Toronto Telegram scrapbooks and clippings - York University Libraries' Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections

Title proper

Toronto Telegram scrapbooks and clippings

General material designation

Textual record

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

Level of description

Series

Repository

York University Archives & Special Collections (CTASC)

Reference code

S00675

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Date(s)

1876-1970 (Creation)

Creator

Toronto Telegram

Place

Toronto

Physical description

ca. 16 metres of textual material.
ca. 350 scrapbooks : 55 x 43 cm and smaller.

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Name of creator

Toronto Telegram

(1876-1971)

Administrative history

The 'Toronto telegram' (originally the 'Evening telegram,') was launched in 1876 by John Ross Robertson. The 'Tely' strongly supported the British connection in Canada, appealing to British and Imperial sentiments even after Canadian nationalism became fashionable. The newspaper was locked in a circulation war with its afternoon rival, the 'Toronto star', for much of the twentieth century. The battle involved giveaway contests, scoops, and even hiding personalities (like swimmer Marilyn Bell) from the competition to ensure exclusive stories. Following Robertson's death, the paper was continued by a trust he had established. In 1948 the newspaper was sold to George McCullagh, owner of the Toronto Globe & mail, who invited John Bassett to act as publisher. In 1952 Bassett bought the newspaper and attempted to best the Star with new features in his newspaper, the introduction of colour photography (which meant the demise of the famous 'pink' newsprint on which the "Tely" had been printed), and other modernizations (including a news office building). Falling circulation and lack of advertising led Bassett to close the newspaper in 1971.

Scope and content

Series consists of scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and printed materials. The scrapbooks are of three types. The fist is a collection of large scrapbooks, approximately 220 in total, that consists of copies of the Toronto Telegram and it's predecessor, The Evening Telegram. These scrapbooks are divided into several categories of material: "Advertising and promotion", "Circulation and Carriers", "Clubs", "Contests", "Events", "Daily and Weekly Features" (such as "schooner Days by C.H.J. Snider); "General Clippings", "News Features" (which include royal visits); "Outdoor Activities"; photo albums of high profile personalities such as royalty and politicians; "Sports", "Theatre and Opera", as wella s feature columns and programs run by the The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star.
The second group is a collection of scrapbooks and editorials and contests of the Telegram and its rivals, The Toronto Star and The Toronto Globe and Mail. The scrapbooks consists of Toronto Telegram editorians (1962-1967), Globe & Mail editorials (1961-1970) and Toronto Star editorials (1940-1968). There are also indexes to Star editorials, scrapbooks concerning the Star's Santa Claus Fund (1923-1960) and the Star's Fresh Air Fund.
Finally, there are two moderately sized collections of scrapbooks. The first consists of four books, covering the Toronto Transit Commission (1950-1970), and the second covers the canals of the St.Lawrence River (1910-1939).

The newspaper clippings are divided into two broad areas: Personalities, and Subjects. These consists of clippings from the Telegram arranged alphabetically by personality name, including such people as Winston Churchill, Henry Fort, Mitchell Hepburn, and Nellie McClung; and subjects, ranging from Abortion to Medicine and Australia to Japan. Both groups of files are complete only to the letter "M" (the remaining files do not appear to have been transferred to the archives).
The printed material consists of accompanying material removed from the files of photoprints from the 1987-001 accession. It contains information about the subjects of the photos they were separated from and are cross-referenced with those print files.

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

Language of material

English

Script of material

Latin

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Finding aids

The finding aids available for this series consists of a contents list for the scrapbooks; a box list for the newspaper clippings, indicating the range of topics or names within each box, and a file list for the printed material.
An electronic finding aid is not yet available.

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number

Subject access points

Newspaper publishing

Place access points

Canada » Ontario » Toronto

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