Toronto Reference Library Blog

Our new exhibit Special Collections: A to Z has something for everyone. On display at the Toronto Reference Library's TD Gallery, the exhibit is a great introduction to the rare, fascinating and sometimes bizarre things that have found their way into the library's Special Collections. 

For each letter of the alphabet, we have chosen a word and selected a few intriguing items from our collections that relate: A is for Arctic exploration, B is for Bloor Viaduct, C is for circus… and so on.  

The items on display illustrate the huge range of materials found in each of our specialized collections: Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, Special Collections in the Arts, Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy and the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books.

You might be surprised to spot a role-playing game for Game of Thrones (Elissa Carey et al. Clarkston, Georgia: White Wolf Publishing, 2005) –- just one example of the many sci-fi and fantasy themed role-playing games in the Merril Collection. Here is it displayed alongside 19th and early 20th century educational games from the Osborne Collection, and a fun Sherlock Holmes card game from 1904. 

You'll also find a selection of the teeny-tiny miniature books. While miniature books and libraries are often produced as novelties and collectibles, the Mighty Midget series (shown at bottom right) were diminutive for a very specific purpose: they were designed to be carried by the children of London in to air-raid shelters during World War II.

There is lots more to discover in the exhibit –- including rare first-editions of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937). Even Benedict Cumberbatch makes an appearance in our "S is for Sherlock" display…

Some of the topics in our Special Collections alphabet will be familiar, but others are a bit more obscure…

H is for Hornbooks

Do you know what a hornbook is? From Shakespeare's time up until the 19th century, these paddles, commonly made of wood or leather, were used to help children learn to read. They get their name from the thin layer of animal horn that often covered the paddles. The exhibit features some beautiful examples in leather and ivory from the Osborne Collection. Hornbooks are quite rare — few survived the hard usage they received as both tools and toys.

Left to right: leather hornbook with Lord’s Prayer, ca. 1800; hornbook made of silver and mother of pearl, ca. 1800; ivory hornbook with alphabet, ca. 1800. All from Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books. 

Q is for Quadrupeds

You may know John J. Audubon's masterwork Birds of America (the subject of an exhibit at the TD Gallery last fall), but did you know that he also depicted four-legged creatures? "Quadruped" comes from the Latin quattuor for "four" and pes for "foot."

In his last work, titled the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Audubon worked along with his sons and the naturalist Reverend John Bachman to complete 150 drawings of North American mammals. The exhibit features three examples of the hand-printed and coloured plates from the rare 1846 volume. 

Polar Bear (Plate XCI), from The viviparous quadrupeds of North America Vol. 2, John James Audubon, 1785-1851, New York: V. G. Audubon, 1846 

Visit the exhibit and discover more

You'll have to visit the TD Gallery to see these and many more interesting finds from the library's Special Collections. The exhibit runs until April 24, 2016. The TD Gallery is always free and open to the public during the Toronto Reference Library opening hours. There are free guided tours of the exhibit every Tuesday at 2 pm. No registration required; just meet outside of the Gallery.

A Discover Special Collections presentation 

Of course, what you see in the gallery is just the tip of the iceberg. Every Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm, head up to the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre on the 5th floor for "Discover Special Collections," fascinating presentations showcasing more eclectic material from our Special Collections.

Each week will focus on a different topic, complementing the exhibit in the TD Gallery: 

• Wednesday, March 9: “D is for Doyle”
• Wednesday, March 16: “E is for Ephemera”
• Wednesday, March 23: “S is for Stage Designs”
• Wednesday, March 30: “T is for Time”
• Wednesday, April 6: “B is for Bloor Viaduct”
• Wednesday, April 13: “S is for Sherlock”
• Wednesday, April 20: “Q is for Quirky items”

Whatever your interests, there is always something new to discover in the library's Special Collections.