International Archives Week: Designing the Archives in the 21st Century

As we bid farewell to the month of May this weekend, we start Monday off with International Archives Week. Running from June 3-9, this year's week long campaign focuses on Designing the Archives in the 21st Century:

"The campaign theme will focus on how in the 21st Century our profession - data and information managers, records managers and archivists - can provide opportunities for human-centred design approaches to ensure we deliver benefits to citizens, customers, stakeholders and communities."

Since the 1970s, the responsibility of caring for the archives of the Archdiocese of Toronto has fallen to a full-time archivist. The first Archdiocesan Archivist, Rev. Gordon Bean, was appointed by Archbishop Philip Pocock in 1969. Following this, the archives were designed with the intent of better serving the Chancery's own reference needs and the needs of historians.

Portrait of Rev. Gordon A. Bean
[after 1955]

Special Collections: Photograph Collection
PH24B/11P

In April 1996, the Archdiocese of Toronto consolidated their administrative offices and moved to 1155 Yonge Street, our current location. A section of the 5th floor was reserved for the archives, which includes a reading room, processing room, administrative offices and storage facilities.

Photograph from the blessing of the fifth floor. The newly designed archives are through the door in the upper left corner.
May 27, 1996

Special Collections: Photograph Collection
PH31C/1689P

The photographs below were created and used in the very first archival display at the new Catholic Pastoral Centre in May 1996.

They depict our previous building at 355 Church Street:

Chancery Office at 355 Church Street
May 1996

Special Collections: Photograph Collection
PH31C/1681N

And our new Catholic Pastoral Centre at 1155 Yonge Street:

Catholic Pastoral Centre at 1155 Yonge Street
May 1996

Special Collections: Photograph Collection
PH31C/1681N

Much was accomplished in the 20th century in terms of designing the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. As we move into the 21st century, we look forward to expanding beyond serving the needs of Chancery Staff and historians, to engaging all members of our community.

As the physical design of our archives may be set in stone for the next little while, we look forward to turning our attention to designing programs, displays, and outreach initiatives that ensure we are delivering benefits to our users, staff, community members and stakeholders.

Our new display case on the 5th floor of the Catholic Pastoral Centre

For more about the history of ARCAT, click here.

Archives Awareness Week: Word Search

April 2nd to 8th is Archives Awareness Week in Ontario.

Click here for a full list of events sponsored by participating archives.

This year we are offering our blog readers an archives word search. Find the word "archives" in all of the following documents:

Neil McNeil fonds, First World War series, FWCG01.60

Bishop Lynch fonds, LAM12.07

Archbishop Lynch Letterbook, LB05.200

Cardinal McGuigan fonds, MGFA02.33b

Archbishop Lynch fonds, LAA13.21

Latin translation required.

Archbishop McNeil fonds, MNAH01.32

Neil McNeil fonds, MNTA01.173

Excerpt from a chancery inventory, ca. 1934

St. Catharines fonds, SCAE05.05

And now for more of a challenge:

See below for solution:

Your Chance to #AskAnArchivist

Wednesday, October 5th, was Ask An Archivist Day. It allowed anyone with a Twitter account the opportunity to ask archives-related questions with the hashtag #AskAnArchivist. Archivists from a number of archives would monitor the questions and reply accordingly.

Archivists are contacted regularly by researchers with all sorts of inquiries, and the Archives of the Archdiocese of Toronto is no different. Many researchers are looking for information for their books or theses. Subjects include but are certainly not limited to religious orders, Catholic education, immigrant populations (Irish, Italian, Polish, etc.), biographies, Toronto history, and cemeteries. Here are a handful of documents that have been found for researchers at this archives.

Copy of a letter to Angus MacDonnell from Bishop Power, December 11, 1844,
in which he mentions a petition of some people in Toronto about the school system

P AA10.06

Letter to the Press from Abp. Lynch on the state of Ireland,
  published in the "Irish Canadian" of February 15, 1883

L AE06.28

Letter to Abp. McNeil from Catherine de Hueck, July 23, 1931

MN AP02.164

Letter from Frances Teresa Ball, the Reverend Mother Superior of Loretto, to Bishop Power, July 20, 1847

Religious Order fonds, Sisters of Loretto (I.B.V.M.), General Correspondence, 1816-1849

Letter from Abp. McEvay to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, June 20, 1908,
in which he talks about Toronto
 
ME AA02.26

Please visit Twitter here if you'd like to see what archivists got up to on Ask An Archivist Day this year.

Wedding Bells Are Ringing!

As the sacramental record books show, July is a very popular month for weddings. Everywhere are the nervous affianced who are looking for advice. How do we solve disputes? How do we divide household chores? What if my betrothed turns out to be a lunatic? As it turns out, the Archives is a great place to find matrimonial advice for the bride and groom:

Matrimony, 1928: "There is nothing which contributes more to the social well-being of man than the right ordering of the family. Human society will thrive only in so far as parents fulfil and realize their obligations as husbands and wives and as fathers and mothers."

The Catholic Doctrine of Matrimony, 1929: "In the union of the twain whom love has inspired to walk the pathway of life hand in hand the Church beholds a definite and living representation of the sacred bond that unites her inseparably to her Divine Spouse, Jesus Christ."

Marital Morality, 1931: "And so that they will not deplore for the rest of their lives the sorrows arising from an indiscreet marriage, those about to enter into wedlock should carefully deliberate in choosing the person with whom henceforth they must live continually. They should in so deliberating keep before their minds the thought first of God and of the true religion of Christ, then of themselves, of their partner, of the children who are to come, as also of civil society, for which wedlock is as a fountain-head."

The Tangle of Marriage, 1932: "Man and maid! You who clasp your hands together at the altar of the Lord and join your lives that, like two rivers, they may run together into one, for better, for worse, until death shall you part, look to the plans that God has shown you on His Holy Mount, the Church. Look to the Home of Nazareth. Look to Mary and to Joseph. Model your lives upon theirs. So will you sanctify your future habitation. So will the children playing around your knees show the likeness of Christ in them. So will Heaven's blessing rest like sunlight on your path, whatever be its course.

The Wedding Ring, 1933.

Marriage: A Dialogue on the Christian Ideal, 1935.

The Duties of Married Life, 1935: The world is wide enough to contain and support the swelling generations of the children of men, but it does not yield up its treasures overwillingly - they must be wrested from it by main force. The earth is not a heap of treasure, which men may share among themselves in such sort that each one's portion should increase according as the number who ought to have a share grows less. No but the treasure grows greater in proportion to the spirit, the ability, the courage of those who do battle to acquire it. Man's life is a relentless warfare... and civilization is the fruit, progress the reward of conquest." 

Beginning Your Marriage, 1956: "Husbands and wives who cooperate generously in building a happy, successful life together necessarily perfect themselves in the process."

Courtship and Marriage, [1925-1956?]: "When courtship is being protracted to unseemly length, the father of the girl should inquire of the young man what his intentions are - and incidentally what is the reason for the delay." 

After the Honeymoon What?: "Marriage, humanly speaking, is a job. Happiness or unhappiness has nothing to do with it."

Marriage Problems: "A business man makes many personal sacrifices for the success of his business, whatever it may be. The biggest business of life is the family. No matter what success one may have in trade, in society, or in public office, if family life is not right, one has not made a success of life. On the other hand, if one's family life is what it should be, one is able to face the vicissitudes of life in a spirit of buoyancy, which if it does not ensure material success at least affords strength and courage to cope with every obstacle."

Ok, so maybe marriage advice will have changed since the 1920s, but they're still fun to read!

  

ARCAT Gone Fishin'

In 1951, President Herbert Hoover said:

"The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization, cement pavements, office buildings, radios have overwhelmed us, the need for regeneration has increased, and the impulses are even stronger. When all the routines and details and the human bores get on our nerves, we just yearn to go away from here to somewhere else. To go fishing is a sound, a valid, and an accepted reason for an escape. It requires no explanation.

"Nor is it the fish we get that counts. We could buy them in the market for mere silver at one percent of the cost. It is the chance to wash one's soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of the sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men-for all men are equal before fish. And the contemplation of the water, the forest, and mountains soothes our troubles, shames our wickedness, and inspires us to esteem our fellowmen-especially other fishermen."

Our very own Cardinal Carter was an avid angler who enjoyed spending his leisure time on a fishing boat well into old age. The life of an archbishop is very busy and hectic, but Carter knew the value of taking time to relax in nature. Even though he was a "prince of the Church," while fishing he was the same as any other person.

Who wants to go swimming?
September, 1984.

Looks like this angler has had some practice!
1982.

Just getting started!
June, 1992.

The proud fishermen show off a good haul.
1982.

Cooking up a delicious catch.

Photo published in the Toronto Sun, August 3, 2001.

Cardinal Carter was such an outdoorsman that there was a waterfall named after him in 1982 on Oak Lake in Northern Ontario!

Looks like a beautiful spot for a picnic!
1982.

Yousuf Karsh: Renowned Portrait Photographer

Pope Pius XII. Albert Einstein. Winston Churchill. Ernest Hemingway. Fidel Castro. Audrey Hepburn. Queen Elizabeth II. The Marx Brothers. Marshall McLuhan. James Cardinal McGuigan. G. Emmett Cardinal Carter.

What do these people have in common? They are only a few of the subjects of prolific photographer Yousuf Karsh.

Born in Armenia in 1908, Karsh was brought to Canada by his uncle in 1924 and apprenticed with portraitist John H. Garo in Boston from 1928-1931. Karsh set up his own shop in Ottawa in 1931, and achieved international success in 1941 when his portrait of Winston Churchill was featured on the cover of Life Magazine.

Over his five-decade career, Karsh photographed many important and influential people. His work has been featured in many books and exhibits, and he received many industry, academic, and national awards. He passed away in 2002.

Cardinal McGuigan and Cardinal Carter were lucky enough to be captured by Karsh's artistic vision:

Photographic portrait of James C. Cardinal McGuigan taken by Yousuf Karsh in a left side profile pose and kneeling in prayer in front of a framed tapestry of the Madonna and Child.  He is wearing a cappa magna with a fur stole and a zucchetto, and is holding a biretta.

Photographic portrait of James C. Cardinal McGuigan by Yousuf Karsh in a standing pose, wearing episcopal dress, zucchetto, and cappa magna and  is holding his biretta in his right hand.  

Photographic portrait of G. Emmett Cardinal Carter by Yousuf Karsh in Archbishop's choir dress before he was created Cardinal.

Photographic portrait of G. Emmett Cardinal Carter taken by Yousuf Karsh, in a seated, side view pose, facing the camera.  The photograph was taken in St. Michael's Cathedral, Toronto, ON

Please visit the Yousuf Karsh official website for more information.
Check the Library and Archives Canada website for information about their extensive Karsh holdings.

Record of the Week: Violet Liturgical Vestments

Often when people think of archives, they think of boxes full of paper. We do have lots of those, but we also have photographs, objects and textiles that help tell the story of the Archdiocese.

This week's Record of the Week is a good example of part of our Textiles collection which we chose because yesterday was the First Sunday in Advent.

In the Catholic Church, the colours of the vestments that priests and deacons wear and the cloth on the altar correspond to certain liturgical seasons. For Advent and Lent the colour is violet, which represents penitence and preparation for the coming of Christ.

The vestments below were brought to the Archives after a fire at St. Margaret's Church in Midland in 1986. They are an older style which was in use prior to the Second Vatican Council.

Roman Fiddleback Chasuble

Clockwise from the top: Veil, Stole, Burse, and Maniple

Check out the Vatican website for more information about Liturgical Vestments.

Revisiting the St. Augustine's Seminary archives

Over the years ARCAT has provided advice about archives and records management to other repositories, including religious archives, partner agencies and institutions.  In 1990, our director, Marc Lerman, was asked to arrange and describe the archives at St. Augustine's Seminary in Scarborough.

The seminary was established in 1913 as the first major seminary constructed in English-speaking Canada for the training of diocesan priests. Lately, the seminary has been under scaffolding for maintenance and renovations.  It was recently decided to move the archives from basement storage to a renovated room on the main floor.

In preparation for the move, our consultation services were again solicited. There had definitely been some accumulation in 23 years! It's always fun to rummage through boxes.  You never know what you'll find...

The main storage room in the seminary basement.  The archives will soon be moved to a renovated room on the main floor. 

Getting organized: laying out all the framed items in the basement corridor. 

An awesome safe.  Unfortunately we could not find the key.

Spectacles with case.

Marc modelling the spectacles.

Mitre and case with clerical collars. Items belonged to Most. Rev. Leonard Wall.  He was an auxiliary bishop of Toronto (1979-1992), and then Archbishop of Winnipeg.  When he retired, Abp. Wall returned to Toronto to reside at the seminary, which explains why his things are stored here.  We found many boxes of textual material and artifacts belonging to Abp. Wall.

The seminary archives has a wonderful photographs collection and much of it has been transferred to ARCAT for preservation purposes.  Yesterday, we installed a display featuring photos from this collection to celebrate the St. Augustine's Seminary's 100th anniversary:

Lobby display case at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, Archdiocese of Toronto