Toronto Public Library is pleased to announce a new exhibition, Four Families, One War, that examines the experience of the Great War through the voices of four Toronto families.
Through original letters, photographs and posters, Four Families, One War vividly brings to life a dual narrative of the war (at home and on the Front) in rare letters, journals, sketches and photographs, illustrated with the recruitment and propaganda posters of the time, song sheets, trench maps and more.
Generously supported by The Honourable Henry N.R. Jackman, Four Families, One War is the latest exhibition at the library’s TD Gallery, located on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library. The show opens Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 9 a.m. and runs until Sunday, January 11, 2015.
What: Four Families, One War
When: November 1, 2014 to January 11, 2015
Where: TD Gallery, Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street – Main Level
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Four Families, One War is part of a broader series of programs, lectures, exhibits, art and cinema at Toronto Public Library commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. For a complete list of all events visit torontopubliclibrary.ca/greatwar.
Exhibition Highlights:
- Letter from Norman Keys to his mother Mrs. D.R. Keys. 1917.A member of one of the four families featured in this exhibit, Norman Keys writes home that he is “fit as a fiddle in dear old Blighty” (i.e. England), despite the fact that he must write with his left hand, his right hand still being numb from his wound.
- The Canadian Mother, 1917. A political poster directed at women with family members on active service. The Wartime Elections Act gave women in military service and those related to servicemen the right to vote in the federal election. In a letter to her son, Bessie Grange described her experience of casting a vote for the first time.
- Captain Donald T. Fraser’s Field Message Book, 1916. Donald Fraser won the military cross for his bravery on the field during the Battle of the Somme, 1916.
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A hand-made flyer for a Red Cross fundraising concert at Highfields, the home of Donald Fraser’s mother, December 1915
- Fighting with Allies: The New War Game. 1915. A board game developed in Canada for children. Players take on the role of the British Empire, France, Belgium or Russia.
- Farewell to Soldiers Off to War. 1916. Evocative artwork by a Toronto artist, Marion Long, depicting soldiers at Union Station bidding farewell to their families as they head off to war.
- The Story of his Brave Canadian Father. 1917. Colour lithograph poster by British artist MaryHorsfall depicting a small boy with his mother looking at the portrait of his deceased father on the wall. The young tyke offers to enlist to replace his father in the war.
In concert with the Four Families exhibition, Toronto Public Library is participating in The World Remembers, a global commemoration of more than nine million names of those who lost their lives in WWI, being displayed around the world, in schools, on the Internet and on public buildings.
Toronto Public Library is projecting 292,000 names of those killed in 1914 inside the entrance Cube of the Toronto Reference Library until November 11, from 8:30pm to sunrise. For more information or to find the exact minute that any name will be displayed, visit theworldremembers.ca.
Media Preview:
Members of the media are invited for a pre-opening tour between 2 and 4 pm on Thursday, October 30, 2014. Please contact Edward Karek at 416-397-5925 or ekarek@torontopubliclibrary.ca to reserve a spot.
Electronic images of gallery material are available upon request.
Related Programming:
Chronicles of Love, Casualties of War: A Century of Conflict in Letters and Journals
Tuesday, November 11, 2014, 1 p.m.
Toronto Reference Library, Elizabeth Beeton Auditorium
For those separated by the terrible realities of war, letters have been a lifeline between the soldier and those left behind. Presented by Barbara Rusch, The Ephemera Society of Canada.
Exhibit Tours with the Curators Jessie Amaolo and Steven Shubert
Thursday, November 6, 2 p.m.
Monday, November 10, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, November 11, 2:30 p.m.
Monday, November 24, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, December 3, 2 p.m.
Thursday December 11, 2 p.m.
For a complete list of WWI programs, visit torontopubliclibrary.ca/greatwar.
About the TD Gallery in the Toronto Reference Library
A relaxed, contemporary exhibit space at the heart of the city, the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library is a space for Torontonians and visitors alike to connect with our collective cultural memory. Stories are told and histories explored through rare and unique items – including art, manuscripts, sculpture, books and artifacts – curated from over four million pieces collected by the library since 1884. Many exhibits also feature complementary contributions from cultural and community partners.
About Toronto Public Library Foundation
Toronto Public Library Foundation supports the Toronto Public Library which is one of world’s busiest urban public libraries. The Foundation raises financial support from individuals and corporations to provide essential resources for the enhancement of Toronto Public Library and to allocate funds to priority needs not supported by municipal funding. To learn more about the Toronto Public Library Foundation, visit www.tplfoundation.ca.
About Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library is one of the world's busiest urban public library systems. Every year, 18 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow more than 32 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get the most current updates on what's happening at the library, follow us on Twitter @torontolibrary.
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Media Contact/Media Image Reproduction:
Edward Karek, Communications Officer
416-397-5925