The Connon family fonds consists primarily of photographs, although some textual records also exist. Both photographic and textual records relate to the work of Thomas Connon and John R. Connon, as well as to the history of Elora. Among the photographic formats are collodion and gelatin glass negatives and stereograph negatives, tintypes, albumen and early gelatin prints (on cabinet cards). Included in this fonds are some of Thomas Connon's earliest negatives which are probably the oldest glass negatives in the Archives' holdings.

The photos contain the work of both Thomas and John R. Connon in roughly equal portions. One photograph was taken by Thomas' wife Jean (an 1862 view of the Elora Volunteer Rifles) and a few prints may have been taken by other photographers. Thomas Connon was the artist of the original oil painting of his in-laws' (The Keith Family) ancestral home in Scotland. John R. Connon appears to have created many of the lantern slides and enlargements from some of his father's original negatives.

The subject matter of the fonds documents the early history of Elora, Ontario, including buildings, the surrounding landscape, village life and prominent residents. There are views of the mill, the Elora Falls, the Grand River and the Elora Gorge, shop fronts, churches, bridges and events. There are numerous portraits of people connected to Elora's history and to the Connon family.

The textual material includes correspondence, patents, clippings, a notebook and financial records of the Connon family. Most relate to the career of John R. Connon. Among them are sketches for the design of the panoramic camera, correspondence with George Eastman and files related to his work on Elora local history.

Fonds is arranged by format; unit groupings within each format are by subject. Units are arranged alphabetically by title.

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Fonds consists of textual and photographic records created and accumulated by the architectural firm Sproatt and Rolph.

Included in the fonds are architectural drawings, including plans, elevations, sections, details and shop drawings. While most of the material deals with Toronto-based projects, those in other Ontario cities are represented, including projects in Ottawa, Cobourg, Guelph, Etobicoke Township, North York Township, Scarborough Township, Oakville, Orillia, pickering, Port Hope, St. Catharines, Sarnia, Welland, Woodstock and Whitby.

Reference drawings of work executed by other architects is contained in this fonds. These architects and firms include Abraham Wilson, William Ralston, Joseph Austin Thatcher, E.E. Woodley, Harold Carter, Charles Brammall Dolphin, George Allan, Walter N. Moorhouse, Charles J. Gibson, Bradford L. Gilbert, William A. Langton, Donald N. MacVicar, J.C.A. Heriot, and George Martell Miller, Moleworth, West and Secord, F. Hilton Wilkes, Chadwick and Beckett, James A. Murray, Stevens and Lee, R.J. Edwards and Saunders, F.R. Barnes, and Gardiner Cowan. In addition, the fonds contains the works of others associated with the firm including Charles Beverly Sproatt, Samuel George Curry and Gladstone Evans. There are also a number of measured drawings, executed by C. Peake Anderson, of British cathedrals and churches.

The fonds also contains textual material, including correspondence relating to projects carried out by the firm. Specifications to various building trades are in typescript and include instructions to tenders provided by the architects, as well as to the various engineers engaged for these projects. A few contracts are also provided for some projects. As well, a scrapbook of newspaper articles relating to architectural projects undertaken by a number of Toronto firms, including Marani, Paisley and Morris. Other published material includes various journals, pamphlets, bulletins, as well as an Order of Dedication for Knox Presbyterian Church in Ottawa. Included in the textual material are three professional certificates belonging to Henry Sproatt, including membership in the Ontario Association of Architects, a certificate of appointment to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and undated certificate appointing Sproatt as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Fonds also includes photographs depicting interior and exterior views of many of the firm's building projects. Some of the photos appear to have been used to accompany articles in architectural journals, and sheet proofs from these publications are included, with illustrations from these photographs. As well, there are many photos of bronze ornamental objects and plaques, of alabaster figurines and sculpted figures, as well as of heraldic crests and illuminated manuscripts. There also are numerous photos depicting streetscapes and buildings in the British Isles.

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Fonds consists of audiocassettes, videotapes, transcripts, scripts, documentation and project files related to two separate oral history projects. The first project, the "Being Here" Oral History Project, was conducted from 1987-1990 under the aegis of the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture, and administered by the Archives of Ontario. The purpose of the project was to research the stories of immigrants and their families who settled in Ontario in the preceding century. Material related to this project includes 579 audiocassettes containing interviews, as well as 26 videocassettes featuring videotaped interviews. The audiocassettes and videotapes are arranged alphabetically by ethnic group. As well, there are 145 transcriptions of interview excerpts, which are arranged alphabetically by interviewee name. Interviews, while conducted in either official Canadian language, are primarily in English.

Textual records consist of project files, the project's final report, and accompanying tape outline forms and interviewee data sheets. Most interviews had accompanying interviewee data sheets, but outline forms were not completed for every interview.

Included in the "Being Here" project are two audiocassettes and one script related to a play entitled "Sleeping Giant." The play was written and presumably recorded by an interviewee, Larry Santa. The play production on the audiocassette was performed by the Cambrian Players of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Fonds also contains audiocassettes and transcripts pertaining to a second project, the Native Canadian Oral History Project, conducted between 1982-1983. This project was carried out by interviewer Ranald Thurgood of the Toronto Public Library's Spadina branch, and consists of 37 interviews with Canadian Native Indians. Material regarding this project was acquired by the Ontario Folklife Centre from Thurgood.

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Fonds consist of negatives, positives and prints created and accumulated by Toronto photographer Gilbert A. Milne, documenting the city's post-war urban expansion as well as its arts, academic and broadcasting communities. Subjects include the University of Toronto, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as well as Toronto's subway construction, housing, street scenes, industry, and shipping. Also photographed are public figures of the period including: Dr. Best, Morley Callaghan, J.M.S. Careless, Jack Kent Cooke, Robertson Davies, George Drew, Gracie Fields, Leslie Frost, Foster Hewitt, Peggy Lee, Guy Lombardo, William Lyon Mackenzie King, Vincent Massey, Lester B. Pearson, Michael Redgrave, Barbara Ann Scott, Gordon Sinclair, Lister Sinclair, E.P. Taylor, and Roy Thomson.

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Fonds consists of photographs and negatives collected by Rupert McMichael. The fonds consists of 4" x 5" cellulose nitrate and safety film negatives, photographic prints and postcards pertaining to scenes from Toronto, Ontario and Quebec, ships, locomotives, streetcars and automobiles. Most of the negatives and prints relate to Toronto buildings and streetscapes taken between 1918-1954, especially near the Yonge and St. Clair street intersection of Toronto. Included are images of residences and churches, including Yorkminster Park Baptist Church and Christ Church Deer Park Anglican Church, as well as bird's eye views taken from Old City Hall, Osgoode Hall, and the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. Also, there are photos of construction of the Royal York Hotel, the last run of the Yonge Street streetcar, and a visit of Admiral and Lady Jellicoe. Fonds also includes negatives of Ontario and Quebec scenes, taken between 1918-1951, including churches in Niagara Falls and Peterborough, city scenes from Port Perry as well as from Montreal and Quebec City.

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Fonds consists primarily of political cartoons drawn by E.N. McConnell for the Toronto Daily News. Topics covered in the cartoons are wide ranging, and involve many political issues facing Canada, Ontario and the city of Toronto between 1904 and 1912. Chief among those occurring in the drawings is the federal Laurier administration, Robert L. Borden, Allan B. Aylesworth, Walter Scott (premier of Saskatchewan). Other topics include reciprocity (free trade) with the United States, the separate schools issue. Ontario topics include drawings on Sir James Whitney, Alexander MacKay, N.W. Rowell, and W.J. Hanna. The fonds also contains drawings on local Toronto politics, United States affairs, and Imperial (British) affairs.

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Fonds consists of glass plate negatives, lantern slides, celluloid negatives, prints and textual material produced by A.T. Brown. Subject material of the fonds pertains primarily to events, scenes and people of Acton, Ontario ca. 1890-1920.

Included in the fonds are 1604 glass plate negatives, featuring informal portraits of local people as well as photographs of houses, buildings, mills, factories, local churches, the Acton railway station, bridges, structure fires, outdoor activities, a Native Indian encampment, local military groups, a train wreck, ships, ferries, local events such as parades, and sporting events and groups. As well, there are photographs of Toronto, including the Second Great Fire of Toronto of 1904, as well as scenes from rural areas and the area known as Cottage Country.

Fonds includes 47 glass plate positives and lantern slides. Subjects are virtually the same as those of the glass plate negatives, although fewer in number. These include scenes of various Acton, Ontario buildings, scenes from Cottage Country, informal portraits of people, groups and animals, as well as photographs of sporting events, concerts, parades and other public events.

Also included in the fonds are 670 prints, essentially representative of the same subjects as of the glass plate negatives, glass plate positives and lantern slides.

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Fonds consists of approximately 1700 black and white prints and approximately 2300 negatives, depicting Ontario street scenes and architecture.

Much of the fonds emphasizes southern Ontario, with particular emphasis on the northern region of Metropolitan Toronto. Prints and negatives in the fonds depict houses, barns, churches, schools, stores, court houses, city and town halls, and other buildings. The fonds also includes photos of railway yards, cemeteries, parks, dams, bridges, canals and harbours, mainly featuring exterior views, but also including some interior views. As well, photographs of street scenes from various Ontario locales are represented in the fonds.

Fonds is arranged in two series.

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Fonds consists of 440 photographic prints and 146 nitrate negatives taken by Bishop Alexander Dewdney between 1920 and ca. 1936.

Subjects include northern Ontario churches in locales such as Eagle River, Sioux Lookout, Lake of the Woods, Dryden, Kenora, Keewatin, Lake Harbour, Fort Severn and Eskimo Point. Also, schools in northern Ontario are depicted, including the Pelican Indian School, Kenora High School, Hole River Indian Day School, Sioux Lookout School, and Split Lake Mission School.

Included in the fonds are photographs of hydroelectric power installations at Eagle River. As well, several mills are shown, including the Dryden Paper Mill, Backus Pulp and Paper Mill, and Lake of the Woods Flour Mill at Keewatin.

Gold mines, including the Sultana Gold Mine, Lake of the Woods and the Kickner and Krydner Gold Mines are depicted. Subjects also include lake and river vessels, numerous northern Ontario communities, Natives, fishing vessels and northern scenes. Depictions of fishing stations and various missions are also included.

Included are a number of photographs dealing with the Hudson Bay Company, including Ontario posts at Chesterfield, Wolstenholme, Behren's River, Eskimo Point, Island Lake, Fort Severn and Cat Lake. Several photographs of Hudson Bay Company schooners are also shown.

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Fonds consists of records created and acquired by Dr. Abraham Groves relating to his medical practice. There are also records included in the fonds that have been assembled by the donor.

The records include maps, certificates and diplomas, a notebook, a tribute poster, as well as hand-written pages of notes and correspondence pertaining to Dr. Groves' life and medical practice. The maps depict the prevalence of disease on a weekly basis annotated on the back presumably by Dr. Groves. The certificates and diplomas confirm his graduation from the University of Toronto and practicing licences from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Alberta and related courses in the North West Territories, Missouri and Michigan. The notebook reflects the period of his life in school, while the tribute poster highlights his career as a physician and surgeon, noting his achievement of 'firsts' in Ontario.

Also included are handwritten notes describing anecdotal events from his life, possibly written by Ethel Burke Groves, his second wife, and his sister, Catharine Bright. There is also correspondence sent to Dr. Groves from Dr. H. O. Walker writing from Detroit, Michigan.

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