Toronto Islands in the Early 1900s: Postcards, Pictures and a Poet's Diary
In the summer of 1900, a young poet named Marjorie Pickthall and her family rented a cottage on the Toronto Islands. During her stay at Golden Gate Cottage on Hanlan's Point, she kept a diary. Pickthall recorded her daily activities and fascination with the surrounding natural world.
Inspired by passages from the diary, I've paired them with postcards and a few pictures of the Toronto Islands from that time — all held by Toronto Public Library, with some available on our Digital Archive. These items are housed in our Canadian Documentary Art Collection, part of our Baldwin Collection of Canadiana.
Diary excerpts are posted with permission of Queen’s University Archives, which holds the diaries (Folder: 2001.1, Box 61, File 2).
The poet and the island in 1900
At 16 years old, Marjorie Pickthall (1883–1922) was already a published author. Her poems and short stories appeared regularly in Toronto newspapers. She went on to be lauded as one of Canada’s finest poets of her time and was mourned across Canada when she died in 1922 at the age of 38. She had also worked as a librarian.
In 1900, the Toronto Islands were a bustling year-round community with resort hotels, shops, cottages, a large amusement park, a baseball stadium and public bathing houses. The population of the island in the summer of 1900 was about 3,000 (source: More than an Island: A History of Toronto Island).
Diary excerpts paired with postcards, pictures & more
July 28, 1900
"We moved to the Golden Gate today! The van came for our furniture [...] we did not, however, get over until the 3:30 boat; we had the string bag, a basket, the Gladstone bag, and Smudge [her dog] who was really very good, though frightened at the thump of the ferry boat’s engines. It was a beautiful day, fortunately" – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
July 30, 1900
"I took Smudge for a little walk by the lagoon. He was just wild with excitement tearing through the grass, splashing in the water and chasing everything he could see. I also took him up to the beach. It is really lovely. The sand is a mass of little poplar bushes and evening primroses." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
July 31, 1900
"Talking of bathers, one very fat lady from a house near us bathes in a flannelette night-gown. The effect is better imagined than described. I should think that if that is a sample of bathing dresses, it is useless waste of time to put anything on at all." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 3, 1900
"We have some beautiful bits of scenery around Golden Gate. One is especially pretty; you look right across a very blue lagoon to the trees of the Park. A dark red canoe slipped along the lagoon this evening and it looked perfectly lovely, for it was reflected perfectly in the water." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 4, 1900
"It was very hot, but I took my Smudge out for a beach walk as usual [...] We always go out for a stroll along the shore in the evening." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 21, 1900
"Sat on the beach all afternoon." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary, August 21, 1900
August 2, 1900
"It is so glorious in the evening. One bit of colour I shall never forget; a silvery little moon in a pale, blue sky.It’s very pretty seeing the lights of the city coming out. The big 'double-ender' ferry boats are almost outlined with lights and look so theatrical moving slowly along." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
July 31, 1900
"[...] we are very fortunate in being just near the quietest part of the lakeshore. From opposite here and round the Hospital Point to St. Andrew’s Avenue is always nearly deserted [...] No house for bathers to come from as it is all Government property." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 6, 1900
"It was a public holiday and terribly hot, so we kept very much indoors; there were swarms of people about and we could hear shrieks and yells and howls from the Point." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 10, 1900
"I had a lovely time today. Nora and Queenie came over to spend the day – at least most of it. [...] we went for a little walk and then dawdled about, then had tea on the verandah. The girls wanted to catch the 6:30 boat and of course I saw them on their way." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 11, 1900
"I sent another little piece of poetry and it was in today’s Mail and Empire. It does look nice to see one’s words in print." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
Transcription of above newspaper clipping of poem [.txt]
August 18, 1900
"The lights of the city look so pretty from here – like a lot of little lights slung on strings. The big ferry boats are quite illuminated with electricity, and moving very slowly backwards and forwards look quite theatrical and pretty." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
August 31, 1900
"Nina’s brother brought over her suitcase. Mrs. Gale is at Centre Island so we rowed down there to see her. Rowed back in half an hour." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 2, 1900
"Started off for church but too hot and turned back." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 4, 1900
"The Davies boy did not come for orders until late so Nina and I rowed over to Clarks at Centre Island to get the meat for dinner." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 7, 1900
"Up to the Lighthouse today to inquire about some toy boats. Went rowing to get white water lilies." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 12, 1900
"Last night was the worst storm known in Toronto for about 30 years. It was in fact, the tail end of the terrible Galveston hurricane; the wind reached 40 miles an hour here. [...] Quite a lot of damage was done among the shipping. A canoe was blown from the Hospital over several fences into a lagoon near here, a distance of about 400 or 500 yard. Several other skiffs and canoes were dashed against the house fences and smashed." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 15, 1900
"Rowed under the Bridge and down the little new cut." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 25, 1900
"It was quite a summery day, hot and still and sunny [...] The whole family went out in the afternoon and collected some nice pieces of wood from the Pumping Station."– Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 27, 1900
"I walked about five miles today… in the evening Smudgie and I ran races to the Hospital and back." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
September 28, 1900
"This is our last day at the dear Island and we are blue accordingly. We had to do a little packing and then in the afternoon Mother and I went for a sort of farewell walk. It was quite a melancholy ceremony, for the lake looked simply lovely and it was so warm and sunny." – Marjorie Pickthall's diary
Related resources from TPL
Archival holdings
- Some of Pitckthall's manuscripts and letters can be seen at Toronto Reference Library as a part of our Newton MacTavish Collection. (More archival holdings are held at the E. J. Pratt Library at University of Toronto.)
Comments