The Toronto Reference Library - Special Collections, Genealogy and Maps Centre
Collection Inventory
BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS
Histories of Toronto, areas of Toronto, and Toronto churches. Catalogued on the Toronto Public Library Catalogue.
VERTICAL FILES AND SCRAPBOOKS
Newspaper clippings arranged by building, street, or district. Older files are on microfilm and microfiche, some dating back to 1910
Includes references to biographical information in works about Toronto and the surrounding area, and to obituaries of prominent Canadians appearing in Toronto newspapers.
Access: card file in Special Collections Centre.
ARCHINDONT
An index to articles in architectural magazines about Ontario buildings. The Toronto section is arranged by street address.
Access: The index for articles since 1981 is available on the TRL web site http://archindont.torontopubliclibrary.ca/. Earlier index is on microfiche in the Special Collections Centre
NEWSPAPERS
The Newspaper Room has almost complete files of most Toronto daily newspapers on microfilm, including the Globe, 1844 - present; the Star, 1894 - present; Telegram, 1876 - 1960.
The Special Collections Centre has a collection of original Toronto newspapers which are preserved primarily for bibliographical research and to provide quality reproductions for publication and display. Prints and slides of articles and pictures may be ordered from the library's Photographic Unit. Photographic orders take approximately 3 weeks to process.
Newspaper holdings are listed in Brian Gilchrist's Inventory of Ontario Newspapers, 1793-1986 (Toronto: Micromedia, 1977).
Newspapers published in Toronto before 1868 are described in Edith Firth's Early Toronto Newspapers, 1793-1867 (Toronto Public Library, 1961).
PICTURES
The Historical Picture Collection contains approximately 50,000 pictures of the Toronto area. The major part of the collection dates from the period from Toronto's founding as the Town of York in 1793, through to about 1920. See TPL publications Landmarks of Canada: A Guide to the J. Ross Robertson Canadian Historical Collection in the Toronto Public Library and Toronto & Early Canada: A catalogue of the Toronto and early Canada picture collection in the Toronto Public Library.
Access
An illustrated, cross-referenced card file arranged by subject, artist or photographer, and date.
Reproductions
Reproductions of images in the Historical Picture Collection can be obtained through the library's Photographic Service. Photographic orders take approximately 3 weeks to process.
DIRECTORIES
Complete run of City of Toronto directories, 1833 to current in both paper copy and microfilm; 1833 - 1878 available on the Internet, and telephone books, 1880 to current on microfilm and microfiche. See also the TPL publication York, Upper Canada, Minutes of Town Meetings and Lists of Inhabitants, 1797 - 1823.
VOTERS LISTS
Federal and provincial voters lists for most ridings in Toronto, 1935 to 1984, on microfilm and microfiche. The lists are not indexed.
ARCHIVAL MATERIALS
Baldwin Room Manuscript Collection includes papers of Toronto people, organizations and businesses. 300 metres. Access: card catalogue and finding aids in the Baldwin Room, Special Collections Centre.
Census returns for the Toronto area, 1842 to 1901, on microfilm. Posters, handbills, menus, programmes, campaign literature, 1798 to present. About 28,000 items. Card index.
MAPS AND PLANS
Maps of Toronto from 1788 to the present.
Toronto fire insurance plans, 1858 to 1973 in photostat or microfiche format.
Current and retrospective topographic and photomap coverage of the Toronto area.
NEWSPAPER ROOM
Complete runs, on microfilm, of most Toronto dailies, including the Globe, 1844 - current; Star, 1894 - current; Sun, 1971 - current; Telegram, 1876 - 1960; Mail, 1872-1936; etc.
Newspaper holdings are listed on the Toronto Public Library Catalogue, and in Brian Gilchrist's Inventory of Ontario Newspapers, 1793-1986 (Toronto: Micromedia, 1987).
The Canadian Newspaper Index starts in 1977. Unfortunately newspapers before this date are not indexed. To find a reference to a specific event before 1977, you must know the date.
The Special Collections Centre has a collection of original Toronto newspapers which are used for bibliographical research, and to provide quality reproductions for publication and display. Prints and slides of articles and pictures can be ordered from the library's Photographic Service. Photographic orders take approximately 3 weeks to process. |
![[Toronto Public Library Home Page]](tpl_link.gif){kind=small}
![[Local History Resources Home Page]](home_link.gif)