Fall/Winter hours: We are open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 4pm and Friday by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please fill out our appointment form or email us at asc@torontomu.ca
The Archives and Special Collections (A&SC) windows feature a series of seemingly random numbers worked into the window’s graphic pattern. The numbers are actually dates, chosen by A&SC staff, that are significant to the City of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Archives and Special Collections. Over the course of the next year our blog will feature some of the window dates and explain their significance.
1899
Canadian Kodak Co., Ltd. Headquarters (1899-1901), 41 Colborne Street, Toronto (2005.001.3.259)
In 1899, after successfully operating on the American market for over a decade, George Eastman dispatched Kodak employee John G. Palmer to Toronto to determine the viability of establishing a subsidiary in Canada. Palmer discovered a robust market for photographic products and, on November 8, 1899, Canadian Kodak Co., Limited was incorporated under the Ontario Company’s act. The nascent company established headquarters in downtown Toronto, embarking on a relationship with the city that would last more than a century and would constitute the heart of the company’s manufacturing operations in Canada.
For more information on Kodak Canada, please read our earlier blog – “Kodak in Toronto”
The Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association fonds came to the Ryerson Archives and Special Collections in 2011. In it are several notebooks filled with course notes, and practical knowledge for the student nurse.
One of the notebooks dates to the 1920’s and belonged to Wellesley School of Nursing class of 1925 graduate Elsie Kathleen Jones. Elsie K. returned to The Wellesley in 1928 and became the Director of Nursing in 1937, the role she held until her retirement in 1964.
In the notebook there are notations regarding everything from making a proper hospital bed and caring for the sheets, to recognizing and treating a hemorrhage in a patient. The following are some excerpts from the notebook.
To Make a Closed Bed
Loosen all the covers, removing one article at a time. Fold and place on a chair
Brush mattress well and turn from end to end
Place mattress protector on mattress
Put on lower sheet, wide hem at top, tucking in nine (9”) at top of mattress drawing tightly and turning straight corners.
Place the draw rubber, pulling on tightly, so there are no wrinkles
Place draw sheet, folding about 1/3 under at the top and tucking in tightly on each side
Place top sheet with the hem wrong side up, first coming to top of bed. Tuck in at the foot and make straight corners
Place blanket about 9” from top of the bed. Tuck in at the foot and make straight corners.
Then fold top sheet over the blanket and tuck in on both sides
Place the spread, reaching to the top of the bed, making straight corner at the bottom.
Place two pillows in bed. See that the pillows are well on the corners of the slips. Fold and place with closed end toward the door
The notebook also included instructions on how to make an “Ether” or surgical bed. The following are instructions for making up a surgical tray:
Surgical dressing tray
Six packages of absorbent wipes
Two large and two small dressings
One package of sterile towels
Set of instruments (forceps, scissors, probe)
Adhesive straps
Adhesive tape
Antiseptic powder (Borace or Bismuth Formic Iodide)
Bandages 2” x 3”
Bandage scissors
Curved basin
Sterile doctor’s gloves
Sterile bowl or basin of warm boracic solution
Packing
The nurses were also responsible to pre-treating the bedding if stained before sending them out to be washed:
Blood stains are soaked in cold water, then washed with soap and tepid water. For tea, coffee, and fruit stains use boiling water. If stains are still very persistent, use a solution of oxalic acid and rinse well afterwards in cold water.
Cocoa or anything containing milk use cold water
Grease stains, use hot water and soap or benzene
Iron Rust – spread over boiling water cover with salt and lemon juice, place in sun, if possible, and rinse thoroughly before sending to laundry
Ink stains – cover with salt and lemon juice and rinse thoroughly
Iodine – use ammonia or alcohol
When it came to treating their patients there were basic instructions such as recognizing sings of and type of fevers and proper care of thermometers:
Care of thermometer
Keep thermometer in bichloride of mercury solution 1-1000. Wash in cold water and dry before giving to patient
Types of Fever
Continuous fever which remains high with slight variations
Remittent, which remain above normal with considerable variations between highest and lowest temperature
Intermittent – alternately rises to high fever and falls to or below normal
Keep thermometer in bichloride of mercury solution 1-1000. Wash in cold water and dry before giving to patient
The notebook also has a number of recipes for poultices, enemas, purgatives, and various medical solutions used by nurses to treat a variety of medical conditions. The Linseed poultice was used for treating chest congestion and pneumonia:
Linseed Poultice
Is made from linseed or ground flax seed meal. It is most effectual because it can be used at higher temperatures with blistering, as the linseed contains considerable oil.
Preparation
For a small poultice, use about 2/3 cup of linseed to 1 cup boiling water. Add the linseed slowly to the boiling water, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Turn the gas low and just let come to a boil. Remove from gas and beat vigorously. Spread the linseed about 3/4” thick on poultice gauze leaving a good margin for folding in. Carry to the patient between heated plates. Have ready oiled muslin flannel protector binder and pins
*Note – Linseed poultice must be hot, light and smooth.
To view the notebook in its entirety or look through other items in this fonds – please contact Ryerson Archives and Special Collections at asc@ryerson.ca
Doozer construction sign from the Bob Hackborn fonds 2012.005.06.59
Beginning Monday May 16 Special Collections will be rooming with the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives while renovations happen on the 4th floor. The Archives is located on the 3rd floor in the Library in room LIB387.
The move will take several weeks to complete, but we will continue to offer reference and research appointments while the shifting takes place.
To access Special Collections please email asc@ryerson.ca for an appointment.
Fitting, Kodak was Special Collections first fonds and it is the first to relocate to the third floor.
Clearing and disassembling of shelves has begun.
Shelves waiting for assemble in the Archives
Kodak advertising ledgers in their home
Doesn’t take long to fill up the shelves.
We are looking forward to an exciting Summer and Fall with A&SC finally located in one place! Check back here for move updates and photographs.
2015 marked the 10 year anniversary of Special Collections at the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Archives. It seems like a good time time to have a look back at where we came from, and where we are headed.
The Special Collections department at the Toronto Metropolitan University Library was founded in 2005, with the acquisition of the Kodak Canada Corporate Archives and Heritage Collection after the Mount Dennis campus shut down. The collection includes the history of the company in Toronto since it’s arrival in 1900, and the contents of Kodak Museum that had recently opened at the Mount Dennis campus.
7th floor Special Collections
At that time, Special Collections occupied a small storage space on the 7th floor of the library, big enough for the two PPCM students working on the collection, but with no public research space.
By 2006, we’d moved to a larger space, and our collections had grown to include book collections, acquiring the Michael Mitchell collection and the Nicholas and Marilyn Graver collections. Students were able to visit the collection, and internships were created to process the large collections.
2006: Moving in, a new space for Special Collections
Though safe and secure, the new space was difficult to access by researchers. This was solved in 2008, when a more permanent, accessible space was completed on the 4th floor of the library. The new space featured more storage, exhibition and display space, as well as a research area and student work station. A modest exhibition program was instituted, and researchers gained an accessible reading room to explore the growing collections. These included the Leniniana propaganda collection, the Lorne Shields Historical Photography Collection. We also integrated the library’s existing rare book collection, and the acquisition of the Canadian Architect Magazine collection was underway.
The current research area in Special Collections at the Ryerson Library
The future of Special Collections at Ryerson looks bright and includes an expansion of our space, and integrating with the Archives department, which will allow more accessibility to our researchers and more space for our collections.
We will continue to grow our collection, in line with our revised mandate to support teaching and research at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Help us celebrate! Drop by to see a small selection of items from our most popular collections, now on display on the 4th floor of the Ryerson Library. For more information or to view the collections call or email to make an appointment.
Location: 4th Floor, Ryerson Library, LIB404 Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Phone: 416-979-5000 ext. 7027 Email: asc@ryerson.ca
For the month of August, Archives and Special Collections will blog bi-weekly with points of interest from our collections.
This week we look at documents connected to the birth of the Archives at Ryerson.
In 1970 Ryerson Polytechnical Institute invited Professor D. McCormack Smyth to conduct a study of the structure of government at Ryerson. The Smyth Commission Report was published and its 7th recommendation was the creation of an institutional Archives.
On November 11, 1970 Ryerson President Donald Mordell sent out the following memo to all Deans, Chairmen, and Department heads.
November 11, 1970 memorandum
On November 17, 1970 Mordell sent the following memo to Jim Peters, a professor in the Department of English:
Memo from Donald Mordell to Jim Peters
The Archives was officially established in 1971 as a special new department associated with the Library. Jim Peters was appointed Ryerson’s first Archivist.
Although the Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing graduated its last class in 1975 when it officially became part of Ryerson’s School of Nursing, we celebrate its history and spirit – kept alive by its active and dedicated Alumnae Association – on what would have been its 100th anniversary year.
The school opened in 1912, with the official opening of the Hospital, It graduated its first class of 10 nurses in 1915, and its last class of 71 nurses in 1975. In between it graduated 2083 nurses. Its Alumnae Association was created in 1915 and is still active today. In 2011 The Association donated its collections of papers and artifacts to the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives (see earlier blog post Wellesley Alumnae donation )
To celebrate Wellesley’s centennial, the Ryerson Archives has created an exhibit and slide show. Both will be available for viewing in the Archives until the end of September. The Archives will be open for Alumni weekend on Saturday September 22. Contact us at (416) 979 5000 ext. 7027 to find out opening times for that day. Please enjoy the images included below – some are from the exhibit itself, and others are taken from the collection.
1972 Open House poster (RG 946.03.13.02)
E. K. Jones portrait
Portrait and uniforms in Archives window
Florence Nightingale letter and portrait (RG 946.02.01)
Exhibit in Archives reading room
Display case featuring items from The Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing Collection
Elizabeth Flaws portrait (RG 946.03.01.01.07.02)
Homewood – Original Wellesley Hospital building.
The Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing graduation pin (RG 946.03.04.02)
Are you a Wellesley grad? Was someone in your family a Wellesley girl? You can now email The Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association at: thewellesleyschoolnsgtoronto@gmail.com
Sixty years ago Ryerson’s men’s varsity teams were called the Ryerson Rams. Why the ram? One theory is the school’s namesake, Egerton Ryerson, was born on March 24, 1803 – the ram in the zodiac. Aries the ram is described as an extrovert with energy, assertiveness, a competitive nature and while courageous, impulsive and stubborn.
We all know our beloved Eggy. We see him at school events. Not so long ago, in the near-distant past of 1961, Eggy had a, shall we say, realistic look. Four students from the Student Administrative Council, wanting to boost school morale, acquired a ram for a reported $25 from the Toronto Stockyards. The little ram, decorated with Ryerson pendants and ribbons made his grand debut at a Varsity Arena hockey game with Waterloo University. Ryerson subsequently won the game, the little ram became a hero, and the rest is history.
Eggy I‘s debut at hockey game with University of Waterloo, Varsity Arena / Ryersonian, RG 95-1, Hockey, 1960/61
Then, as today, Eggy attended celebrations, sporting, and parade and picnic events.
Eggy I in his finery / Ryersonian, RG 95-1, Eggy, 1960/61
Eggy I oversees the band at a football game / Ryersonian, RG 95-1, Football, 1961/62
Eggy II attends Convocation, ca. 1962-1968 / Photographer: Roy Nichols, Cliipping file Eggy
Eggy III helping with 1970 Shinerama fund raising / Ryersonian, RG 95.6.24.45
There were a total of five real ram mascots between 1961 and 1991. Eggy I lived on campus during the school year in a pen and shelter behind Oakham House (then called Kerr Hall) and spent the summer on a farm outside the city. Eggy II did the same until the mid 1960s. From that time, Eggy II through V lived on a farm year long and was transported to campus for events.
Living on campus, Eggy II with his caretaker “Poppa” Wycik and his companion dog Lucky / Toronto Telegram, 24 April 1964 / with permission from York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC07139
Eggy III was known to be a little ornery, charging bales of hay, fence posts, his handler, and just about anything in front of him.
Eggy III, 1975 / Ryersonian, November 13, 1974
Eggy III reviewing frosh contestants / Photo: Brenda Lee Allan, Ryersonian, October 17, 1970, Clipping File Eggy
Eggy IV is reported to have been gentle and willing to pose for photos.
Eggy IV debuts on campus in luxury / Photo: Fred Lum, Eyeopener, February 4, 1982
Eggy IV had very curly horns / Ryersonian, September 11, 1987
Eggy V was the last live mascot. He died in 1991. The Human Society pressured universities using live animals as mascots to stop the practice due to cruelty.
While the real Eggy was still making appearances, Athletics and Recreation had a costumed Eggy from about the 1980s. Possibly the first costumed Eggy – we’ll call him Costumed Eggy 1 – had a triangular nose and had developed floppy horns.
Eggy with his floppy horns gets his send off, as seen in this strange double image / Photographer: Bogdan Hoshowsky, Ryersonian, March 1, 1989
This variety of Eggy is a little frightful / Eyeopener, September 10, 1997
1989 – 1997 : An Eggy to be proud of – Costumed Eggy 2 – Note his heart-shaped nose with hoofed hands and feet.
Eggy pumps hand weights in front of the RAC entrance, 1989 (RG 76.14.564)
1997 – 2004 : Costumed Eggy 3 had an upward sweeping, sharp-cornered nose with hoof hands and running shoes.
Eggy helps at the Community Barbecue with then Chancellor, John-Craig Eaton, 1999 / Forum, October 1999 (RG 395.38.126)
2004 – 2011 : Costumed Eggy 4 had a distinctive nose outlined in grey/silver and flatter sitting horns.
At the basketball court / Photographer: Don McHoull, Eyeopener, February 11, 2004
2011 – present : Costumed Eggy 5 – This academic year started with a new look – a trimmer, fitter Eggy with two faces: his mean face and his party face.
He’s muscular and mean / Courtesy of Athletics and Sports, RAM 4879 (cropped)
Party-face Eggy shows off his dexterity by holding a cup of coffee. / Courtesy of Athletics & Recreation, RAM 4378-1
To learn more about Eggy and other Ryerson history facts visit Archives and Special Collections on the 4th floor of the Library.
The Archives latest acquisition is The Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing collection. Donated by their Alumnae Association, this collection includes such wonderful items as a scrapbook from World War II, photographs of almost every graduating class, uniforms and a beautiful silver tea set.
On the left is Linda Cooper Wellesley ’68 – Associate Director, Collaborative Degree Program Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing and on the right is Shirley Heard Wellesley ’62 – Alumnae Association President. Also in the picture is a small part of the collection now housed in the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives. Photo courtesy of University Advancement.
The Wellesley Hospital officially opened on August 27, 1912 – with the Nursing School starting the same year. The first class of graduates left the school in 1915.
The School graduated its last class in 1975. Two years previous, the Ontario government mandated that nursing schools be taken out of the Hospitals and placed into Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. The Wellesley school was moved to Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, along with the school’s from Sick Kid’s Hospital and Women’s College Hospital, and amalgamated with Ryerson’s School of Nursing.
The following are some photographs of items in the collection. Stay tuned for further blog posts on The Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing collection as we come closer to their 100th Anniversary in August of 2012.
Portrait of Elsie K. Jones, Superintendent of Nursing at the Wellesley from 1937-1964. Portrait was a gift from the Nursing students. Portrait painted by Kenneth Forbes.
Examples from the silver service and Limoges china. China was used to serve patients their meals in the early days of the Wellesley Hospital.
Two Examples of Nursing Uniforms. Uniform on left was worn from 1949 – 1959 when Wellesley Hospital joined with Toronto General Hospital. The uniform on the right was worn from 1960-1968, after the Wellesley became an independent Hospital once more. Photo courtesy of University Advancement.
Nursing Cape. Photo courtesy of University Advancement.
Scrapbooks from the collection. Photo courtesy of University Advancement.
After 3 weeks of submissions and much debate by our panel of judges:
The second runner up in our contest is Debra-Jo Sujka of the Library. She submitted the names Victoria and Gould for the location of the library where the dogs are now housed.
The first runner up is Deanne Wright in the Registrar’s Office. She submitted the names Mente and Artie – for Ryerson’s Motto “Mente et Artificio” (With Mind and Skill).
And the winner of the Toronto Metropolitan University Archives Name the Dog contest is……………………
Daisy and Risis submitted by Marion Sharp of Human Resources.
Marion selected the name Daisy after Ryerson’s first general purpose computer – An IBM 360-model 30 christened DAISY ( “Direct Access Information System”). Its functions were varied and included student registration, payroll, grade reporting, library circulation control, academic support and student directories.
Marion also chose the name RISIS, after the Ryerson Integrated Student Records System. This system was designed by Ryerson for maintaining student record information. RISIS II was implemented in 1984. In 2005 the RISIS system was replaced by Peoplesoft.
Thank you to all the people who submitted names for our contest.
Taking photographs is like second nature to us now; we can snap a quick shot on our computers, laptops, cell phones, and with increasingly small and inexpensive digital cameras. It’s cheaper and easier than ever before to preserve special moments and with no film or processing to worry about anymore, every moment can be documented and remembered. How many photos did you take on your last holiday?
A No. 2A Brownie point and shoot camera from the Historical Camera Collection in Archives and Special Collections (2005.001.7.005)
It’s difficult for us to imagine a time when most people could only have photos taken at a professional studio. In the 19th century, amateur photography was time consuming, often dangerous, and always very expensive. Some images were taken directly on metal or glass and only one copy could be had. Photographic “film” that allowed copies consisted of glass plates or paper soaked in chemicals.
When the Eastman Kodak Company introduced the first personal use camera in 1888, it was the beginning of the amateur snap shot. The Kodak Camera cost about $25 (that may not sound like much, but that would be about $550 today) and came pre-loaded with 100 shots. When the film was done, the customer packaged up the camera and sent it back to the Kodak Company in Rochester, NY for developing. The pictures were mailed back, along with a newly loaded camera for the price of $10 (about $235 now). Kodak had made photographs easier, but they were still expensive. To really make money, and make sure the Kodak name was in every home, they had to make it cheaper.
The “Baby Brownie” (1934-1941) from the Historical Camera Collection in Archives and Special Collections (2005.001.7.033)
A brilliant entrepreneur, George Eastman challenged his designers to come up with the cheapest camera possible; something that was economical to make and easy to use. The Brownie Camera was born. First sold in 1900, the Brownie cost $1.00 (less than $25 today) and was a simple box design with few moving parts. Ads claimed “Any school-boy or girl can make good pictures with one of Eastman Kodak Company’s Brownie Cameras!” With a product cheap and sturdy enough for a child to use, Kodak aimed its marketing campaigns at kids, opening “Brownie Camera Clubs of America” and enticing budding photographers to get snap happy. Nearly 250,000 of the first Brownies were manufactured. The Brownie evolved over the years, becoming sturdier, smaller and eventually including flash.
The Brownie Hawkeye camera (c. 1949-1951) from the Historical Camera Collection in Archives and Special Collections (2005.001.7.126)
Ryerson Library Special Collections holds an extensive Heritage Camera Collection, including many popular models Kodak cameras. Make an appointment (asc@ryerson.ca) or drop by the fourth floor to have a look!
The Brownie Flash camera (1946-1954) from the Historical Camera Collection in Archives and Special Collections (2005.001.7.451)
For more information on the history of the camera, check out these Ryeron Library Resources:
