Photographs

Over 200,000 images, preserved in the form of photographs, negatives, slides and works of art provide a visual history of the University, its people, events and surroundings from the 1850s to the 1980s. Early images of campus buildings from the 1850s to the 1930s, student and athletic groups, and faculty from the turn of the century to the 1940s are complemented by more contemporary photos from campus publicity offices and private photographers hired to document campus life. Student activities are featured quite prominently and include athletic team photos, graduating class composites, photos of Hart House activities and group shots of student clubs and government.

Not all photos relate specifically to the University. Many have been preserved as part of the records of specific faculties or in personal records of professors. Thus you can find everything from teaching slides documenting early logging practices in the Faculty of Forestry records, to group photos of early meetings of the Royal Astronomical Society in the papers of astronomer Helen Hogg.

Architectural Drawings and Plans

The UTA houses a fine collection of 19th century architectural drawings of buildings erected on the campus and of plans accompanying the legal documents relating to lands leased to individuals around Queen's Park. The 20th-century drawings, while more numerous, usually do not have the same quality of execution and attention to detail that make the earlier ones so attractive, the pencil drawings of Hart House being an exception.

Film and Video

The recording of activities at the University on film began after World War I, the earliest example in the Archives being a history of Hart House (1923) which was widely shown across Canada and in Britain. Since then more promotional films have been made, especially during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Other films, including many produced for the Faculty of Nursing, were designed as teaching aids. Still others, created by faculty and staff, such as H. E. T. Haultain's films on the technical aspects of mining engineering, reflect their research and entrepreneurial interests. Official events on campus, such as the royal visit in 1939, have also been recorded. The majority of the films, though, record the prowess of the students on the playing fields; nearly all in this category are of football games played from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Oral Histories

From 1973 to 1993, the Library Oral History Programme recorded the personal memories of senior administrative staff, selected members of the faculty, and students involved in campus governance. Many of the interviews complement the private records mentioned above, while others, such as those with Bob Rae and Steven Langdon, record the memories of politically active students who have used the experience gained while undergraduates to good advantage in later years. Over 100 interviews, totalling some 400 hours, have been produced. In addition, there are tapes from the Women in Medicine Oral History Project, and copies of tapes and transcripts from the Hannah Institute for the History of Medicine Oral History Project.

University Publications and Theses

The Archives holds an extensive collection of university publications such as calendars, annual reports, class and prize lists, newsletters, departmental handbooks and student newspapers. Early calendars and student registers dating back to 1845 are widely used to trace staff and students as well as course curricula. The Archives also has a complete set of Torontonensis, the University yearbook, which was published from 1898 to 1966.

The Archives holds Masters theses from 1897 to 1989 and Doctoral theses from 1900 to 1985.