Polaroid versus Kodak: The Battle for Instant Photography

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Cassandra Rowbotham

In 1947, Edwin Land unveiled a new process that would change the direction of amateur photography. It was a one-step, one-minute process that produced a fully finished photograph, something no one had ever seen before. This process was the beginning of a new genre of creating photographs called instant photography. The camera that was made for this in-camera process was the Land camera, named for the inventor of synthetic polarizer and the instant film process, and the founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Many different models of these first Polaroid cameras, as well as many later models, can be viewed at Special Collections in the Toronto Metropolitan University Library Archives, along with examples of different Polaroid photographs and instant film.

Polaroid Land Camera, model 95a. Manufactured 1949-1950.

Polaroid dominated the market for this unique and easy photographic process that was a huge hit with amateur and professional consumers. However, also among the shelves of Special Collections, are examples of cameras, prints and film made by a number of different manufacturing companies who tried to get in on this popular genre of photography. None were nearly as successful, as no one could compete with the Polaroid name or their (what is often referred to as brilliant) marketing campaign. Stars such as Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Mariette Hartley & James Garner, Blyth Danner, Candice Bergen, and The Muppets loaned their talents to promoting Polaroid products at a time when many stars were wary of doing commercials.

Then, in 1976, Polaroid was finally faced with their first real competitor for the instant photography market, an already established manufacturer of photographic equipment and materials: the Eastman Kodak Company. But Polaroid was prepared to deal with their competition, and by 1986, all of Kodak’s instant photography films and cameras had been pulled from the market, and Kodak ceased to manufacture any products that would directly compete with Polaroid’s instant photography niche.

Polaroid JoyCam, ca. 1995. — Polaroid JoyCam. ca. 1995.

In fact, from 1963-1969, the Eastman Kodak Company had actually manufactured Polaroid’s instant film for them. At this time, Kodak was planning to introduce themselves to the market with a packfilm design, but later, after Polaroid released their SX-70 system in 1972, Kodak decided to go in a different direction and follow Polaroid with an integral type process instead. Although Kodak’s design differed from Polaroid’s in numerous ways, Polaroid filed suit against Kodak mere months after the release of the new products for the infringement of 12 Polaroid patents, accusing Kodak of illegally incorporating instant photography technology into their products. They claimed that during the 10 years the Eastman Kodak Company produced instant photography materials, they had cost the Polaroid Corporation $12 billion.

The final charges, announced in 1990, did not amount to $12 billion (what many considered a huge exaggeration), but at $909 million, they did come close to a billion. Found guilty on 7 of the 12 patent infringements after a trial in 1985, Kodak was forced out of instant photography the following year. The widely reported ruling was bad news for customers who had purchased a Kodak Instant camera.

The case did end favourably for Kodak though, especially after the high demands from Polaroid, who felt that Kodak had intentionally copied their technology. After a 14-year legal battle, in 1991 Kodak was finally ordered to pay Polaroid a total of $909 million, $925 million with interest, the largest settlement ever paid out until last year when Apple was awarded $1.049 billion in damages from Samsung infringements.

As part of the settlement, Kodak needed to provide compensation for customers who had bought any of their instant cameras between 1976 and 1986 and would no longer be able to purchase film to use in them. Owners of Kodak instant cameras were invited to call a toll free number and register themselves in order to receive a settlement packet. The packet was mailed out to those who registered, and provided customers with instructions of how to receive a rebate check or certificate, which often involved removing the name plate off of the front of the camera and mailing it in as proof of purchase.

The Eastman Kodak Company did manage to recover after the Polaroid lawsuit, and with the sales of their popular movie films were able to regain their success. Unfortunately, the company was much slower with the uptake of the digital market, and in 2012 filed for bankruptcy due to lack of demand for the primary products made by their company, photographic films.

If you wish to pay tribute to some of Kodak’s instant photography cameras, you can make an appointment to come and see examples such as the Kodamatic 940, the Kodak Colorburst models 250 and 300, and the Kodak Trimprint 940 (with nameplates still intact!), as well as a wide range of instant cameras, film, and equipment made by Polaroid and other instant photography manufacturers that Special Collections keeps in their Heritage Camera Collection and the Kodak Canada Corporate Archives.

More information

Have a look at some of the original television advertisements for the Kodak instant Cameras.

For more detailed information on how the instant photography process works, have a look at this article by Tom Harris at How Stuff Works.

To make an appointment with Ryerson Library Special Collections, contact:

asc@ryerson.ca

416-979-5000 ext 4996

Sources

Frezza, Bill. “Polaroid, Kodak, Apple: No One Escapes the Winds of Creative Destruction” Forbes, Sept 5, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrezza/2012/09/05/polaroid-kodak-apple-no-one-escapes-the-winds-of-creative-destruction.

Holusha, John. “Kodak Told it must Pay $909 Million.” New York Times (1923-Current File), Oct 13, 1990. http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/108482495?accountid=13631.

“Instant Camera Settlement.” Kodak Service and Support. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/faqs/faq0098.shtml.

“Kodak Settles Dispute With Polaroid the Fight Over Instant-photography Technology Took 15 Years and Cost Kodak $925 Million in Damages.” The Inquirer, July 16, 1991. http://articles.philly.com/1991-07-16/business/25783982_1_polaroid-patents-instant-cameras-instant-photography-business.

McCarty, Dawn and Beth Jinks. “Kodak Files for Bankruptcy as Digital Era Spells End for Film.” Bloomberg, January 19, 2012. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-19/kodak-photography-pioneer-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-1-.html.

Wurman, Richard Saul. Polaroid Access: Fifty Years. [S.I.] : Access Press, 1989.

The Man behind the Glass: Robert Hackborn

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Sarah Virag

Pictured is Hackborn visiting the Ryerson Library and Archives on March 7, 2013 with archivist Curtis Sassur. Hackborn explains the technique behind the matte glass. (Photograph by Dave Upham, University photographer)

Toronto Metropolitan University students and researchers now have access to an extensive collection of materials related to Robert Hackborn’s work. For nearly four decades, Robert Hackborn worked at the CBC in the design and production of sets and visual effects for television shows. On display now at the Special Collections Library are some of these materials generously donated by Hackborn.

Robert Arthur Hackborn was born in 1928 in Toronto, and attended the Ontario College of Art (OCA) from 1948 to 1952. In 1955, Hackborn embarked on what would become a long and important career in the design and production of sets and visual effects for television when he took a position in the nascent Television Production unit at the CBC. His often leading-edge contributions to the many shows he worked on are of great cultural and technological significance.

While at the CBC, Hackborn helped to design a staggering array of variety, comedy, musical, sports, news, children’s, and scripted television programs. Starting with The Juliette Show in the late 1950’s, and continuing into the 1990’s, Hackborn’s designs and visual effects defined and enhanced the production of a vast number of shows at the CBC. Among those featuring Hackborn’s input were: Mr. Roger’s Neighbourhood, Mr. Dressup, The Tommy Hunter Show, World Tour ’67, Wayne & Shuster, I Married the Klondike, Fraggle Rock, The Royal Canadian Air Farce, and The Kids in the Hall.

Hackborn also worked as a production designer with director Donald Brittain on several CBC/National Film Board (NFB) co-productions including: Canada’s Sweetheart: the Saga of Hal C. Banks and The King Chronicles.

This section of the display shows photographs taken by Hackborn during his career which document the processes of working on a television set.

During his career, Mr. Hackborn was also responsible for the execution of a very large collection of photographs that document the processes of working on a television set. With a professionally trained eye for composition and his camera, Mr. Hackborn systematically documented the television production process of the shows that he worked on. Featured in some of these photographs are Jim Henson and Fred Rogers.

On display are a group of color photographs taken by Hackborn, a sweatshirt, a children’s picture book, and figurines related to the production of Fraggle Rock. — On display are a group of color photographs taken by Hackborn, a sweatshirt, a children’s picture book, and figurines related to the production of *Fraggle Rock.*

Fraggle Rock

As part of the Robert Hackborn Collection, Ryerson has several objects, textual records, and photographs related to the production of Fraggle Rock. Fraggle Rock was a popular children’s television show developed by Jim Henson and featuring his beloved live action puppets. The original English language version of the show ran for five seasons and 96 episodes between 1983 and 1987. On display are a group of photographs taken by Hackborn that show Jim Henson and others working with puppets on the set of Fraggle Rock, a sweatshirt and a children’s picture book produced as part of the show’s promotional marketing campaign, and three specially commissioned ‘Doozer’ figurines used by Hackborn during the set design process.

Hackborn is credited with the art direction for Fraggle Rock during the inaugural 1983-84 season, and as a set designer for two episodes in the second season.

The Glass Matte Shot

During his career at the CBC, Hackborn worked to pioneer various special visual effects techniques for television production including the “Glass Matte Shot”. To achieve this effect, images were painted onto a transparent glass matte placed in the foreground of and realistically inserted into the “real world” shot. This type of special effect was typically used to add facades onto buildings, or to create historically accurate ‘period’ effects for shows set in earlier times. The CBC film drama I Married the Klondike, and several sketches from The Royal Canadian Air Farce feature great examples of how the glass matte technique was used. The “Glass Matte Shot” process relied on a strong proficiency in lens-angle mathematics and a mature artistic vision in order to generate a realistic perspective and convincing effect. Shooting techniques like these were an important cost-saving tool on many CBC productions.

Robert Hackborn retired from the CBC in 1993 after 38 years of service. Included in the collection here at the Ryerson Special Collections are photographic and textual documentation of the various film-based special effects pioneered and employed by Hackborn in his work, as well as documentation of the earliest show development process for the major children’s television programs Mr. Dressup and Mr. Rogers’ Neighbourhood. There are also records related to the creative processes behind Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock, including images of, and correspondence with Henson.

The Robert Hackborn collection represents a valuable resource for students and academics studying the history of Canadian television production and cultural output.

The Robert Hackborn Display at the Ryerson Special Collections Library.

If you would like to see this display and part of the collection, or for more information, please drop by the 4^th floor of the library, or make an appointment: asc@ryerson.ca. You can search our Robert Hackborn Fonds online here.

The Hackborn collection has also been profiled in the summer 2013 edition of the Toronto Metropolitan University Magazine. “http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/ryerson/alumni_2013summer/#/32.

Mystery Images Found Around the Library…

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Alison

For the past few years at the Toronto Metropolitan University Library, mysterious photographs have been showing up in random library books. These photographs are housed in small paper envelopes that refer to them as “supplementary image plates” and label them “Property of V.I. Fonds”. Each envelope of ‘supplementary plates’ has ended up in a library book with a theme similar to the subject of the pictures within it. Only recently has the library solved the mystery of where these envelopes have been coming from.

A yellow envelope reading "Property of V.I. Fonds" TR790 .T35 1993 - Travel Photography. Supplementary image plates on temporary loan to Take Better Travel Photos/ — An example of the V.I. Fonds envelopes found in books around the Library

It turns out that the planted photographs are the result of a project assigned by Image Arts Professor Vid Ingelevics to his Documentary Media MFA students for the course “Databases, Archives and the Virtual Experience of Art.” For the project, students were presented with an archive of 100 images on CD and asked to create a system to classify them. Past student Mark Laurie, who graduated from the program in 2010, chose to rely on the Dewey Decimal System and Library of Congress Subject headings to help categorize the disparate images.

The title of the project – “Supplementary plates: The V.I. Fonds distribution project” – describes Laurie’s decision for classifying the images through placing them into library books. Each individual photograph remains connected to the others in archival fashion by fonds, acknowledging the original source and organization of the images, in a group of 100 from Vid Ingelevics.

The artist printed the images as photographs, and divided them into library books because “without knowledge of the images’ provenances and the archival motivations behind their co-mingling, [Laurie] realized that by merely organizing them into batches, [he] could not hope to restore their meaning or significance.” Assigning each image, or small group of similar images, a Library of Congress Subject heading, Laurie searched the Ryerson Library catalogue and chose books with identical subject headings to place the photographs in. He used the Dewey Decimal and the Library of Congress Subject heading to complete the classification of his images, and placed them into books indicating that they were “on loan” from the V.I. Fonds to that book, adding to the Ryerson Library’s collection of images on that subject.

For example, Edward Ruschca’s book Twentysix Gasoline Stations was found with an envelope that reads:

PROPERTY OF V.I. FONDS
NA6370 .R8 1967 – Service stations.
Supplementary image plate(s) on temporary loan to Twentysix gasoline stations. ( [s.l. ]: Cunningham, 1967).
[Fig. 1] A typical gasoline station in the United States.
Loan expires October 31 2008 – if overdue, please inform Loan Administrator: vifonds@mail.org.

The envelop contained the photo of the gasoline station in the United States.

Photograph showing the book Twentysix Gasoline Stations by Edward Ruscha, along with the envelop and photograph placed inside as part of the V.I. Fonds project.

The envelop contained the photo of the gasoline station in the United States.

Other images that have been found include 7 photographs of people in the act of taking photographs in the book “Taking Better Travel Photos”, and a photograph of a group of friends dining together in the book “Dining Customs Around the World, with Occasional Recipes.”

Kodak how to book for taking travel photos, seen with the inserts from the V.I. Fonds. — V.I. Fonds inserted photographs

The Ryerson Library is still on the lookout for more of these envelopes, so far only 28 out of 54 envelopes have been found. If you are interested in seeing those that have already been found, they are being held on the fourth floor of the library in Special Collections. You can help us with this mystery! If you happen to find one of the V.I. Fond envelopes, please bring it to the attention of library staff, so that we might add it to our collection.

Also hidden on our shelves…

Staff at the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Archives have also been surprised to find new titles added to our shelves throughout the past year. Donations to the library including books titled: “My Erotic Life: Richard “Dick” Nixon”; “Why Are Babies So Ugly?” by Oprah Winfrey; “Circus of Desire” by Penelope Brimshaw; and “Puppies for Africa” by Jeffrey Sachs were found, anonymously donated, throughout the library.

Photograph of fake book covers created by the Marxist Nudist Taxidermy Club. Titles include Circus of Desire by Penelope Brimshaw, My Erotic Life by Richard "Dick" Nixon and Why are Babies so Ugly by Oprah Winfrey — Examples of books donated to libraries around Toronto by the Marxist Nudist Taxidermy Club.

With a little research, Ryerson Library staff was able to find the culprits and credit the donations to The Marxist Nudist Taxidermy Club of Toronto. The MNT club celebrated April fools day last year (2012) by making some library visits. The Ryerson library was one of only five libraries in Toronto to which the club kindly donated books that can’t be found anywhere else. The library is still on alert for the two missing titles from the MNT Books Project collection…

– Cassandra Rowbotham, June 2013

Links and further information

For information about Ryerson Library Special Collections: https://library.torontomu.ca/asc/

For more information about the Toronto Metropolitan University graduate program in Documentary Media: http://www.ryerson.ca/graduate/documentarymedia/index.html

More information about Mark Laurie’s project can be found here: http://mlaurie.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/supplementary-plates-the-vi-fonds-distribution-project/

More information about The Marxist Nudist Taxidermy Club can be found here: http://www.mntclub.com/about/

The Howard Kerr Memorial Mace – Celebrating the Past, Present, and Future

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Sarah Virag

It is convocation season and our graduates are eager to have that prized piece of paper in their hands. Degrees are not the only precious items held throughout the convocation ceremonies. Another ceremonial object to be excited about is the Howard Kerr Memorial Mace, carried during each convocation procession.

The Memorial Mace being carried by bedel Dr. Bannerman at Convocation, 2001. (RG 395.38.477)

Historically speaking, the Howard Kerr Memorial Mace is not very old but it is rooted in a rich history of Ryerson’s growth and transformation over the years. Each university traditionally owns a mace which plays a major role in ceremonies and convocations. It is a great symbol of pride and of the authority of the chancellor to award degrees to students. And so, when the Ryerson Institute of Technology was officially renamed Ryerson Polytechnic University in 1993, a mace was necessary to symbolize this new status, and Professor Bannerman of the Psychology Department brought forth this necessity into attention.

Many incorrectly assume that Egerton Ryerson is the founder but it was Howard Kerr who founded the Ryerson Insititute of Tecnology in 1948 and named it as such in Ryerson’s honour. Bannerman felt it would be ideal if Seaforth, Kerr’s hometown, paid him tribute as the founder and first principal of Ryerson and contribute to a mace. He appealed to the citizens of Seaforth and the surrounding district as well as to Kerr’s friends and family. By 1992, the Memorial Mace Committee was formed with Bannerman as the Mace Coordinator.

The Howard Kerr Memorial Mace Committee with Chancellor Crombie and President Grier, 1994. From left: Terence Grier, Clare Wescott, Alf Ross, Eugen Bannerman, David Crombie, Ross Ribey, and Harry Scott. (RG 76.14.606)

Many Seaforth scholars attended Ryerson and during convocation the town felt that sense of pride and unity. The citizens felt donating a mace would be a great opportunity for Seaforth to ingrain that connection and become a part of Ryerson’s history. People were enthusiastic and donations ensued. Around fifty individuals and groups affiliated with Seaforth, Kerr, or the school donated and they raised over $18 000.

Ryerson was not mace-less or tradition-less before the creation of the Memorial Mace, however. The Memorial Mace is actually the third convocation symbol. The first symbol was the Lamp of Learning donated by Doug McCrae, the first director of the School of Furniture Arts and it was originally used as a trophy for chariot races. It was replaced in 1985 by the Oakham House Debating Society’s mace, carved by faculty member Jim Peters. It was not meant to be a convocation mace because of its large ram’s head and a chain-link central section, symbolizing coherence and good debate. Both past symbols are now housed at the Ryerson Archives.

Douglass Morse was commissioned to carve the new mace and he incorporated a number of historic and traditional symbols to represent Ryerson, as well as to recognize Kerr and the town of Seaforth.

Morse also built a cabinet to house the mace. The engraving reads, “Howard Kerr Memorial Mace. This mace is presented to Ryerson Polytechnic University by the citizens of Seaforth and District and family and friends. In honour of the founder, Dr. Howard Hillen Kerr (1900-1984) 1994”.

The mace is:

53 inches (134.62 cm) long
made of solid turned walnut
characterized by intricate protuberances and 24 carat gold leaf details

Carved symbols on the mace are representative of:

Past – Egerton Ryerson’s portrait and the facade of the 1852 Normal School
Present – Ryerson’s coat of arms on the crown of the mace
Future – the space shuttle Columbia flown by Canada’s first female astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar of Ryerson’s Centre of Advanced Technology and Education
Ontario – provincial emblems on the crown: trilliums, maple leaves, and amethysts (Ontario’s official mineral)
Donors from Howard Kerr’s hometowns: the coat of arms of the Townships of Seaforth and McKillop
Founder of Ryerson – portrait of Howard Kerr

The crown of the mace, detailed with provincial emblems such as the maple leaf and the amethyst. Carved details on the mace. (RG 5.266)

By the spring of 1994, the mace was complete and it was used in the convocation procession. Mace Committee members Ross and Ribey presented it to Mr. Crombie, the recently new and first Chancellor, on behalf of the donors. Dr. Bannerman was appointed bedel (mace-bearer) and continued on with this role at every convocation until he retired in 2001.

Today, there is one bedel from every faculty, changing with each convocation.

Sue Williams, Dean Emerita, Faculty of Community Services 2012 Convocation bedel

Howard Kerr was certainly an important figure in the development of Toronto Metropolitan University and his contributions are embedded in Ryerson’s past, present, and future. He once said, “My whole life is Ryerson. I live it, eat it, sleep it”.

The Howard Kerr Memorial Mace at Convocation, 1995. (RG 76.14.736)

In 2012 Ryerson was bestowed another honour with the presentation of the Eagle Staff. Both will now be present at every convocation. For more information on the Eagle Staff, please read the Toronto Metropolitan University Magazine story on the Eagle Staff.

Feature from the Collections: Looking Back at the History of the Normal School Building – Part Two

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Sarah Virag

Postcard of the Normal School, viewable along with other postcards at the Archives. (from Normal School 1 doc. file)

As mentioned in Part One of this feature (published February 19, 2013), the Normal School was a great stepping stone for the future of education in Canada. Egerton Ryerson set the standards with the first Normal School of Upper Canada, furthering the quality of education as well as increasing the number of pupils with a desire to receive formal training. In 1852 the Normal School at it’s new St. James Square location had its first semester with two hundred pupil teachers and a total student body of six hundred with the elementary students included.

The front of the Normal School featuring the third storey constructed in 1890 to accommodate an auditorium and rooms for the School of Art and Design, a statue of Egerton Ryerson, and the iron fence. (from Normal School 1 doc. file)

From the moment the Normal School at St. James Square opened, it never stopped growing and transforming. Maintenance to the school’s infrastructure was frequent from the 1860s and on. Changes were also made to the east front of the building in 1882 to accommodate the Ontario School of Art and Design and an iron fence was added to the property ten years later. By 1896, a third storey was added to the South block of the Normal School which provided spacious halls with archways and allowed for its use as art and picture galleries. The new storey also allowed space for an auditorium.

The Toronto Normal School (RG 95.1 “Campus Old”)

The year 1941 marked the Normal and Model Schools buildings’ end as such and the government of Ontario offered the buildings for a federal-provincial war training centre – Dominion-Provincial War Emergency Training Program – in support of the Second World War. Also on site was the No. 6 Initial Training Centre of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Prefabricated buildings also were built.

The Normal and Model schools were relocated to the Earl Kitchener Public School in East York for the remainder of the war. Without discussion, the change was made and the Normal School was eventually renamed Toronto Teachers College.

After the war, the building was renamed yet again and it became the Toronto Training and Re-establishment Institute for people who had served in the war. The program ceased in 1948 and the institute became the Ryerson Institute of Technology with Howard Kerr as its founder. The building once known as the Normal School became Ryerson Hall in memory of Egerton Ryerson.

Photos of the demolition of Ryerson Hall and construction of Kerr Hall on display at the Ryerson Archives. (Photograph by Sarah Virag, 2012)

The now Ryerson Hall building served as the main building for the Ryerson Institute of Technology with the pre-fab outbuildings used as classrooms, social and athletic venues. However, by the late 1950s, it was decided that Ryerson Hall would be demolished to make room for an increasing student body and course offerings. Ryerson Hall could not accommodate the vast changes of the Institute.

It was hoped that St. James Square could be kept in tact but this proved to be impossible if the school was to move forward and expand. Between 1958 and 1963, the surrounding structures housed in St. James Square were demolished. These, along with the Normal School building, except its front door and surrounding façade, were replaced by the Kerr Hall quadrangle building.

The construction of Howard Kerr Hall surrounding Ryerson Hall. (RG 95.1 “Campus Old”)

Howard Kerr Hall with Ryerson Hall still standing in the quadrangle. (RG 95.1 “Howard Kerr Hall”)

The deconstruction of Ryerson Hall inside the quadrangle. (RG 95.1 “Howard Kerr Hall”)

In 1964, the school was renamed again, this time as Ryerson Polytechnical Institution, which eventually gave rise to what would become the Toronto Metropolitan University we know today.

Aerial view of Howard Kerr Hall with only the façade of the Normal School / Ryerson Hall remaining. (RG 95.1 Howard Kerr Hall”)

The façade of the Normal School reminds us of our school’s journey from a normal and model school to a polytechnic institute to a university. It remains as a beautiful mark of architecture and is still in use as the entrance to the Toronto Metropolitan University Recreation and Athletics Centre. Nothing else stands from our past.

The commemorative plaque on the Normal School façade, or, the Arch, as it is often referred to today. (Photograph by Sarah Virag, 2012)

It is the door to our past and future.

The façade as it stands today, also known as the Arch. It is the entrance to the Toronto Metropolitan University Recreation and Athletics Centre. (Photography by Sarah Virag 2012)

For more information and images of the Normal School and its deconstruction with the construction of Kerr Hall, please visit the Ryerson Archives & Special Collections located on the fourth floor of the library.

The Jack Layton Book Club

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Julienne

The Jack Layton Chair, in partnership with the Ryerson Library and Achives, are pleased to invite you to the inaugural series of presentations of the Jack Layton Book Club. They promise to be interesting, inter-active discussions of books that mattered to Jack, and the ideas Jack championed through his remarkable career.

Jack Layton’s personal book collection has been donated to Ryerson, where he was a Professor of Politics during the 1970s and 80s. At each meeting of the Jack Layton Book Club, an expert speaker introduces us to a book Jack read, treasured and was inspired by. All are welcome to attend.

Three sessions of the Jack Layton Book Club are scheduled in the weeks ahead. All begin at 5:30 PM in the Archives, 3rd Floor, Ryerson Library, 350 Victoria Street. The Archives currently hosts a Jack Layton exhibit, which you are welcome to visit from 5 PM before each Book Club meeting.

Session 1

Tuesday 12 March 2013
Terry Grier, Ryerson President Emeritus

“Jack Layton’s Political Journey: From the Classroom to National Icon”.

Session 2

Thursday 28 March 2013
Dr. Alex Wellington, Philosophy Department, Toronto Metropolitan University

“Jack Layton’s Environmental Vision: Green Economy and Climate Justice”

Session 3

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Dr. Jason Boyd, English Department, Toronto Metropolitan University

“Pride, Prejudice and Politics: Jack Layton and the Lessons of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II”

The Jack Layton Book Club is an initiative of the Jack Layton Chair, co-sponsored by the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Archives.

Feature from the Collections: Looking Back at the History of the Normal School Building – Part One

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Sarah Virag

Though most current Ryerson students have seen changes that have occurred to the campus with the refurbishment of the Image Arts building, the campus as a whole has not undergone many substantial architectural changes in the past few years. Most students recognize the school in a much similar way to how it would have been years before them. However, if one looks back to the fifties, the campus did not hold the modern buildings it is now comprised of.

Inside the Kerr Hall quadrangle of our modern Ryerson campus stands, in its original position, what may be unofficially known to present-day students, as the Arch. The building that the Arch belonged to was the Normal School, demolished by 1963 and replaced with Kerr Hall to accommodate the demand of the growing student population at the time. The façade was preserved in memory of Dr. Egerton Ryerson and his contributions to the advancement of education in Ontario.

The first Government House of Upper Canada at King and Simcoe Streets and the first building to house the Normal School in 1847. (from Normal School 2 doc. file; book, *Toronto Normal School 1847-1947*, printed by Ryerson’s School of Graphic Arts (between 1946 and 1948))

Egerton Ryerson, the superintendent of education from 1846 to 1876, envisioned an improved education system in the Upper Canada province (Ontario), but there was no actual plan of making this possible until he took action in 1846. He was granted permission to occupy the Government House of Upper Canada at King and Simcoe streets where Roy Thomson Hall is located today. The Normal school opened on November 1^st, 1847. A normal school, according to Ryerson, is “a school in which the principles and practice of teaching according to rule, are taught and exemplified”. Normale is a French term implying a standard or norm in teaching. It was the first provincial institution for the systematic training of elementary school teachers.

Elementary students of the Model School, just North of the Normal School for pupil teachers. (from Normal School 2 doc. file. (Credit: Toronto Reference Library, T12242)

In 1849, the government required immediate occupation of the Government House premises and the Normal school was to be vacated. The school then moved to Temperance Hall for three years on Temperance Street, situated below Richmond Street between Yonge and Bay streets. But it was unsuitable and inconvenient. Eventually, the site of St. James Square, on Gould Street, was acquired and proved to be suitable for the Normal school as well as its later development to a polytechnic institute and even later to becoming Toronto Metropolitan University.

The area surrounded by Gould, Victoria, Gerrard, and Church streets was purchased in 1849. The buildings were designed in a classical revival style on the exterior (like civic buildings of the time) and had a gothic-style interior (like educational institutions of the time) by F.W. Cumberland and Thomas Ridout. The Normal School was a two storey building that took three years to complete. The Normal School was for instruction of the pupil teachers by lecture, and the Model School, just north of it, was where they would practice teaching elementary school students.

The Normal School wasn’t solely dedicated to classrooms. The structure also housed the Council of Public Instruction chamber and the various branches of the Education Department. There was also a theatre, an art gallery, two rooms for a museum (which was open to the public free of charge), and a book depository. The property also contained fruit, vegetable, and botanical gardens, a small arboretum, and two acres for agricultural experiments.

The school opened on November 24th, 1852.

To see the Normal School model as well as images of the original building, please visit the Ryerson Archives & Special Collections located on the fourth floor of the Library.

And now, stay tuned for the second part of the history of the Normal School and why only its façade remains standing today.

#WIRED: A Digital History of Toronto Metropolitan University

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Julienne

“Computing will most undoubtedly prove to be the most significant development to technology in the second half of the twentieth century. The extent to which Ryerson students graduate with a firm understanding of this new and exciting field, will greatly affect their ability to contribute to society.”

– L.B. Moore, Director of the Ryerson Computing Centre, 1973.

A classroom scene in the Secretarial Science program, 1962. (RG 95.1.1679.10) — A classroom scene in the Secretarial Science program, 1962. (RG 95.1. “Secretarial Science”)

Toronto Metropolitan University began as a polytechnic institute devoted to the training of students in applied technology. This technical history has informed Ryerson’s identity and culture, playing a significant role in the way the University defines its relationship to the digital age. As we enter an era of ever changing technology and a digitally-connected society, a look back at the early days of computing at Ryerson highlights the development of a digital campus and its impact on the Ryerson way of life.

DAISY

Always at the forefront of innovation, Ryerson’s early use of computing technology began in the 1960s when Ryerson was one of the first institutions to acquire a general purpose computer, an IBM Model 360-30, affectionately nicknamed “DAISY” (Direct Access Information System).

"Daisy" Chooses Miss Ryerson '68. One of the many "jobs" DAISY was tasked with. (The Rambler, Summer 1968) — “Daisy” Chooses Miss Ryerson ’68”. One of the many “jobs” DAISY performed. (The Rambler, Summer 1968)

It’s difficult to imagine a world without smart phones or even personal computers, but the early days of computing at Ryerson involved the use of one centralized system that students would line up to use. Eventually this changed to include the addition of terminals throughout campus that would connect via Bell phone lines to the main computer. The main functions were academic and administration assistance, including student registration, payroll, scheduling, grades, library circulation, and the occasional selection of Miss Ryerson.

"DAISY LOVES ME" Button. Students had a hate/love relationship with the overworked computer. (RG 63.71) — “DAISY LOVES ME” Button. Students had a hate/love relationship with the overworked computer. (RG 63.71)

DAISY was not without its quirks. Nearing the end of its life-cycle the first model would confuse library punch cards and harass students with overdue notices on books that had been returned. In 1975 DAISY took the initiative of creating a brand new Journalism class consisting of three surprised students. DAISY would be upgraded three times (1967, 1969, and up to IBM Model 360.55 in 1973 which contained 256 kilobytes of core memory and cost the annual amount of $404,00

A woman in the computer centre "batching" punch card instructions to DAISY. — A woman in the computer centre “batching” punch card instructions to DAISY. (RG 63.72)

The process of running a “job” or task included manually typing programming instructions into a “punch” card, feeding the card into the computer terminal, which would then process the program and data, and print out the results. This process was called “batching”, and would continue until the 1980s, when the University realized the technology was quickly becoming obsolete. The ever-increasing rate of change and the resulting obsolete formats is a factor which would continue to define digital technology into the twenty-first century.

THE YRCC

Official Opening York-Ryerson Computing Centre Program (RG 281.23)

In 1974 the Joint York-Ryerson Computing Centre established the first cooperative computing centre in Canada with the objective of sharing expertise and reducing costs. This resulted in the end of DAISY, which was dismantled and returned to the American company from which it was leased. The first of its kind in Canada, the YRCC operated with the main computer at York and connected terminals at Ryerson.

A MODERN COMPUTER CENTRE

In the late 70s, the demand for more computers and processing capabilities gave rise to student protests over the lack of computer resources. The computer centre was so overwhelmed that they implemented restrictions and quotas on accessing the computer mainframe. Each department would receive an allotment for its students to use throughout the semester; if a student ran out of credit, then they would have to petition for increased time. In 1979 the situation escalated to the point of violence, in which a student was stabbed in the arm with a pen when he attempted to use someone’s punch-card terminal.

The Beginner's Guide to the Ryerson Mainframe, 1992. (RG 63.74) — The Beginner’s Guide to the Ryerson Mainframe, 1992.
(RG 63.74)

In 1983, IBM donated $3.7 million worth of computer hardware and software to Ryerson, at the time the largest single donation to the institute. The equipment, an IBM 3033 processor, 300 terminals, five personal computers and advanced software, created an on-line interactive system and established the Ryerson Computing Centre.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE LIBRARY

Bard vs. Byte (The Ryerson Rambler, Fall 1981)

Ryerson Library was an early adopter of computer technology on campus. The early days of libraries consisted of card catalogues and handwritten entries signing out books. In the second half of the 20^th century, this rapidly changed to an electronic format that would alter the way knowledge was organized and retrieved.

For Ryerson Library the shift to digital began in 1968 when the library converted the author, title and catalogue data for all books to machine-readable form, implementing an electronic circulation control system to keep track of books. Students would no longer sign out books, but punch out computer cards.

Ryerson Library Circulation Book Card. (RG 5.204)

In 1979, Ryerson library became the first library in North America to operate its circulation system on-line using DOBIS/LIBIS, a computerized library system developed by IBM in Europe. DOBIS (Dortmund Bibliotek System) replaced the dated Mohawk punch-card circulation system.

Ryerson becomes the first North American University to install an online Library system. An explanation of the new DOBIS Library system with former President Walter Pitman, 1978. (RG 5.74) — The official opening of the Library’s online DOBIS/LIBIS system with former President Walter Pitman, 1978

The circulation function involved the first-time use of barcode labels affixed to books and ID badges read by an IBM optical scanner. Throughout the 80s and 90s technological advancement in the library would continue, including the establishment of its first computer lab in 1982, as well as developments in subject indexing and electronic resources.

THE FUTURE

Crack the code is a scavenger hunt developed by Ryerson mobile. (DOC File) — Crack the code is a scavenger hunt developed by Ryerson mobile in 2010. (DOC File)

In the last quarter century Toronto Metropolitan University has paved the way for technology-driven learning. This can most clearly be seen with the new Student Learning Centre, which promises to provide an interactive environment employing the latest in digital technology. Projects such as the Digital Media Zone act as an incubator for Ryerson students to collaborate in the design and implementation of digital tools and apps. Accessible technology has placed students at the centre of e-learning, furthering the role students have in shaping their education and campus environment. These developments would not be possible without the small but significant steps taken in the 1960s towards a progressive, digital future.

An IBM 2260 terminal in the Ryerson Computer Centre, c. 1970s. (RG The Beginner's Guide to the Ryerson Mainframe, 1992. (RG 63.72) — An IBM 2260 terminal in the Ryerson Computer Centre, c. 1970.
(RG 63.72)

Bringing together diverse artifacts and historical materials from the Ryerson Archives, #WIRED is an exhibition that highlights pivotal moments in the digital evolution of Toronto Metropolitan University.

The War of 1812, Two Hundred Years Ago

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Sarah Virag

As 2012 and the commemoration of the War of 1812 draws to an end, we invite you to take one more look back.

June 18^th 2012 marked the two hundred year anniversary of the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was a military conflict declared by the United States onto Great Britain because the United States felt continuous economic restrictions and resistance to expansion from Great Britain. Invasions on both sides were either unsuccessful or temporary, and on February 20^th, 1815, the Treaty of Ghent was issued and peace was restored.

Canada celebrates the war as laying the foundation for its future nationhood as well as its victory in preventing the United States from expanding onto its territory. Toronto Metropolitan University is named after Egerton Ryerson, a great patron of the educational system in Canada. Egerton Ryerson became an honoured citizen for his contributions to his community, much like his father had but for different reasons. His father, Joseph Ryerson, served in numerous official capacities his entire life, being just fifteen years old when he joined the army for the first time.

The Joseph Ryerson Memorial Plaque, located in the St. James Cathedral, Toronto

In 1812, Isaac Brock served Joseph Ryerson a certificate of commission as the Lieutenant Colonel Commanding the First Regiments of the Norfolk Militia. His brother, Samuel Ryerson, also served in the war in repelling the American invaders as did Joseph’s three eldest of six sons, George, William, and John. Egerton’s young age prevented him from following in their footsteps and he instead focused on his studies, which led him to becoming a notable person as an educator, minister, and politician.

Letter from Captain James Brock (cousin and secretary to Sir Isaac Brock) enclosing commissions of officers of 72 1st Norfolk Militia to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Ryerson, 1812. (F 679.01)

When the War ended, Joseph Ryerson and his family went on to continue life in the County of Norfolk. Joseph Ryerson handed in his letter of resignation in 1830 not out of an unwillingness to serve but from an inability to do so due to illness and advanced age.

Joseph Ryerson’s Letter of Resignation, 1830. (F 679.01)

The Ryerson Family Papers, Sir Isaac Brock on left; officers commission on right (F 679.01)

The images above and below are from the Ryerson Family Papers. They are a collection of documents and correspondence of four generations of the Ryerson family, including that pertaining to Joseph Ryerson and his service in the War. His efforts during the War, as well as that of all those involved, are remembered and recognized two hundred years later and for many years to come.

Photojournalism: Tools of the Trade

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Alison

New Exhibition: Special Collections display cases, 4th floor of the Ryerson Library the Ryerson Library building.

In recognition of the grand opening of the Ryerson Image Centre, Special Collections has put together a small exhibition featuring images of journalists from the Black Star collection with their cameras of choice and a selection of similar cameras from the Historical Camera Collection.

Drop by the 4th floor of the Ryerson Library to see the exhibition.

GRAFLEX CAMERAS

Developed and produced in the United states, the Graflex camera was favoured by photojournalists since it’s introduction in 1910. This version from the 1940’s uses 4” x 5” sheet film (mounted in a film holder in the back of the camera) and the flash attachment used 1-time use flash bulbs. The strong flash gave photographs the telltale high contrast look of news and paparazzi photographs from the 40’s and 50’s. Dorothea Lange used a similar Graflex model (series D) to shoot iconic images for the Farm Securities Association from 1935-1939.

TWIN LENS REFLEX CAMERAS

Rolleicord Model 1 manufacutred 1934-1936

Twin-lens reflex cameras use two lenses, one to view and focus through (above) and one to take the photograph (below). A 45° mirror sends the image from the viewing lens to a piece of glass (called ground glass) for focusing. The photographer looked down through the camera, which was usually at waist level. These cameras used medium format, or 120, film. Rolleiflex, introduced in 1929 and used a square format (it was difficult to photograph with the camera placed on its side).

BRASSAï & THE MEDIUM FORMAT

Woightlander Brilliant, manufactured in 1937.

Hungarian photojournalist George Brassaï began his career with a Voigtlander camera and continued to photograph with the Rolleiflex, long after many of his contemporaries began using the more convenient 35mm models. He did not like the square film format, however, and cropped most of his images.

LEICA 35mm CAMERAS

Produced in Germany by Leica Camera AG, the Leica Camera popularized the 35 mm format and is considered to be responsible for the beginning of modern photojournalism. The camera used standard cinema film, and it’s small size made it ideal for photographing fast paced, and often dangerous, news events.

HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON AND THE LEICA

French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), often referred to as the father of photojournalism, began using the 35mm format in 1931, when he purchased a Leica camera, much like the one displayed here. Cartier-Bresson photographed often for Life Magazine, travelling to places like Russia and China,

Cartier-Bresson described his style as the Decisive Moment:

“it is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression.”

35mm CAMERAS

Mamiya MSX 500, manufactured c. 1975: 2011.018.273

Nikkormat EL, manufactured between 1972-1976

This became the most popular film and camera format, both among professionals and amateurs. Sturdy and multifunctional, with interchangeable lenses, these cameras found their way into civil wars, riots, and natural disasters around the necks of daring photojournalists. Once exposed, the film was wound conveniently back into light-tight metal canisters that would protect the film until it could be developed.

CHARLES MOORE

American Civil Rights photographer Charles Moore is most known for his photographs of the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham Alabama in 1964. His powerful images of the struggle for civil rights were published in the book “Powerful Days”. Photographs like these helped raise awareness of the need for a Civil Rights act in America.

For more information or to see more from the Toronto Metropolitan University Library Special Collections, email asc@ryerson.ca or call 416-979-5000 ext. 4996.

For more information on the Ryerson Image Centre or the Black Star Collection, please visit their website at http://www.ryerson.ca/ric/ or cal 416-979-5164.

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Session 1

Session 2

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DAISY

THE YRCC

A MODERN COMPUTER CENTRE

TECHNOLOGY IN THE LIBRARY

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New Exhibition: Special Collections display cases, 4th floor of the Ryerson Library the Ryerson Library building.

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