Genealogists, either beginners or experienced, often know someone who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command in the Second World War. This could be someone in their family or other circles. RAF personnel served as: pilots navigators flight engineers wireless operators bombardier/bomb aimers aerial gunners. Camp Borden recruit,...
One of my favourite things to do when I visit a new place is to check out monuments and public art. Every street tells a story, and monuments are a big part of that narrative. They invite us to "read" our built environment. Of course, I’m not travelling right now...
Ci-dessous, l'exposition virtuelle de 114 histoires X 114 étages. L'exposition photographique originale à voir en personne avait été exposée à la Tour CN avant les fermetures mises en place afin d’aider à freiner la propagation du virus COVID-19. Intro Bienvenue à une célébration à 360 degrés des visages et des...
Below is the virtual exhibit of 114 Stories X 114 Storeys. The original, in-person photo exhibit had been on display in the CN Tower before closures to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Intro Welcome to a 360-degree celebration of Toronto’s changing faces and places. The 114 Stories...
For many decades, families across Ontario looked forward to getting seed catalogues in the mail so that they could start to plan their gardens. Flower and vegetable gardening were popular, and sometimes even essential over, the course of Toronto's history. Steele, Briggs’ Garden Guide (1928), portion of back cover. You...
Did you know Toronto Public Library has a huge collection of digitized photos, books, maps and more? You'll find 170,000+ of these rare and historical items on our Digital Archive — no library card needed. We've transformed 70 digitized items into online jigsaw puzzles, drawing from our wide range of...
All the signs of support in our city during the pandemic have been truly inspiring. Also, they made me think of the many wartime posters held in our Baldwin Collection of Canadiana in Special Collections. Both today's signs and these vintage posters capture key moments in history. We turned to...
Archives and museums not only preserve knowledge — they support learning. For example, Digital Archive Ontario — a database of 170,000+ historical items from Toronto Public Library — has sets of primary sources for educators (e.g. The War of 1812, Prohibition in Ontario, Canadian WWI Posters, Canadian WWII Posters). Below...
Your library card now gives you free access to Ancestry Library Edition — from anywhere! Until now, this powerful genealogy (family research) tool was only available on computers at library branches or remotely with a paid subscription. Remote access is currently available until December 31, 2020. How to access Get...
To kickstart the decade's first leap year, I turned to Toronto Public Library's Digital Archive Ontario for historical photos and unexpected items tied to leap years. What you'll find below is a small selection of what I discovered. It includes photos from our Toronto Star Photograph Archive of individuals born...