Part Of
William Stern fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 33; File 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
William Stern fonds
Level
File
Fonds
33
File
1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1917-1934
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
This file consists of one invitation to the wedding of Esther Rumianek and Joe Glass and an invitation to Bill Stern's bar mitzvah.
Subjects
Bar mitzvah
Weddings
Accession Number
1994-1-4
2004-5-135
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Ida Lewis Siegel fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 15; File 34
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Ida Lewis Siegel fonds
Level
File
Fonds
15
File
34
Material Format
textual record
Date
1896-1979
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of personal letters written by Ida to her daughter, Rivka. Also included is the bar mitzvah speech written by Ida Lewis to her father's dictation in 1896 for Charles S. Siegel.
Subjects
Bar mitzvah
Speeches, addresses, etc
Access Restriction
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2015-3-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2015-3-2
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
ca. 100 photographs
1 folder of textual records
Date
1920-1980
Scope and Content
Accession consists of photographs of the Hersch family, a screenplay by Phillip Hersch, school certificates from Landsdowne School, Canadian naturalization certificates, thank you notes, a New Year's greeting card, and a Polish passport. Included are photographs of weddings, Europe vacations, class photos, houses in Toronto, bar mitzvah, Niagara falls, Channukah, Farms, studio sets, the beach, and snow scenes.
Custodial History
The records were in the possession of Norman Hersch until his death in the mid-1980s, at which point the donor took possession of the records and stored them until donating them to the OJA in March 2015.
Administrative History
Norman Hersch was a special effects technician for the CBC from the early 1950s until his retirement in the mid-1980s. He was married to a French woman from Western Canada named Margaret. He is buried in the Mount Albert area with his wife. He served in the Canadian military during the Second World War and graduated from Central Technical School upon his return. In later years, he started P & M Display in Yorkville. Norman's older brother Phillip was a screenwriter in Toronto. He wrote the CBC series Wojek. Their mother Lily (Polish) volunteered at Mount Sinai Hospital. Their father Alexander (Romanian) worked in stainless steel manufacturing. They lived around Cecil Street. Doug Wardle was a friend and colleague of Hersch's at CBC in the Special Effects Department.
Subjects
Bar mitzvah
Immigrants--Canada
Families
Name Access
Hersch, Norman
Source
Archival Accessions
Address
42 St George Street
Source
Landmarks

In 1919, Mr. Mendel Granatstein commissioned Benjamin Brown and Robert McConnell to design a three storey Classical Georgian style house located at 42 St. George Street. The house contained a unique feature -- a retractable roof used on Sukkoth. In 1947, the house was acquired by the University of Toronto and was used for a variety of purposes until it was demolished in 1999. The Bahen Centre for Information Technology now stands in its place.
Address
42 St George Street
Time Period
1919-1999
Scope Note
In 1919, Mr. Mendel Granatstein commissioned Benjamin Brown and Robert McConnell to design a three storey Classical Georgian style house located at 42 St. George Street. The house contained a unique feature -- a retractable roof used on Sukkoth. In 1947, the house was acquired by the University of Toronto and was used for a variety of purposes until it was demolished in 1999. The Bahen Centre for Information Technology now stands in its place.
History
Mr. Mendel Granatstein was a member of one of the early Jewish families of Toronto. In 1895, he founded M. Granatstein and Sons, Ltd., a junk dealing company, and by the early 20th century, he had become one of the most prosperous Jews in Toronto. Mr. Granatstein was also a community leader, having a hand in the foundation of Beth Jacob Synagogue.
Category
Architecture
Residences
Source
Landmarks
Part Of
Julius P. Katz fonds
General correspondence series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 55; Series 3; File 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Julius P. Katz fonds
General correspondence series
Level
File
Fonds
55
Series
3
File
4
Material Format
textual record
Date
1926
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The file consists of an invitation for the bar mitzvah of Bennie, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Katz.
Subjects
Bar mitzvah
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 3800
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
3800
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[1927?]
Physical Description
2 photographs : (1 negative)
Subjects
Bar mitzvah
Portraits
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
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
1985-7-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 2456
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
2456
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1920]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)
Notes
Photo by L. Surdin, 26 Cameron Street, Toronto.
Subjects
Bar mitzvah
Portraits
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
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
1980-12-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 4294
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
4294
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[1925 or 1926]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)
Scope and Content
Identified third from left: William Shankman.
Notes
Photo by Midland Press Agency, 520 Suffolk St., Birmingham.
Subjects
Orchestra
Theaters
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
Birmingham (England)
Accession Number
1987-9-5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Harold S. Kaplan fonds
Architectural projects series
Loew's Theatre (189 Yonge St., Toronto) sub-series
Level
Sub-series
ID
Fonds 27; Series 1-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Harold S. Kaplan fonds
Architectural projects series
Loew's Theatre (189 Yonge St., Toronto) sub-series
Level
Sub-series
Fonds
27
Series
1-1
Material Format
architectural drawing
textual record
Date
1913-1959
Physical Description
57 drawings : pencil on tracing paper, blueprints and other reproductions ; 72 x 114 cm or smaller
1 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Built in 1913, Loew's Yonge Street Theatre and Winter Garden Theatre complex was the flagship of Marcus Loew's Canadian theatre chain. The theatres were designed by Thomas Lamb as a "double-decker" theatre, with the Winter Garden located seven-stories above the street-level Yonge Street Theatre. This was the only double-decker theatre built in Canada and one of less than a dozen built internationally. The design was considered economical in that it provided a greater amount of seating on a given piece of real estate while allowing the theatre operator to present the same daily show in two theatres. The shows included both vaudeville acts and silent movies.
In 1928, there was a major fire on the site and the Winter Garden Theatre was closed due to the decline in popularity of vaudeville. By 1930, the Yonge Street Theatre was solely a movie theatre, equipped for sound movies. Over the years it gradually fell into disrepair, but continued as a movie theatre until 1981. It was renamed the Elgin Theatre in 1978.
In 1981, the Elgin and Winter Garden were purchased by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, and in 1987 the foundation began a two and half year, $30 million restoration of the theatres. The theatres re-opened in Dec. 1989 exclusively for theatrical productions.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of seating plans, blueprints of structural details, and floor plans, sections and elevations for successive alterations (to the entrance, lobby, basement, etc.) of the theatre. The sub-series includes a copy of a city building permit dating from 1934 for renovations carried out by Loew's Theatres Engineering Division. Some of the blueprints date from the original construction of the theatre in 1913.
The sub-series is organized into 9 sub-sub-series, corresponding to project dates of 1913, 1919, 1934, 1939, 1949 (two projects), 1952, 1957 and 1959. The earliest materials, such as those from 1913 and 1919, were not created by Kaplan & Sprachman, but were no doubt used as reference materials for their work at the theatre.
Please note that the blueprints of structural details such as columns and roof reinforcing beams may apply to the theatre complex as a whole, including the Winter Garden Theatre.
Notes
Title is derived from the formal titles of the drawings.
Name Access
Lamb, Thomas
Elgin Theatre (Toronto)
Winter Garden Theatre (Toronto)
Subjects
Theaters
Physical Condition
Some drawings are torn & damaged.
Some are discoloured or damaged by deteriorating pressure-sensitive tape.
Places
Yonge Street (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
2003-6-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Harold S. Kaplan fonds
Architectural projects series
Loew's Uptown Theatre (Toronto) sub-series
Level
Sub-series
ID
Fonds 27; Series 1-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Harold S. Kaplan fonds
Architectural projects series
Loew's Uptown Theatre (Toronto) sub-series
Level
Sub-series
Fonds
27
Series
1-2
Material Format
architectural drawing
graphic material
Date
1919-1968
Physical Description
132 architectural drawings : pencil (some on tracing paper, some hand col. using pencil crayon), blueprints and other reproductions ; 76 x 106 cm or smaller
5 photographs : b&w ; 44 x 55 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
One of sixteen theatres in Canada designed by the well-known architect Thomas W. Lamb, the Uptown Theatre opened in 1920 as a movie and vaudeville theatre of almost 3000 seats, and was later the first theatre in Toronto equipped for sound movies. In 1960 the Uptown's main auditorium was destroyed by a major fire. Kaplan & Sprachman participated in the theatre's subsequent renovation.
In 1969 the Uptown was split into a five screen theatre through conversion of the theatre's balcony, backstage and basement areas. The Uptown was closed and demolished in late 2003 following the 28th Annual Toronto International Film Festival after the cinema operator, Famous Players, decided to close it and other theatres rather than comply with an Ontario Human Rights Commission order to make the theatres fully wheelchair-accessible.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of seating plans, blueprints of structural details, floor plans, sections and elevations for successive alterations (to the entrance, lobby, escalator, etc.) of the theatre, as well as several photographs of the Uptown's entrance and auditorium. The sub-series includes a number of hand-coloured drawings of the main auditorium dating from 1962, with paint and fabric samples attached, apparently associated with the re-building of the auditorium following the fire of 1960. The sub-series also includes a set of photo-reproductions of Thomas Lamb's original 1919 plans for the theatre, acquired by Kaplan & Sprachman in 1960.
The sub-series is arranged in 9 sub-sub-series corresponding to project dates of 1919, 1936, 1945, 1949, 1960, 1962, and 1968. The final sub-sub-series relates to work done by Kaplan after the dissolution of Kaplan & Sprachman.
In several cases, a sub-sub-series includes drawings and plans from earlier projects, used as reference materials for the current project.
Name Access
Lamb, Thos. W. (Thomas White), 1871-1942
Uptown Theatre (Toronto, Ont.)
Subjects
Theaters
Physical Condition
Some drawings torn or water-damaged. Some are discoloured or damaged by deteriorating pressure-sensitive tape.
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
2003-6-1
Source
Archival Descriptions