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Baldwin Room Canadian Historical Picture Collection

Cherry St. Hotel, by Gerald Lazare. 1978. 979-3-1 Cherry St. Hotel, by Gerald Lazare. 1978. 979-3-1

The Collection Today

The collection is housed in the Special Collections, Genealogy and Maps Centre on the 4th floor of the Toronto Reference Library. It has grown to approximately 15,000 paintings, drawings and prints, 50,000 photographs and more than 3,000 postcards.

Beginnings of the Collection

The beginnings of the library’s collection of historical pictures can be traced to the late 19th century; however it was the donation of the J. Ross Robertson Collection starting in 1910 that firmly established the library as a collector of historical Canadian imagery.

John Ross Robertson (1841-1918) X 64-173 John Ross Robertson (1841-1918) X 64-173

J. Ross Roberston Collection

John Ross Robertson (1841-1918) (pictured left) was founder and publisher of the Toronto Telegram, a major philanthropist of the Hospital for Sick Children, and a serious collector. He built a collection of more than 4,000 pictures and pictorial material illustrating the history of Canada. His generous donation to the Toronto Public Library has become known as the J. Ross Robertson Collection.

Significant Collections

There is a rich collection of images depicting Toronto from its 1793 founding as the town of York through the 1920s. The works of well known artists are represented, including:

photo girl on Danforth Ave. photo girl on Danforth Ave.

As well as significant photographic resources from the last half of the 20th century by photographers such as:

8th Post Office, Adelaide Street, looking north on Toronto Street, photograph, James V. Salmon, 23 January 1955 8th Post Office, Adelaide Street, looking north on Toronto Street, photograph, James V. Salmon, 23 January 1955

For Your Research

You can access the Historical Picture Collection through the card file in the Special Collections Centre's reading room, or through the printed catalogue to the J. Ross Robertson Collection, Landmarks of Canada. Just ask the staff in the Special Collections Centre.

Many Toronto related images can be viewed online in:

Photographic and Digital Reproduction Services are available. Some restrictions may apply.

8th Post Office, Adelaide Street, looking north on Toronto Street, photograph, James V. Salmon, 23 January 1955 8th Post Office, Adelaide Street, looking north on Toronto Street, photograph, James V. Salmon, 23 January 1955