Special Collections: A to Z
About the Exhibit
Toronto Public Library is pleased to announce Special Collections: A to Z, a new exhibit showcasing an alphabet of curiosities from the Toronto Public Library's Special Collections - from “Arctic Exploration” to “Zero Gravity.”
Explore an eclectic array of items including rare first-edition books, original artwork, games, costume designs and much more. The exhibit features materials from the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, Special Collections in the Arts, Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy, and the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books.
PLUS - free guided tours, weekly talks about an alphabet of topics and an engaging discussion with award-winning authors who have found inspiration in the library's Special Collections.
The 2016 TD Gallery season is generously sponsored by TD Bank Group.
Exhibit Highlights:
- Literary treasures like first-edition copies of Bram Stoker's Dracula and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, are displayed alongside more obscure and intriguing items, like beautifully carved hornbooks, once used by children to learn the alphabet.
- Some items relate to the history of the city - from the first unofficial newspaper published in Toronto (then the city of York), to photographs from the Toronto Star Photograph Archive of Yorkville when it was the heart of Toronto's counterculture in the 1960s.
- Other items speak to the national and global scope of the library's collections - an illustrated 17th century map of the North Pole, woodblock prints of Japanese Kabuki productions and a rare 15th century illuminated copy of Metamorphoses, an ancient Roman novel by the writer Apuleius.
Guided Tours
Every Tuesday at 2 pm in the TD Gallery.
Related programming
In Conversation: Terry Fallis and Linda Granfield
Two award-winning authors discuss their writing process and how they found inspiration in the library's Special Collections.
Wednesday, March 23, 7 pm
Hinton Learning Theatre, Toronto Reference Library
D is for Discover Special Collections
Free weekly presentation showcasing eclectic material from our Special Collections.
Wednesdays at 3pm
Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre, Toronto Reference Library
- Wednesday, February 24: “L is for Landscapes”
- Wednesday, March 2: “A is for Arctic”
- Wednesday, March 9: “D is for Doyle”
- Wednesday, March 16: “E is for Ephemera”
- Wednesday, March 23: “S is for Stage Designs”
- Wednesday, March 30: “T is for Time”
- Wednesday, April 6: “B is for Bloor Viaduct”
- Wednesday, April 13: “S is for Sherlock”
- Wednesday, April 20: “Q is for Quirky items”