Fonds consists of approximately 3,000 negatives, most of which were taken by Earnest Edgar Strathy Smith and his colleagues at Canada Pictures Ltd., the studio he founded in 1946. The majority of the images in this fonds document the development of Canada's first subway system, in Toronto. The remaining images consist of views of Toronto in the 1940s and 50s, and a group of images that Smith copied from an unconfirmed source (possible the National Archives of Canada) also documenting Toronto in the first half of the 1890s. The original arrangement of all images (generally chronological and by project number) has been maintained. The Yonge Street Subway construction photographs, consisting of approximately 2,400 negatives commissioned by the TTC and produced by Canada Picture, are significant for their extensive coverage of this development in urban mass transit. They document the building of the Yonge Street Subway beginning with the letting of the contract on July 7, 1949, and recording the excavation of Yonge Street, the construction of the underground tunnels, the laying of the track, the building of the stations, and the exterior and interior of Toronto's new subway cars. There are photographs of the tours of the subway which were arranged for visiting journalists and dignitaries, which included Metro Councillors and the Governor General of Canada, Sir Rupert Alexander. There are also 75 photographs documenting the official opening of the subway on March 30, 1954, showing crowds and dignitaries, including Metropolitan Toronto Chairman Fred Gardiner and Mayor of Toronto Alan Lamport, attending the opening ceremonies at the Davisville Station. The Toronto Views, 1940s-1950s series consists of about 400 photographs documenting Toronto streets and prominent buildings in the post-war period, including some that have been demolished such as Government House at Chorley Park, the Armouries on University Avenue, and the neo-classical Land Registry building. The 1890s series consists primarily of copy negatives of about 160 historic photographs documenting Toronto sites and buildings, including the Don Valley Brick Works, the Library at the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall, City Hall (1899-1965), and the Legislature at Queen's Park while under construction and after completion. Fonds consists of the following series: Series 381, Yonge Street Subway construction photographs Series 380, Toronto views, 1940s and 1950s Series 379, Miscellaneous views, 1890s
