Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 80
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
80
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1936-1960
Physical Description
463 photographs : b&w and col. (286 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm
Admin History/Bio
Sylvia Schwartz (1914-1998) was born in 1914 in Toronto. Her parents were Joseph and Gertrude, who were respectively born in the United States and Austria. Sylvia had three older sisters: Fannie, Helen and Rosetta (Ruth). Her family moved to Toronto around 1903. Joseph was a furrier who eventually set up his own business, J. Schwartz & Co. Ltd., a fur manufacturing company on Madison Avenue. He later became a partner in the Park Plaza Hotel on Avenue Road.
Sylvia became a prominent portrait photographer in Toronto and owned a studio on Grenville Road. She began her career during the 1940s, capturing images of families, servicemen during the war. and brides. She eventually carved out a niche for herself mid-career, specializing in child portraiture.
In addition to her professional activities, she was also recognized for her commitment to Communism. She befriended many famous American artists who were supporters of the cause, such as Paul Robeson, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and Cab Caloway, travelling across the border frequently to attend meetings and work with her American comrades. She was also involved in Communist-related organizations and trips that she documented in her photographs.
In 1976 she set up a special children's book award to honour her late sister Ruth, who was a respected Toronto bookseller. In 2004, six years after Sylvia's death, her family changed the name of the award to the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards. The awards are administered by the Ontario Arts Council which selects the school and juries. The Ontario Arts Foundation, the Schwartz Foundation, and the Canadian Booksellers Association, in turn, are responsible for producing the shortlist of books for the jury.
Custodial History
The negatives and proofs were donated by Sylvia's nephew, Herb Solway in two accessions: 2008-1/1 and 2008-4/5.
Scope and Content
The records are in the form of proofs and negatives that were taken by photographer Sylvia Schwartz during her career. They include images of her family, their cottage, her friends, events that she participated in as well as portraits of children, servicemen and women, famous entertainers that she was acquainted with, and prominent individuals from the Jewish community.
The records are arranged into series which include portraits of prominent Toronto Jews, military portraits, child portraits, simchas/milestones, entertainers, family and friends, and events. Each series consists of both negatives and corresponding proofs. The proofs have been retained for reference purposes as well as to document the decision-making of the photographer.
Name Access
Schwartz, Sylvia, 1914-1998
Subjects
Photographers
Creator
Schwartz, Sylvia, 1914-1998
Accession Number
2008-1-1
2008-4-5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
1
Material Format
graphic material
Date
July 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 8 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Rose Abromowitz (1908–2001) was born in Toronto in 1908. Her parents were David Abromowitz (1884–1963) and Sarah Abromowitz (née Winfield) (1885–1955). David arrived in Toronto in 1906. Sarah and her parents, Jacob Winfield and Anna Winfield, settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania, around 1880. Jacob worked as a grocer and relocated his family to Toronto around 1894. Sarah and David were married at the McCaul Street Synagogue in Toronto on 6 March 1906. They resided at 159 York Street after their nuptuals. David's father, Shevach, served as the cantor at Adath Israel. Rose's siblings included Murray and Oscar. Several members of the family later changed their surname to Abron during the early 1940s.
Rose studied at the University of Toronto and became a physician in 1932. She married Harry Lahman. In November 1943, Rose and Harry moved from Toronto to Altanta, Georgia. Rose passed away on 7 January 2001 at the age of ninety-three. She was survived by a son, Jerome. Her obituary stated, "She officially retired in 1990, but continued to see herself as a doctor until the day she died."
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Dr. Abron.
Notes
Associated material note: See the New York Public Library's American Jewish Committee and Oral History Library for further holdings.
Name Access
Abron, Rose, Dr., 1908-2001
Subjects
Physicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Related Material
See accession 2010-3/1.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
6
Material Format
graphic material
Date
July 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 9 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Joseph Bernard Dunkelman was born on 18 December 1911 in Toronto. His parents, David Dunkelman (1883-1978) and Rose Dunkelman (née Miller), were married on 19 January 1910. Originally from Poland, David came to Canada with his parents in 1895 and settled in Toronto. Rose was born in Philadelphia in 1889 and moved to Canada at the age of thirteen and resided there until her death in 1949, at the age of fifty-nine. Her father, Harry, was an entrepreneur in the menswear business, and it was through his business contacts that she met and married David at the age of twenty. They had six children: Joseph, Ernest, Zelda, Veronica, Theodora, and Benjamin. The latter fought in both the Second World War and Israel's War of Independence.
In 1911, David Dunkelman founded Tip Top Tailors, a high-end men's clothing store, which currently has about one hundred branches nationwide. Joseph ran Tip Top Tailors from the early 1940s until the late 1940s, when Ben returned from the war and bought Joseph's shares of the business. The business was sold to Dylex, who subsequently sold it to Grafton-Fraser in 2000. Joseph used the money he received from selling his share of the family business to invest in a television and movie production company (possibly Sony Screen Gems).
Joseph married Jean Lenore Samuels (born 25 February 1912). Joseph and Jean had three children, Richard "Dick" Howard, Peter, and a third child who was handicapped and institutionalized. After Joe and Jean's marriage ended, Joe married Claire Olsen and remained with her until his death. They had one son, Lex. Claire was a movie reviewer and television interviewer.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Joseph Dunkelman.
Name Access
Dunkelman, Joseph, 1911- (subject)
Subjects
Businesspeople
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 13
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
13
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Jan. 1953
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 11 x 8 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Edward Elisha Gelber (1903–1970) was born on 16 November 1903 in Toronto. His parents were Moses Gelber and Sophie Gelber. Eddie married Anna David (m. Gelber), who later became a prominent obstetrician. Eddie and Anna had three children, Edna, Lynn, and David. Eddie died in Jerusalem in 1970.
Eddie received his BA from the University of Toronto in 1925 and his MA from Columbia University in 1929. He was also a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he earned his master's degree in Hebrew literature. He was admitted to the Ontario bar, Osgoode Hall, in 1934 and the Palestine bar in 1937. A prominent communal worker, Eddie acted as president of the Zionist Council of Canada, president of the Hebrew Schools of Toronto, president of the Toronto Jewish Welfare Fund, and honourary vice-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress during his lifetime.
Name Access
Gelber, Edward E., 1903-1970
Subjects
Lawyers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Related Material
See Fonds 80, Series 1-1, Item 14 for portrait of Eddie's wife, Dr. Anna Gelber
See Fonds 36 (Edward E. Gelber fonds)
See MG6 E3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 14
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
14
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Feb. 1944
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 9 cm and 12 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Dr. Anna Gelber (née David) (1907-2007) was born in Palestine in 1907 and passed away on 20 November 2007. Anna received her doctor of science from Sorbonne Univeristy in Paris, France, and her doctor of medicine from the University of Toronto. An obstetrician, at one point she worked in the medical department of Toronto's Women's College Hospital. Anna was also a prominent communal worker, active as a member of the National Executive Board of the Canadian Hadassah.
Anna married Eddie Gelber, a prominent communal worker. They had three children, Edna, Lynn, and David. She and Eddie travelled significantly between Israel and Toronto during their marriage.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Dr. Anna Gelber.
Name Access
Gelber, Anna, 1907-2007 (subject)
Subjects
Physicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Related Material
See also Fonds 80, Series 1-1, Item 13 for portrait of Anna's husband, Mr. Eddie Gelber.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 16
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
16
Material Format
graphic material
Date
July 1953
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 11 x 8 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Ruth Godfrey (née Grossman) was the daughter of Rose Grossman and Moses Grossman. Ruth's siblings included Esther Grossman and Anne Grossman (m. Pescoe). The Grossman family left Galacia due to pogroms in 1921 and settled in Canada. Ruth married Bert Godfrey (b. 1 June 1908), son of Minnie Godfrey (née Reisman) and Solomon Godfrey. Bert became the president of S. Godfrey Co., a wool import and export company founded by Samuel Godfrey, and was the founding president of Beth Tzedec Synagogue. Ruth and Bert had two children, Corrine Leigh and Sheldon J.
An organization executive, Ruth acted as president of both the Scopus Chapter of Hadassah and of the UJA Service Council and an executive officer of fundraising for the Home for the Aged, the UJA, and the United Jewish Welfare Fund. She was also involved with the Federation of Women's Organizations and the Jewish Public Library in Toronto.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Mrs. Ruth Godfrey.
Subjects
Executives
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Related Material
See Fonds 37, series 1, file 2 for portraits of Ruth Godfrey at Negev Dinner.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 17
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
17
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Jan. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 11 x 8 cm, 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Sam Gotfrid (1907–2007) was born 20 October 1907 in Toronto. His parents were Louis and Fannie. Sam had 3 siblings: Nathan, Sadie (Berg) and Harold. Sam studied at the University of Toronto, receiving a BA in Political Science and Economics in 1928. He also graduated from Osgood Hall in 1931 and received his QC in 1955. Sam practiced law for nearly sixty years, including many years as part of Gotfrid, Noble & Dennis. He specialized in commercial law, real estate, and general corporation law. Sam was also heavily involved in communal work. He acted as a board member of the United Jewish Welfare Fund of Toronto and as a member executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress (Central Region).
He married Freda Birnhaum (m. Gotfrid). They had two children: Peter H. and Mona Ellen. Sam died in his home on 3 December 2007.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Sam Gotfrid.
Name Access
Gotfrid, Sam, 1907-2007 (subject)
Subjects
Lawyers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 18
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
18
Material Format
graphic material
Date
24 Apr. 1946
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 9 cm, 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Samuel Joseph Granatstein (1905–1979) was born on 20 April 1905 in Toronto. His parents were Fanny Yanover and Israel M. Granatstein. Samuel attended Upper Canada College before obtaining his BA from the University of Toronto in 1927. An industrialist, Samuel became the president of M. Granatstein and Son Ltd., which was founded in 1895 by his grandfather, Mendel Granatstein. A prominent communal worker, Sam was co-chair of the Bathurst Street JCC.
Sam married Frieda Rose (d. 2 September 1986) of Rochester, NY, whose mother was one of the founders of the American Hadassah. Frieda and Samuel had two children, Ruth Ann (Greisman) and Paul David. Samuel died on 11 March 1979.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Mr. Sam J. Granatstein.
Name Access
Granatstein, Samuel Joseph, 1905-1979 (subject)
Schwartz, Sylvia, 1914-1998 (creator)
Subjects
Industrialists
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 20
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
20
Material Format
graphic material
Date
15 June 1944
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 8 cm 13 x 18 cm
Admin History/Bio
Florence "Faigie" Rosichan (née Hutner) (1907–1991) was born on 16 February 1907 in the United States to parents Pauline Cooper and Herman Hutner. They had three other children: Arthur, Melba (m. Pollock) and Beulah (m. Abramson). Florence married Arthur Rosichan. They had one son: Richard. Florence died on 6 January 1991.
She received her BA in social work from the University of Toronto and her MA from Columbia University. She spent many years as the executive director of the United Jewish Welfare Fund in Toronto during the 1940s and 1950s.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Florence "Faigie" Hutner.
Notes
2 images on 1 negative.
Name Access
Hutner, Florence, 1907-1991 (subject)
Subjects
Executives
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Related Material
See accession 1992-6-4 for a video of Florence Hutner's memorial service.
See Fonds 28: 6: 104 for a portrait of Florence Hutner.
See accession 2001-6-5 for textual records.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 22
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
22
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Sept. 1945
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 11 x 8 cm, 13 x 10 cm.
Admin History/Bio
Joseph L. Kronick was born 30 September 1926. His parents were Samuel Kronick (d. 3 November 1962) and Gertrude Kronick (née Willinsky). Originally from Lithuania, Samuel immigrated to Canada in 1903. He founded the American Hat Company and was responsible for organizing Toronto's first union in the millnery trade. An agricultural settlement for Jewish refugees in Israel was established and named Kronick Colony in honour of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kronick. The couple had two sons, Joseph L. and Dr. Moses B. Kronick, and two daughters, Miriam Kronick (Mrs. B. Horowitz) and Leah Kronick (Mrs. David D. Cohen). Dr. Moses B. Kronick resided in Toronto, while both of the daughters moved to Los Angeles, California.
Joe and his wife, Doreen Kronick (née Pape), had three children: Noah, Sarah, and Adam. Joe was the owner and director of Camp White Pine, a children's summer camp he opened in 1956. The camp is located in the Haliburton Highlands outside of Toronto. Joe's son, Adam, took over as director of Camp White Pine in 1987. He has run the camp with his wife, Dana, as co-director since 1990. Joe Kronick died on 10 March 2019.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Joe Kronick.
Name Access
Kronick, Joseph, 1926-2019
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 30
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
30
Material Format
graphic material
Date
May 1944
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 8 cm 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Alvin Benjamin Rosenberg was born on 26 February 1925. His parents were Esther and Henry. He married Ileen Perlman. Alvin and Ileen had seven children: Ellen, Paul, David, Anne, Joan, Lily, and Beth.
Alvin attended the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall. He began his career as a barrister and solicitor, during which time he practised with the firm Rosenberg, Smith for more than thirty years. He later became a judge and served from 1983–1990 on the High Court of Justice. From 1990–1999, he served on the Ontario Court of Justice. In addition, Alvin was a member of the editorial board for Advocate's Quarterly, a publication for which he wrote a number of articles. He also co-authored Appellate Advocacy with Marvin J. Huberman in 1996. Rosenberg was also appointed for a short-term position with the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Law.
Active in his community, Alvin was involved with the United Jewish Appeal Campaign, the Baycrest Hospital, and the Jewish Home for the Aged. Alvin also served as the vice-president of the United Jewish Welfare Fund.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Alvin Rosenberg.
Name Access
Rosenberg, Alvin, 1925- (subject)
Subjects
Judges
Lawyers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 27
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
27
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Mar. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 8 cm, 13 x 10 cm.
Admin History/Bio
Irving Posluns is a member of the Posluns family. His mother was Sadie Posluns from Los Angeles. Irving married Shirley Carpman (m. Posluns). They had three children: Marie Helaine (b. 1951), Harold Lewis (b. 1952), and Randi Lynn (b. 1960).
He originally worked at the family's ladies wear factory and later in life became a commercial portrait photographer. His business, the Irving Posluns Portrait Studio, is located on Broadview Avenue in Toronto. Ryerson University's Irving A. Posluns Scholarship for portrait photography is named in his honour.
A history of the Poslaniec (Posluns) family can be found online at: http://www.posluns.com/
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Irving Posluns.
Subjects
Photographers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 32
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
32
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Aug. 1942
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 12 x 8 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Ben Sadowski (1894–1974) was born 5 April 1894 in Massey, Ontario. He was the son of Rose (d. 3 February 1946) and Henry Sadowski (d. 15 July 1950), who immigrated to Canada and settled in Massey, Ontario, in the 1880s. Henry and Rose opened the Sadowski General Store in Massey. Ben eventually moved to Toronto and married Pearl (née Vise). Ben and Pearl had one child, Yvonne, who received her MA in sociology from the University of Toronto and married Dr. L. S. Davis, MD. Ben died on 20 November 1974. Pearl died 30 August 1982.
Ben received a BA in mathematics and physics from the University of Toronto in 1918 and spent three years as a fellow in the department of mathematics at the university. He was president of both National Motors Limited and the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association of Canada during his career. During the Second World War, Ben served with the Vehicle Production Committee.
Ben was one of the founders and the first president of the United Jewish Welfare Fund of Toronto and a president of Jewish Family and Child Service Agency. An active communal leader, Ben received an MBE in 1946 for distinguished service to the family rehabilitation programme of Toronto and became the recipient of two coronation medals from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for outstanding communal endeavours. The UJA Federation's Ben Sadowski Award of Merit is named in his honour.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Ben Sadowski.
Name Access
Sadowski, Ben, 1894-1974
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 33
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
33
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Apr. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 11 x 8 cm and 12 x 10 cm
Admin History/Bio
Ida Siegel (née Lewis) (1885-1982) was born 14 February 1885 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally from Lithuania, her parents Samuel and Hannah Ruth (née Ticktin) Lewis immigrated to the United States in the mid-1880s with their two sons, Abe and Charles. Ida was the only Lewis child to be born in the United States. In 1894, Ida and her family moved to Toronto. Ida was educated in both Pittsburgh and Toronto public schools and attended the University of Toronto.
On 14 February 1905, Ida married Isidore Hirsch Siegel at the Elm Street Synagogue. They had 6 children: Rohama, Leah Gittel (Labovitz), David Isar, Sarah (Sairlee), Avrom Fichel, Rivka Hadassah.
An extremely active communal leader, Ida helped found the Daughters of Zion, the first ladies Zionist society in Canada, in 1899. She was also responsible for founding the Herzl Girls Club in 1904 and Hadassah in 1916. She was instrumental in the organization of the first free Jewish dispensary in Toronto, located on Elizabeth Street in the Ward. This eventually developed into Mount Sinai Hospital. Ida was also very active in womens peace movements and the Toronto Board of Education (elected to Board, 1930-36) and the Toronto Bureau of Jewish Education (honorary secretary). In 1917, Ida helped to organize a fundraising body for the Jewish community known as the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. This would later become the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Ida Siegel.
Name Access
Siegel, Ida, 1885-1982 (subject)
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Related Material
See Fonds 15 (Ida Lewis Siegel fonds).
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1; Item 11
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
1
Item
11
Material Format
graphic material
Date
June 1945
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 11 x 9 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Nancy Frankel (born ca. 1928) is the stepdaughter and daughter respectively of Leo and (Leola?) Frankel. Leo Frankel was the son of Morris Frankel and the nephew of Leo Frankel, who was the founder of Holy Blossom Temple. Nancy married Peter Theimer.
Scope and Content
The item is a portrait of Nancy Frankel at the age of seventeen.
Name Access
Frankel, Nancy, ca. 1928- (subject)
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent Jewish Torontonians series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
1
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1942-1953
Physical Description
74 photographs : b&w (37 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm or smaller.
Scope and Content
Series consists of negatives and proofs produced by Sylvia Schwartz in her portrait studio. The images depict prominent members of the Jewish community. They are formal portraits, all showing the head and upper body of the sitters.
There are thirty-seven portraits in total. They depict doctors, lawyers and business people, as well as individuals who were active in the community in leadership positions.
Subjects
Jews--Ontario--Toronto
Portraits
Arrangement
Records have been arranged alphabetically by last name at the item level.
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Jewish military portraits series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Jewish military portraits series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
2
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1942-1946
Physical Description
72 photographs : b&w (36 negatives) : 18 x 12 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
Series consists of negatives and proofs produced by Sylvia Schwartz in her studio. The images depict formal portraits of both male and female Jewish military personnel. While some images show just the head and upper body of the sitter, others capture the entire body in uniform.
There are thirty-seven portraits in total. Each portrait depicts a member of the Jewish community who served in the Second World War. Portraits feature images of members of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy and the Red Cross. In addition to this, there are three images of Canadian Jewish doctors who were members of the American military. Female military personnel in this series served as WRENs and in the Red Cross.
In image 34, the soldier is pictured with his wife and in image 20 the soldier is pictured with his bride. Records have been arranged alphabetically by last name at the item level.
Subjects
Canada--Armed Forces
Portraits
Physical Condition
One negative (image 26) has discoloured to a canary yellow shade; signifies that an anti-halation dye was not removed while processing; will not adversely affect the other negatives in the series.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Child portraits series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Child portraits series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
3
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1943-1953
Physical Description
80 photographs : b&w (40 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
As a portrait photographer, Sylvia Schwartz excelled at photographing children. Through the 1940s and 1950s she carved out a niche for herself, becoming well known in Toronto for specializing in this area. Because of her special relationship with children and the bond she was able to form with them, her child portraits display her most creative work.
Scope and Content
Series consists of negatives and proofs produced by Sylvia Schwartz in her portrait studio. Images depict children aged four months to twelve years old. They are all formal portraits, showing the children with a variety of props, poses and backdrops. Some depict children by themselves, while others are pictured with their siblings.
There are forty portraits total. For most images only the last name of the child is known.
Children from prominent familes include Barbara Raxlan and David Winters. Records have been arranged alphabetically by last name at the item level.
Subjects
Children
Portraits
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent entertainers series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of prominent entertainers series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
4
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1940-1955
Physical Description
38 photographs : b&w (19 negatives) : 18 x 12 cm or smaller.
Scope and Content
Series consists of negatives and proofs produced by Sylvia Schwartz in the studio. The images depict formal portraits of prominent American and Canadian entertainers from the 1940s and 50s. They chiefly consist of images of the head and upper body of the sitter. Two images show entertainers with their families, two include the entertainers with Sylvia's companions, Jewell Schwartz and Frances Gruber, while one depicts a sitter with his piano. There are 17 subjects in total, as multiple negatives of certain entertainers have been retained.
The most prominent entertainer included in the series is Duke Ellington. Other entertainers included in the series are Willie Byrant, Todd Duncan, Calvin Jackson, Isabelle Lucas, Phyllis Marshall, Herbert Mills (of the Mills Brothers), Libby Morris, Bert Niosi, Bennie Payne, Walter "Foots" Thomas, John Weinzweig, Portia White and Frank Shuster and Johnny Wayne of "Wayne and Shuster".
Most images were taken in Sylvia's Toronto studio, however two were taken at the Apollo Theatre in New York City. Despite the different location, these images are still formal portraits with plain backgrounds and do not feature any interior views of the Apollo.
Notes
All negatives have been scanned and entered into the database as item level descriptions
For Item 21, a portrait of Portia White, there is no negative. The proof has instead been used in scanning.
Subjects
Entertainers
Portraits
Related Material
Please note: Negatives of Paul Robeson, the American baritone and activist, can be found in Series 6 (European Visits and Travel). These negatives are informal photographs of Robeson in his hotel room or apartment with friends in London, U.K.
Arrangement
Series has been arranged into two sub-series. Sub-series 1 contains twenty negatives and Sub-series 2 contains their corresponding proofs. Each item number in Sub-series 1 corresponds with a matching item number in Sub-series 2. They have been arranged alphabetically by last name in each sub-series.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Lifecycle events series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Lifecycle events series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
7
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1943-1958
Physical Description
52 photographs : b&w (26 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
Series consists of negatives and proofs produced by Sylvia Schwartz in her portrait studio. The images depict formal portraits of individuals to mark important lifecycle events. These events include bat mitzvahs, bar mitzvahs, graduations and weddings.
There are twenty-six portraits in total. They depict two children in their bat mitzvah robes, young adults in their graduation gowns, and brides in their wedding dresses both with and without their grooms.
Two of the graduation portraits feature Sylvia's family: one of Jewell Schwartz, her cousin, and one of Herbert Solway, her nephew. For the other indivduals featured in this series, either their full name or only their last name is known.
Subjects
Rites and ceremonies
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
5
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1936-[ca.1960]
Physical Description
107 photographs : b&w and col. (88 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
Sylvia Schwartz's parents were Joseph and Gertrude Schwartz. She had three sisters; Fanny, Helen and Ruth. Fanny married Alex Solway and had two children, Carol and Herbert. Helen married Dr. Isaac Shleser, a doctor of internal medicine, and had two daughters, Jill and Jan. Sylvia was a part of a large extended family that remained close throughout her life as they shared many similar interests and a family cottage in Bobcaygeon.
Many members of her family were and are prominent individuals of the Jewish community in Toronto. Faye Halbert was Sylvia's cousin on her mother's side whose children, Ralph and Gerald, went on to become prominent doctors and members of the Jewish community. Jack Schwartz, Sylvia's uncle, was also in the fur business and was married to Minnie Schwartz. Their daughter was Jewell, who owned an art gallery in Yorkville for many years.
Other related families include the Haussers and the Wintrobs.
Scope and Content
This series consists of negatives and proofs created by Sylvia Schwartz of members of her family. Images are primarily of the Schwartz, Solway, Shlesser and Halbert families. Types of photographs include formal portraits in the studio and home and informal and candid portraits of the family at leisure and at events.
This series has been divided into three sub-series. Sub-series 1 contains formal portraits, Sub-series 2 contains images of the family at recreation and Sub-series 3 contains images of the family at events.
Sub-series 1 consists of negatives and proofs of formal portraits done by Sylvia of her immediate family. They were taken both in her studio and in her family home. Those done in the home date from an earlier time. Generally, they are images of the head and upper body of the sitter. Some images feature full body shots of the sitter and some interior views of the Schwartz family home. Those photographed include Gerald, Ralph and Rhoda Halbert, Gertrude, Joseph, Ruth, Jack and Jewell Schwartz, Isaac, Jill and Jan Shleser, and Fanny, Alex, Herbert, Carol and Gary Solway. There are multiple portraits of Ruth Schwartz, the majority of them showcasing Sylvia's early experimentation with portraiture. There are also six self-portraits of Sylvia.
Sub-series 2 consists of thirty-nine negatives and five prints taken by Sylvia Schwartz of the family at recreation. The majority of the images are of the family relaxing at their cottage in Bobcaygeon. There is one print of Herbert Solway reading the newspaper with his son Gary that may or may not have been taken at the cottage. Images consist of photographs of the family on the lawn, in the cottage and at the lake. There are both candid and staged photographs. Family members featured include Gertrude, Joseph, Ruth, Jack and Jewell Schwartz, Helen, Isaac, Jill and Jan Shleser, Fanny, Alex, Herbert, Carol and Gary Solway. Also pictured are members of the Hausser, Halbert and Wintrob families. Friends of the family also appear in these images, such as, Judith Wolfson, Frances and David Gruber and David Rotenberg and his brothers. Sylvia Schwartz is in some images. There is one print that is a view of the cottage from the lake.
Sub-series 3 consists of thirty-one negatives taken by Sylvia Schwartz of family related events that she attended. These include a Pidyon Ha'Ben ceremony for Gary Solway, the first born son of Herbert, Sylvia's nephew and an opening at the Park Plaza Hotel. Images of the Pidyon Ha'Ben include Gertrude, Joseph, Ruth, Jack, Minnie and Jewell Schwartz, Helen, Jill and Jan Shleser, and Fanny, Alex, Herbert, Elaine and Carol Solway. Also included is David Rotenberg who acted as the Kohen at the ceremony. Images from the Park Plaza Hotel include views of the ballroom, the entertainers and family members. The Wintrob, Halbert and Yolles families are also present. Sylvia Schwartz is in two images.
Subjects
Families
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European visits and events series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European visits and events series
Level
Series
Fonds
80
Series
6
Material Format
graphic material
Date
May 1959-August 1959
Physical Description
40 photographs : b&w and col. (40 negatives) ; 14 x 7 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
This series consists of negatives created by Sylvia Schwartz during a trip to Europe in 1959. Series contains three files that include images of Paul Robeson in his apartment in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom, the World Festival of Youth and Students in Vienna, Austria and a taping of the Ed Sullivan Show in Moscow, USSR. Series has been arranged into files for each event. It is organized chronologically by month.
Subjects
Voyages and travels
Places
Europe
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Portraits sub-series
Level
Sub-series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 5-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Portraits sub-series
Level
Sub-series
Fonds
80
Series
5-1
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1936-1958
Physical Description
43 photographs : b&w (28 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of negatives and proofs of portraits taken by Sylvia Schwartz. Portraits were taken both in her studio and in her family home. Images taken in earlier years show the full body of the sitter in the interior of the family home. Later images are studio portraits, showing just the head and upper body of the subject.
The earliest portraits taken are of Ruth Schwartz, Sylvia's sister. They are interesting in their use of props and lighting. Other early portraits are of Gertrude and Joseph Schwartz and Fanny Solway (née Schwartz).
Other portraits include images of Gerald, Ralph and Rhoda Halbert (the children of Sylvia's cousin Faye Halbert), Jack and Jewell Schwartz (her uncle and cousin), Isaac, Jill and Jan Shleser (her brother-in-law and nieces) and Alex, Carol and Herbert Solway (her brother-in-law, niece and nephew).
Also included in the sub-series are three self-portraits of Sylvia each taken in a different session.
Subjects
Portraits
Arrangement
Every negative does not have a corresponding print.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Recreation sub-series
Level
Sub-series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 5-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Recreation sub-series
Level
Sub-series
Fonds
80
Series
5-2
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1941-[ca.1960]
Physical Description
40 photographs : b&w and col. (36 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm and smaller
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of thirty-six negatives and four prints taken by Sylvia Schwartz of the family at leisure. It is made up of seven files. The majority of the images are of the family relaxing at their cottage in Bobcaygeon. Images consist of photographs of the family on the lawn, in the cottage and on the lake. There are both candid and staged photographs.
Images from the cottage consist of staged family photographs on the lawn from 1941, candid and staged photographs from ca. 1955 and images of little girls (Jan Shleser and Judith Wolfson) playing outside from ca. 1955.
Family members featured include Gertrude, Joseph, Ruth, Jack and Jewell Schwartz, Helen, Isaac, Jill and Jan Shleser and Fanny, Alex, Herbert, Carol and Gary Solway. As well as, the Hausser, Halbert and Wintrob families. Family friends are also in the images. Individuals include Judith Wolfson, Frances and David Gruber and David Rotenberg and his brothers. Sylvia Schwartz is in some images.
There is one print that is a view of the cottage from the lake and one print of Herbert Solway reading the newspaper in bed with his son Gary that may or may not have been taken at the cottage. Sub-series is arranged at the file level. Files are organized chronologically by date.
Subjects
Recreation
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Events sub-series
Level
Sub-series
ID
Fonds 80; Series 5-3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Events sub-series
Level
Sub-series
Fonds
80
Series
5-3
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1946-1957
Physical Description
24 photographs : b&w (24 negatives) ; 12.5 x 10 cm and smaller
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of two files. The two events are an opening at the Park Plaza Hotel and a Pidyon Ha'Ben ceremony for Herbert Solway's son Gary.
Images from the Park Plaza Hotel consist of views of the ballroom, the entertainers, and friends and family enjoying the party. Family members identified are from the Schwartz, Halbert and Wintrob families. Non-family members identified are from the Yolles and Rotenberg families. There are 12 negatives in this file.
Images from file 2 consist of partygoers for the Pidyon Ha'Ben ceremony in Alex Solway's apartment. Those in attendance were from the Schwartz, Shleser, Solway and Rotenberg families. There are 12 negatives in this file.
Name Access
Schwartz, Sylvia, 1914-1998 (creator)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European Visits and Events series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 80; Series 6; File 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European Visits and Events series
Level
File
Fonds
80
Series
6
File
1
Material Format
graphic material
Date
May 1959
Physical Description
10 photographs : b&w and col. (10 negatives) ; 6 x 6 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson was born April 9, 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey. He was an internationally renowned American bass-baritone concert singer, actor of film and stage, All-American and professional athlete, writer, multi-lingual orator, scholar and lawyer who was also noted for his wide-ranging social justice activism. Robeson was a trade unionist, peace activist, Phi Beta Kappa Society laureate, and a recipient of the Spingarn Medal and Stalin Peace Prize. Robeson achieved worldwide fame during his life for his artistic accomplishments, and his outspoken, radical beliefs which largely clashed with the Jim Crow climate of the pre-civil rights United States. He became a prime target of the right during the McCarthyist era.
Robeson was the first major concert star to popularize the performance of Negro spirituals and was the first black actor of the 20th century to portray Shakespeare's Othello on Broadway. He originated the role of Joe in Show Boat in 1928 and appeared in 11 films.
At the height of his fame, Paul Robeson chose to become a primarily political artist, speaking out against fascism and racism in the US and abroad as the United States government and many Western European powers failed after World War II to end racial segregation and guarantee civil rights for people of colour. His passport was revoked from 1950 to 1958 under the McCarran Act and he was under surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency and by the British MI5 for well over three decades until his death.
In 1959, after his passport was reinstated, Robeson was asked to reprise his role in Othello on the stage in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the United Kingdom. The production was directed by Tony Richardson and despite some criticism, Robeson performance was praised unanimously. However, this production proved to be Robeson's last appearance on the stage. During this time, he also attended speaking engagements and performed concerts throughout Europe and the USSR.
Despite persecution and limited activity resulting from ailing health in his later years, Paul Robeson remained, throughout his life, committed to socialism and anti-colonialism as a means to world peace and was unapologetic about his political views. He died in 1976 in Philadelphia, PA at the age of 77.
Scope and Content
Photographs included in this file consist of images taken of Paul Robeson and friends in 1959. Robeson was 62 at the time and appearing in Othello. Images were taken in the period immediately following the ban of his passport.
Images consist of candid and relaxed photographs taken of Robeson and his companions in Robeson's apartment in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK.
Notes
Paul Robeson was close friends with Sylvia Schwartz because of their similar political views and outspoken activism. Whenever he was in Toronto for a concert or speaking engagement he stayed with Sylvia.
Name Access
Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976
Places
England
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European Visits and Events series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 80; Series 6; File 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European Visits and Events series
Level
File
Fonds
80
Series
6
File
2
Material Format
graphic material
Date
July 1959
Physical Description
17 photographs : b&w (17 negatives) ; 6 x 6 cm
Admin History/Bio
The World Festival of Youth and Students is a left-wing/socialist youth festival that has been held every two years since 1947. The festival in Vienna was the seventh of its kind since the war and attracted 18,000 young people from 112 countries. It was held over the period of two weeks in July 1959. The festival was organized by the National Federation of Labour Youth with delegations organized by the Young Communist League of Canada. Canada sent 150 delegates to the festival.
Sylvia probably travelled there to photograph the festival as it advocated and supported ideas about socialism, equality and world peace, all of which she shared. Her friend, Paul Robeson, who she was visiting in England in the months prior to the festival also performed and spoke at the event.
Scope and Content
File consists of images of the World Festival of Youth and Students in Vienna, Austria. Images include views of Vienna, the Prater festival grounds and various individuals from the opening parade, as well as an image of Ella Fitzgerald performing.
Name Access
World Festival of Youth and Students for Peace and Friendship (7th : 1959 : Vienna, Austria)
Subjects
Festivals
Students
Youth
Places
Austria
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European Visits and Events series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 80; Series 6; File 3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
European Visits and Events series
Level
File
Fonds
80
Series
6
File
3
Material Format
graphic material
Date
August 1959
Physical Description
12 photographs : b&w (12 negatives) ; 14 x 6 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
In August 1959, the Ed Sullivan show travelled to the USSR and taped a show in Moscow titled, "Invitation to Moscow". It aired September 27, 1959. Sylvia Schwartz photographed the show as she was in Moscow at the time.
Acts that were featured at the show included Rise Stevens (a mezzo-soprano opera singer), the Barry Sisters (vocal group), Margaret Tynes (opera singer), Marge and Gower Champion (dancers), Dick Contino (accordian player) and Hubert Castle (tight-wire aerialist).
Scope and Content
File consists of images taken during the taping of the show. Images are of Ed Sullivan with the various acts or of the performers by themselves on stage. Images were taken during the performances.
Name Access
Ed Sullivan show (Television program)
Subjects
Entertainers
Places
Russia
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
1
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Feb. 1940
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 9 cm and 11 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Willie Bryant (b. August 30, 1908) was an American jazz bandleader, vocalist, and disc jockey.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bryant grew up in Chicago. His first job in entertainment was dancing in the Whitman Sisters Show in 1926. He worked in various vaudeville productions for the next several years and in 1934 he appeared in the show Chocolate Revue with Bessie Smith.
In 1934, he put together his first big band, which at times included Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, Johnny Russell, Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Eddie Durham, Ram Ramirez, and Taft Jordan. They recorded six times between 1935 and 1938 with Bryant singing on 18 of the 26 sides recorded.
Once his ensemble disbanded, Bryant worked in acting and disc jockeying. He recorded R&B in 1945 and led another big band between 1946 and 1948. During September and October 1949, he hosted Uptown Jubilee, a short-lived all-black variety show on CBS-TV . The show aired on Tuesday nights.
In the 1950s he was the emcee at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. He moved to California later in the 1950s and died of a heart attack in Los Angeles in February 9, 1964.
Scope and Content
This is a portrait of Willie Bryant. The photograph was taken at the Apollo Theatre in New York City.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Places
New York (N.Y.).
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
4
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Nov. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 18 x 13 cm and 13 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (b. April 29, 1899) was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader.
A prominent figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, film scores, popular, and classical. His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible songbook, scoring for movies, and world tours.
Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category". These included many of the musicians who were members of his orchestra, some of whom are considered among the best in jazz in their own right, but it was Ellington who melded them into one of the most well-known jazz orchestral units in the history of jazz.
Ellington recorded for many American record companies, and appeared in several films.
Ellington led his band from 1923 until his death in 1974.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Duke Ellington.
Name Access
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
5
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Nov. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 18 x 13 cm and 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (b. April 29, 1899) was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader.
A prominent figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, film scores, popular, and classical. His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible songbook, scoring for movies, and world tours.
Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category". These included many of the musicians who were members of his orchestra, some of whom are considered among the best in jazz in their own right, but it was Ellington who melded them into one of the most well-known jazz orchestral units in the history of jazz.
Ellington recorded for many American record companies, and appeared in several films.
Ellington led his band from 1923 until his death in 1974.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Duke Ellington.
Name Access
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
2
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Feb. 1940
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 9 x 13 cm
Admin History/Bio
Willie Bryant (b. August 30, 1908) was an American jazz bandleader, vocalist, and disc jockey.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bryant grew up in Chicago. His first job in entertainment was dancing in the Whitman Sisters Show in 1926. He worked in various vaudeville productions for the next several years and in 1934 he appeared in the show Chocolate Revue with Bessie Smith.
In 1934, he put together his first big band, which at times included Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, Johnny Russell, Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Eddie Durham, Ram Ramirez, and Taft Jordan. They recorded six times between 1935 and 1938 with Bryant singing on 18 of the 26 sides recorded.
Once his ensemble disbanded, Bryant worked in acting and disc jockeying. He recorded R&B in 1945 and led another big band between 1946 and 1948. During September and October 1949, he hosted Uptown Jubilee, a short-lived all-black variety show on CBS-TV . The show aired on Tuesday nights.
In the 1950s he was the emcee at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. He moved to California later in the 1950s and died of a heart attack in Los Angeles in February 9th,1964.
Scope and Content
Item is a portrait of Willie Bryant with two companions of Sylvia Schwartz: Jewell Schwartz and Frances Gruber. The photograph was taken at the Apollo Theatre in New York City.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Places
New York (N.Y.).
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
6
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Nov. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 18 x 13 cm and 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (b. April 29, 1899) was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader.
A prominent figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, film scores, popular, and classical. His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible songbook, scoring for movies, and world tours.
Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category". These included many of the musicians who were members of his orchestra, some of whom are considered among the best in jazz in their own right, but it was Ellington who melded them into one of the most well-known jazz orchestral units in the history of jazz.
Ellington recorded for many American record companies, and appeared in several films.
Ellington led his band from 1923 until his death in 1974.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Duke Ellington.
Name Access
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
3
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Mar. 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 11 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Robert Todd Duncan (b. February 12, 1903) was an American baritone opera singer and actor.
Todd Duncan was born in Danville, Kentucky in 1903. He obtained his musical training at Butler University in Indianapolis with a B.A. in music followed by an M.A. from Columbia University Teachers College.
In 1933, Duncan debuted in Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana at the Mecca Temple in New York with the Aeolian Opera, a black opera company.
Duncan was George Gershwin's personal choice as the first performer of the role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess in 1935 and played the role more than 1,800 times. He led the cast during the Washington run of Porgy and Bess at the National Theatre in 1936, a staging which protested the theatre's policy of segregation. Duncan stated that he, "would never play in a theater which barred him from purchasing tickets to certain seats because of his race." Eventually management would give into the demands and allow for the first integrated performance at National Theatre. Duncan was also the first performer for the role of Stephen Kumalo in Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars.
In 1945, he became the first African American to sing with a major opera company, and the first black person to sing in an opera with an otherwise white cast, when he performed the role of Tonio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with the New York City Opera. In the same year he sang the role of Escamillo, the bullfighter, in Bizet's Carmen. In 1955, Duncan was the first to record Unchained Melody, a popular song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. The recording was made for the soundtrack of the obscure prison film Unchained. Following Duncan's version, the song went on to become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
Duncan taught voice at Howard University in Washington, D.C. for more than fifty years. While teaching at Howard, he continued touring as a soloist with pianists William Duncan Allen and George Malloy. He had a very successful career as a concert singer with over 2,000 performances in 56 countries. He retired from Howard and opened his own voice studio teaching privately and giving periodic recitals.
He died of a heart ailment at his home in Washington, D.C., in 1998.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Todd Duncan.
Notes
This negative has two images on it.
Subjects
Actors
Singers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
7
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Dec. 1952
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 11 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Calvin Jackson (May 26, 1919, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader.
Jackson played piano from childhood and studied at Juilliard and New York University. Early in his career he worked with with Frankie Fairfax, then moved to Hollywood from 1943-47 as an assistant director of music for MGM. In 1947 he recorded with Phil Moore and also under his own name as a solo pianist for Discovery Records. He played with Mildred Bailey in New York in 1948, then moved to Toronto in 1950. His quartet appeared regularly at the Park Plaza Hotel, and he hosted a weekly program featuring jazz music on Canadian television. Over the course of the 1950s and early 1960s he released several LPs for labels such as Columbia Records.
In 1957 he returned to Los Angeles, where he continued to work as a composer for film and television. He also arranged for Ray Charles at one point, receiving an arrangement and co-producer credit for Charles' 1964 release "Sweet and Sour Tears".
By the early 1980s, he had moved to San Diego County, where he lived in semi-retirement in the Point Loma neighborhood, giving music lessons on a piano in his apartment.
Calvin Jackson died in Encinitas, California, in 1985.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Calvin Jackson.
Notes
This negative has two imags on it.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
8
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Sept. 1952
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 9 cm and 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Isabelle Harriet Lucas (b. 3 December 1927) was a Canadian-born actress and singer who gained prominence in Britain after achieving some notoriety in Canada.
Lucas was born in Toronto to a chef from Barbados who worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
After performing in amateur productions in Toronto, Isabelle Lucas moved to London in 1954. She made her first West End appearance in the show The Jazz Train in 1955. She also performed in Walk a Crooked Mile and Funny Girl. In addition to the theatre, she appeared in film and television roles during the 1950s and 1960s.
Lucas' first major television role was in The Fosters, playing the role of Pearl Foster. Since then she appeared in several minor British dramas and films. In 1985 she appeared in EastEnders. At the end of the 1980s she joined the long-running BBC Schools' show You and Me, and remained with it as a presenter until it finished in 1992. Lucas made several guest appearances in May to December from 1989 to 1992 and 1989 appeared as Gertrude in the CBBC series Bluebirds.
Lucas died in 1997 after a heart attack.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Isabelle Lucas.
Name Access
Lucas, Isabelle, 1927-1997
Subjects
Actors
Singers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 9
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
9
Material Format
graphic material
Date
June 1946
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 11 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Phyllis Marshall (b. Barrie, ON, 4 Nov 1921) was a Canadian singer and actress. She studied piano as a child and was known as a track athlete, but made her debut at 15 as a singer on radio station CRCT. She then performed with Jack Arthur and on CBC radio with Percy Faith.
Her first nightclub engagement was at Toronto's Silver Slipper, September 1938, with the Canadian Ambassadors. Encouraged by the CBC announcer Byng Whitteker to sing blues and jazz, she performed during the 1940s with various Toronto dance bands, including an 18-month stint at Toronto's Park Plaza Hotel 1944-46, with her own trio, and on tour 1947-8 in the USA with the Cab Calloway Orchestra.
A contemporary of Eleanor Collins among early black performers on the CBC, Marshall appeared 1949-52 on radio's 'Blues for Friday' (later 'Starlight Moods') and starred on TV's 'The Big Revue' 1952-4, 'Cross-Canada Hit Parade' 1956-9, and other shows. She performed with Canadian jazz notables including Oscar Peterson and Bert Niosi, and also starred in the Canadian National Exhibition grandstand show. She performed in England on BBC TV in 1959 (The Phyllis Marshall Special) and again in 1964 in nightclubs. Her LP That Girl (1964, Cap FS-614), recorded in the company of US jazz stars Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate, captures Marshall's light, secure singing style and received a Juno Award as 'good music product LP'. Marshall had earlier recorded for Monogram in 1949.
Her second career, as an actress, began in 1956 at Toronto's Crest Theatre and included dramatic and musical roles in stage, radio, and TV productions such as the revue Cindy-Ella (1964), CBC radio's 'The Amen Corner' (1970), and CBS-CTV's Night Heat in the mid-1980s. She continued to sing on occasion - eg, at the ACTRA Awards in 1977, and for Freedom Fest (Harbourfront) in 1988.
Marshall is remembered as one of Canadian television's earliest stars, and as a pioneer among black Canadian performers.
She died in Toronto in 1996.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Phyllis Marshall.
Notes
This negative has two images on it.
Subjects
Actors
Black Canadians
Singers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Related Material
Images of her performing at the Park Plaza Hotel in 1946 are included in Series 5, Sub-series 4, File 1 of this fonds.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 10
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
10
Material Format
graphic material
Date
June 1952
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 12 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Herbert Mills (b. April 2, 1912, Piqua, Ohio) belonged to the Mills Brothers, an American jazz and pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records.
Among their many achievements, the Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to have a network show on radio in 1930.
In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience: King George V and Queen Mary.
After two of his borthers died. Herbert Mills continued to perform with his remaining living brother until his death in 1989 and was survived by his second wife Dorothy.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Herbert Mills with his wife Dorothy.
Name Access
Mills Brothers
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 11
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
11
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Dec. 1952
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 11 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Libby Morris (born 1930 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian comic actress and clown famous for her facial contortions and fast talking. She appeared in several BBC radio shows of the 1950s and moved into TV and film from the 1960s onwards.
She created her own one-woman show, which has played all over the world including off-Broadway and the West End. She has recorded several albums. In America she has appeared in cabaret in New York and Chicago, and has been a guest on various television shows including: The Johnny Carson Tonight Show, Merv Griffin, Jack Parr, and Art Linkletter.
She moved to London, England in the late 1950s, where she starred in her own show and became a successful actress where she is still working today.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Libby Morris.
Notes
This negative has two images on it.
Subjects
Actors
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 12
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
12
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Feb. 1944
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 10 cm and 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Bert Niosi (b. London, Ontario, February 10, 1909) was a Canadian bandleader, clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and arranger, known as "Canada's King of Swing".
He began studying flute and saxophone at age nine with Pasquale Venuta in London, Ont, and for a time in his teens played with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians in Cleveland. He then toured on the Loew's vaudeville circuit with his own band, the McPhillips Buescher Boys' Orchestra, which included his brother Joe (bassist, b London, Ont, 26 May 1906, d Toronto 14 May 1977), Tony Briglia (drummer, later a founding member of the Casa Loma Orchestra), and Hugo D'Ippolito (pianist, later a member of the Royal Canadians).
In 1931 Niosi formed a nine-piece band to play at the Embassy Club in Toronto. In 1932 he expanded the band and moved to the Palais Royale dance hall where, in an 18-year residence, he became an institution in Canadian pop music. The band was heard nationally on CBC broadcasts and toured Canada in 1945 and 1946. It included Niosi's brother Johnnie (drummer, b London, Ont, 26 Sep 1914, d Toronto 21 Nov 1965).
Niosi next embarked on a career with the CBC, first as a member 1952-9 of the Happy Gang, and then as music director of the TV series 'Four for the Show,' 'Cross-Canada Hit Parade,' and, 1965-76, 'The Tommy Hunter Show'. He continued to lead a dance band on occasion and returned to the Palais Royale for appearances as late as 1979.
A versatile musician, Niosi was proficient on trumpet and trombone as well as with the alto saxophone and clarinet; accompanied by his brothers he played all four instruments on a CBC TV show ca 1957. On an earlier occasion (1950) he played Mozart's Clarinet Quintet with the Solway String Quartet for CBC radio.
Niosi's recordings included several 78s from the 1940s with a jazz sextet for RCA Victor and Musicana, and one with his orchestra for Zephyr. He also made an LP as leader of the Jack Kane Band (1963, CTL CTLS-5036) and others as a soloist with the Albert Pratz Orchestra (RCI 173 and 174) and with the Johnny Burt Strings (1964, CTL CTLS-5044). His compositions have been recorded by Lucio Agostini and by the pianist Alexander 'Ragtime' Read.
Niosi died in 1987 in Mississauga.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Bert Niosi.
Name Access
Niosi, Bert, 1909-1987
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 13
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
13
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Oct. 1941
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 8 x 14 cm
Admin History/Bio
Bennie Payne (b. 18 June, 1907, Philadelphia, PA) was a pianist and arranger. He played with the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Chu Berry, and Fats Waller, but his longest collaboration was with the lounge singer Billy Daniels; during the 1950s, they were among the first African-American entertainers to appear on national television. In 1964, Payne appeared on Broadway in a revival of "Golden Boy" with Daniels and Sammy Davis, Jr.
He is best known as the pianist in Cab Calloway's band.
Payne died in 1986 in Los Angeles, CA.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Bennie Payne with two companions of Sylvia Schwartz: Jewell Schwartz and Frances Gruber.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 14
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
14
Material Format
graphic material
Date
June 1951
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 10 cm and 11 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Bennie Payne (b. 18 June, 1907, Philadelphia, PA) was a pianist and arranger. He played with the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Chu Berry, and Fats Waller, but his longest collaboration was with the lounge singer Billy Daniels; during the 1950s, they were among the first African-American entertainers to appear on national television. In 1964, Payne appeared on Broadway in a revival of "Golden Boy" with Daniels and Sammy Davis, Jr.
He is best known as the pianist in Cab Calloway's band.
Payne died in 1986 in Los Angeles, CA.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Bennie Payne.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 15
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
15
Material Format
graphic material
Date
June 1951
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm
Admin History/Bio
Bennie Payne (b. 18 June, 1907, Philadelphia, PA) was a pianist and arranger. He played with the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Chu Berry, and Fats Waller, but his longest collaboration was with the lounge singer Billy Daniels; during the 1950s, they were among the first African-American entertainers to appear on national television. In 1964, Payne appeared on Broadway in a revival of "Golden Boy" with Daniels and Sammy Davis, Jr.
He is best known as the pianist in Cab Calloway's band.
Payne died in 1986 in Los Angeles, CA.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Bennie Payne at his piano.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 16
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
16
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Oct. 1951
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 11 x 15 cm
Admin History/Bio
Frank Shuster (b. September 5, 1916, Toronto, ON) was a Canadian comedian best known as a member of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster (with Johnny Wayne).
Wayne and Shuster met at Harbord Collegiate in Toronto, where they performed in annual revues. After receiving BAs in English from the University of Toronto, they were both studying for their masters when WWII intervened. After enlisting in the infantry, they were soon reunited, writing and performing for The Army Show.
Following the war, they returned to Canada and worked together on radio (by 1946 they had their own show on CBC) and later on television. In 1950 they began appearing as guests on various American TV programs, including a record sixty-seven performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
He was married to Ruth Shuster and had two children: Rosie and Steve. Rosie Shuster is a comedy writer for Saturday Night Live and other television programs, and former wife of Lorne Michaels. Steve Shuster is also in the entertainment industry.
In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and died in 2002 in Toronto.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Frank Shuster with his wife, Ruth, and his two children, Rosie and Steve.
Name Access
Shuster, Frank 1916-2002
Subjects
Comedians
Families
Portraits, Group
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 18
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
18
Material Format
graphic material
Date
May 1943
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 9 cm and 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Johnny Wayne (b. Louis Weingarten, May 28, 1918) was a Canadian comedian best known as a member of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster (with Frank Shuster).
Wayne was the son of a successful clothing manufacturer who spoke several languages and the eldest of seven children.
Wayne and Shuster met at Harbord Collegiate, Toronto, where they performed in annual revues. After receiving BAs in English from the University of Toronto, they were both studying for their masters when WWII intervened. After enlisting in the infantry, they were soon reunited, writing and performing for The Army Show.
Following the war, they returned to Canada and worked together on radio (by 1946 they had their own show on CBC) and later on television. In 1950 they began appearing as guests on various American TV programs, including a record sixty-seven performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
Johnny Wayne died in 1990 of brain cancer.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Johnny Wayne.
Name Access
Wayne, Johnny, 1918-1990
Subjects
Comedians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 17
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
17
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Oct. 1941
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm and 12 x 9 cm
Admin History/Bio
Walter 'Foots' Thomas (b.1907, Muskogee, Oklahoma) was a saxophonist and arranger in Cab Calloway's orchestra. He moved to New York City in 1927, and played for a time with Jelly Roll Morton. He then joined the Missourians in 1929, just before Calloway took it over.
Since the 1940s, he lived in Englewood, New Jersey. He died on August 26, 1981 as a result of cancer.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Walter "Foots" Thomas.
Notes
This negative has two images on it.
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 19
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
19
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Nov. 1945
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 10 cm and 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
John (Jacob) Weinzweig (b. March 11, 1913) was a Canadian composer of classical music.
Born in Toronto, Weinzweig went to Harbord Collegiate Institute, and studied music at the University of Toronto. In 1937, he left for the United States to study under Bernard Rogers. During the Second World War, he began composing film music, and in 1952 he became a professor at the University of Toronto. In the previous year he had co-founded the Canadian League of Composers, and he was actively involved in several other organisations representing musicians and composers.
In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1988, he was awarded the Order of Ontario.
Weinzweig died in 2006.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of John Weinzweig.
Notes
This negative has two images on it.
Name Access
Weinzweig, John, 1913-2006
Subjects
Musicians
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Physical Condition
Negative is bent as if it has been rolled around something for a long period of time. Emulsion is still intact and not cracked as a result of the bending.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 80; Series 4; Item 20
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Portraits of Prominent Entertainers series
Level
Item
Fonds
80
Series
4
Item
20
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Mar. 1955
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 12 x 8 cm
Admin History/Bio
Portia May White (b. June 24, 1911), was a singer who achieved international fame because of her voice and stage presence. As a Black Canadian, her popularity helped to open previously closed doors for talented blacks who followed.
Portia White was born in the town of Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Reverend William Andrew White and Izie Dora White,and was the third child in a family of 13. She made her musical debut at the age of six in her father's church choir. At the age of 17, while she was teaching school in Lucasville just outside of Halifax, she received her first break, winning a silver cup in the Nova Scotia Music Festival. From this experience, she qualified and received a scholarship from the Halifax Ladies Music Club, so she could attend the Halifax Conservatory of Music.
One of the great contralto vocalists in the history of Canadian classical music, Portia made her debut on the national stage in Toronto in 1941. By 1944 she had made her international debut in New York City and later toured the world. When a rasp in her voice appeared, it forced her to retire. She settled in Toronto and taught some of Canada’s foremost pop singers of the day.
Portia White was asked to perform for Queen Elizabeth II, at the opening of the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 1964. This was to be one of her last major concerts.
Her brother Bill was the first Canadian of African heritage to run for political office in Canada, standing as a candidate for the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in the 1949 election, and her brother Jack was a noted Canadian labour union leader. In addition to Bill's children, politician Sheila White and folk musician Chris White, Portia White was also the aunt of Senator Donald Oliver and playwright George Elliott Clarke.
Also of note was her youngest brother, R. Lorne White, who was on the national television show, Singalong Jubilee which launched the career of Anne Murray.
Portia White has been declared "a person of national historic significance" by the Government of Canada, and she was featured in a special issue of Millennium postage stamps celebrating Canadian achievement.
She died in 1968.
Scope and Content
This item is a portrait of Portia White.
Notes
There is no related negative for this proof
Name Access
White, Portia, 1911-1968
Subjects
Black Canadians
Singers
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Recreation sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 80; Series 5-2; File 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Recreation sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
80
Series
5-2
File
1
Material Format
graphic material
Date
July 1941
Physical Description
11 photographs : b&w (9 negatives) ; 18 x 12 cm
Scope and Content
File consists of 9 negatives and 2 proofs taken at the Schwartz family cottage at Bobcaygeon in July, 1941. Images are informal portraits of family and friends taken on the lawn of the cottage.
Those pictured include Helen Shleser (née Schwartz), Ruth Schwartz, Fanny Solway (née Schwartz), Joseph Schwartz, Gertrude Schwartz, Carol Solway, Sylvia Schwartz, Herbert Solway, David Rotenberg and his brothers, Isaac Shleser and Leonard Hausser
Notes
David Rotenberg pictured in Image 3 went on to become a Member of Parliament for the Conservative party.
Subjects
Cottages
Places
Bobcaygeon (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Recreation sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 80; Series 5-2; File 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sylvia Schwartz fonds
Family series
Recreation sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
80
Series
5-2
File
2
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca.1945]
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w
Scope and Content
File consists of one print that features the Schwartz family cottage at Bobcaygeon. It is a view from the lake of the cottage and surrounding land.
Subjects
Cottages
Places
Bobcaygeon (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions