Lou and Nat Turofsky

Admin History/Bio: Lou Turofsky was born in Chicago in 1892. His family moved to Toronto in 1900 and settled in the Beaches neighbourhood. In 1910, Lou purchased Alexandra Photography Company from his employer, Frank Spillar, and changed the name to Alexandra Studios. Lou's younger brother Nat came to work for him, and together they built up the business and their reputation as famous sports photographers. In 1917, they moved into a larger studio at 322 Queen Street West. Lou Turofsky married Ruth Seigel in 1936 and they had two daughters named Riki and Carol. Nat never married.; The brothers developed a reputation for photographing sports, although primarily hockey, and were often granted exclusive access to sports events; they were the only photographers allowed into the gates at the start of the British Empire Games held in Hamilton in 1930. Nat was the official photographer of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Turofsky Collection, currently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame, is the world's largest collection of hockey photographs. Nat died in 1956 and Lou died shortly after in 1959.

Scope and Content: Photograph is of brothers Lou and Nat Turofsky holding the Turofsky Trophy.

Notes: It is not certain that Al Gilbert took this photograph.; The Turofsky Trophy may have been awarded within the Junior Hockey League.

Repro Restriction: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.