might be upwards of 30 – 50 photographic negatives in each envelope. This is where your intimate knowledge of the people involved will be useful in identifying the perfect image for your purposes. Another challenge is that before the Toronto Telegram photographic collection was donated to York University in the 1970s, the Toronto Sun newspaper had a first pass over the materials, and selected a number of photographic negatives that they deemed of ‘high-value’ for their own use. As a result there are very few photographs of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite the challenges, this kind of archival research can be very rewarding. I hope you’re able to come visit us in person and begin your own investigation!
I am looking for an article and picture on the front page of the Toronto Telegram circa 1931-1933 of my wife’s brother ….edited for content… He had been in a Catholic Orphanage and they were beating him then he ran away. His mother….edited for content... is also in the same picture. My wife said the Telegram had the front page in pink. My wife is….edited for content…
I hope you can help us or give us a contact person.
Hi David:
Thanks for getting in touch. I have followed up with you by email with more details.
The time period you mention is a bit tricky. We may have photographic prints in our personality files but I am not sure if they would have survived from the 1930s. This particular series of photographs have not yet been inventoried by archives staff and there is no finding aid available to search by last name.
You may also wish to extract a fresh image of the article from the microfilmed copies of the Telegram.
If you want to get a copy of the front page of an issue of the Toronto Telegram, your best bet is to look up the issue on microfilm reels held here, at the Scott Library’s Microtext Department (see here: https://www.library.yorku.ca/find/Record/12862) , or at the Toronto Reference Library (see here: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM2724880&R=2724880).