A Visual Legacy: the City of Toronto’s Use of Photography 1856-1997

This exhibition presents images that were
commissioned by the City of Toronto or produced
by the municipality’s official photographers
between 1856 and 1997. They were taken for
specific administrative purposes and they provide
an extraordinary visual legacy of 140 years of
urban development, municipal initiatives, and
visiting dignitaries, politicians, religious
leaders, and
celebrities. The photographs speak to relevant
urban issues and reflect the changing role of the
City’s official photographers as their primary focus
began shifting during the 1960s from recording the
activities of the municipal departments and the
city’s evolving infrastructure, to documenting
official civic events and producing public relations
and marketing photographs.

Curated by Steve MacKinnon