Part Of

Benjamin Brown fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

49

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1902-1949

Physical Description

ca. 1500 architectural and technical drawings

6 photographs : b&w ; 38 x 30 cm or smaller

16 cm of textual records

Admin History/Bio

Benjamin Brown (ca. 1888-1974) was the first practicing Jewish architect in Toronto. Born in what is now Lithuania, he arrived in Toronto at an early age and soon after, quit school to take a job in a garment manufacturing factory to help out his impoverished family. Not finding this career to his liking, Brown enrolled in the Ontario School of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an artist. When this profession proved financially unfeasible, Brown decided to pursue a career in architecture. After completing his high school equivalency, he enrolled in the University of Toronto architectural program, graduating in 1913. Soon after, Brown opened up a practice with fellow architect Robert McConnell, which lasted until the early 1920s. After the partnership ended, Brown set up an independent practice, which he maintained until his retirement in 1955.

Scope and Content

The fonds documents Brown’s design work and renovations of existing buildings through his original drawings, renderings, and building blueprints. The fonds consists of approximately 1500 drawings that are organized into about 150 projects. These projects include single-family residences, apartment buildings, commercial and industrial buildings, as well as synagogue and other community buildings. Many of Brown's buildings were designed in the Art Deco style, with some containing Georgian, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Tudor and Romanesque elements.

Brown's most important commissions include the Beth Jacob Synagogue located on Henry Street, which was one the largest synagogues in Toronto, and the Balfour Building, an office tower built in the Art Deco style. The designs of Mendel Granatstein’s mansion, which contained a retractable roof for Sukkoth, and a colour sketch of the Primrose Club, which is currently the University of Toronto Faculty Club, may also be of interest to researchers. The fonds also includes some of Brown's files containing articles and illustrations from architecture and design journals of the early twentieth century, which he used as a resource to assist him with his work.

Fonds includes six photographs, one of the Balfour Building, one of Cumberland Hall, and four of Brown as a young man.

Notes

Architectural plans of a lead mine in Burnt River Ontario have been sent to the Kawartha Lakes Archives.

Name Access

Brown, Benjamin, 1890-1974

Subjects

Architects

Creator

Brown, Benjamin, 1890-1974

Accession Number

1975

1987-9-3

1989-10-6

2004-5-109

2004-5-139

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Benjamin Brown fonds

Level

Item

Fonds

49

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1902

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w ; 17 x 25 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a family portrait of Benjamin Brown (aged about twelve) with his father Meyer, mother Tema, brothers Manny and Peter and sister Sophie. The photograph was taken in Toronto in 1902.

Notes

One image is a photocopy. See image of photocopy for identification information of Brown and his family.

Subjects

Families

Portraits, Group

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 photo #1709.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Levine and Cass family fonds

Segel family series

Level

Item

Fonds

25

Series

12

Item

2

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[190-?]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 10 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a photograph of Sarah Segel taken at a studio in Midland, Ontario, during the early twentieth century.

Notes

Mounted in card frame.

Photographer: J. W. Bald, Midland, Canada.

Name Access

Segel, Sarah

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

Silvor mirroring around sides of photograph

Places

Midland (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Levine and Cass family fonds

Segel family series

Level

Item

Fonds

25

Series

12

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1900]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 3 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a small photograph of the Segel boys taken in Toronto. One of the boys is likely "Ike" Segel and the other is probably Julius.

Notes

Albumen print mounted on card.

Photographer: Dame, 330 1/2 Yonge St., Toronto.

Name Access

Segel, Ike

Segel, Julius

Subjects

Children

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

The photograph is stained and scratched and the image is fading.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Levine and Cass family fonds.

Segel family series

Level

Series

Fonds

25

Series

12

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1900]-1916

Physical Description

3 photographs : b&w ; 15 x 10 cm and 14 x 10 cm and 4 x 3 cm

Admin History/Bio

William Segel (1861-1918?) married “Anna” Hannah Cass (1863-1930) in 1887 in St. Louis, Missouri, and they immigrated to Canada in the same year. They were both Russian-born immigrants. They had five children: Julius (b.1888), Isaac “Ike” (1891-1982), Sarah Mary (m.Clavir) (1894-1968?), Matthew (1895-1982), and Reuben (b.1905) and seem to have moved frequently within Ontario around the turn of the century, perhaps in connection with William’s work as a merchant. Isaac, Sarah, and Matthew were employed in retail positions in their young adulthood.

Following William Segel’s death from influenza during the early stages of the pandemic in 1918, Anna Segel lived with her children at 76 Wright Ave., in Toronto. Isaac and Matthew were drafted during The Great War in 1917 and 1918 respectively. Sarah was married to William “Bill” Clavir (1893-1975) in 1918 and lived in Toronto at 23 Burncrest Drive. Isaac later married Esther Kenen (1895-1986) and they lived in Hamilton, where they had a son, Avrum (Duke). Matthew Segel married one of William Clavir’s sisters, Gertrude.

Scope and Content

Series consists of photographs of members of the Segel family.

Name Access

Segel family

Source

Archival Descriptions