M O Q D O C B u l l e t i n d A R L I S / M O Q B u l l e t i n o f A R L I S / M O Q A R T L I B R A R I E S S O C I E T Y / M O N T R É A L, OT TAWA, Q U É B E C Vol. 13 No. 2 MOQDOC Mai/May 2004 Mot des co-présidents Message from the Co-Presidents En tant que membres d ARLIS/MOQ nous avons décidé d'accepter un rôle plus important durant l'année 2004. Nous sommes quelque peu dépassées par l ' h i s t o i re et l'implication des membres qui ont tra v a i l l é très fo rt afin de fa i re d'arlis/moq l'organisation que nous connaissons. Nous apportons de nouvelles énerg i e s, des idées et le désir de re n d re cette année agréable pour nous tous. Les buts que nous nous sommes fi x é s sont : Intéresser et amener de nouveaux b i b l i o t h é c a i res du milieu des arts Encourager les membres qui ont contribué à ARLIS/MOQ depuis sa fo r m a t i o n, à continuer à part a g e r leur expertise et leur savoir. Fa i re la promotion de la pro fe s s i o n de bibliothécaire du milieu des arts à l'ensemble de notre région. Pour atteindre ces buts nous espéro n s é t ablir des pro g rammes d'internats et de formation en présentant l'association aux bibliothèques locales, aux écoles de bibliothéconomie et aux collèges qui off rent une technique de documentation, de même qu'aux étudiants en histoire de l'art. L o r s de nos deux re n c o n t re s a n nu e l l e s, n o u s souhaitons mettre en place des activités intellectuelles intére s s a n t e s pour accro î t re la part i c- i p a t i o n. Nous aimerions également vous inviter à diff é rentes re n c o n t re s amicales ouvertes à la famille et aux amis. Nous espérons qu'il vous sera possible de vous libérer de vos h o ra i res chargés afi n d'aider ARLIS/MOQ à c o n t i nuer à gra n d i r. Nous cro yons que notre association est importante pour l'avenir des institutions qui soutiennent la créativité et les art s. A R L I S Association des b i b l i o t h é c a i res d art A r t L i b r a r i e s S o c i e t y M O Q Montréal Ottawa Q u é b e c As members of ARLIS/MOQ, we have decided to accept a larger role in our organization for the year 2004. We admire the dedication of the people who have established ARLIS/MOQ and worked so hard to make it the excellent organization that it is. Following in their footsteps we re now on the scene with renewed energy, new ideas, and a desire to make this a great year for ARLIS/MOQ. Our goals this year are as follows: to bring new art librarians into the organization through outre a c h, to inspire members who have support e d ARLIS/MOQ since its inception so that they continue contributing their expertise and knowledge,and to promote our profession as librarians. We hope to establish internships for library and art history students so that we can achieve these goals. The internships will be publicized through presentations at local educational institutions. We plan to increase our membership by presenting i n t e resting and challenging agendas for our two annual meetings thereby increasing attendance. Da ns ce num é ro / In t hi s iss ue Mot des co-présidents / Message from Co-Presidents 1 Message de la rédactrice en chef / Message from the Editor 2 Corridart 4 Le prophilographe et la reconstitution de poteries anciennes 5 S. L. A. S. G. Student Visit to the N. G. C. L i b ra ry and A rc h i v e s 6 Art Déco Montréal 7 Imag(in)ing Shakespeare: Three Centuries of Representations 9 Discovering Toys at the Canadian Centre for Architecture 10 Des nouvelles de notre section/chapter News 12 Calendrier/Calendar 12 We would also like to invite you all to attend s e v e ral events during the year that would bring us together fo r fun and re l a x a t i o n. Friends and family are also welcome to attend these events. We hope that you will take time from yo u r busy schedules to help ARLIS/MOQ grow and continue to make a contribution to institutions that support the arts in Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec City. Susan Travis & Isabelle Crépeau, mars 2004 Susan Travis & Isabelle Crépeau, mars 2004
Message de la rédactrice en chef Mon nom est Catherine Carlyle et c est le premier bulletin que je publie en tant que rédactrice en chef. Je suis inscrite au programme de maîtrise en bibliothéconomie et sciences de l information à l Université de We s t e rn Ontario. Je termine présentement un travail c o o p é ratif de huit mois au service de développement des collections à la Bibliothèque du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada. Avant de retourner à l université, je t ravaillais dans cette même bibliothèque comme assistante à la conservation des livres rares et des collections spéciales et j ai aussi complété un projet d indexation des catalogues d exposition d art canadien du XIX e s i è c l e. En mai pro c h a i n, je re p re n d rai les études à plein temps et je me propose de terminer ma maîtrise à la fin de 2004. Pour l avenir, je souhaite mettre à profit mon expérience en histoire de l art et mon diplôme en sciences de l information pour apporter une contribution significative à notre domaine. Jusqu à maintenant mon implication au sein d ARLIS/MOQ a été une expérience très enrichissante. J anticipe avec plaisir les contributions pertinentes que nos membres apporteront à l édition d automne de MOQ/DOC. Je souhaite remercier Denise Loiselle, Frances Smith et Peter Trepanier de la bibliothèque du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada pour leur aide à la rédaction de ce numéro. Message from the Editor My name is Catherine Carlyle and this is my first newsletter for A R L I S / M O Q. I am e n rolled in the M.L.I.S. p ro g ram at the University of We s t e rn Ontario, c u r re n t l y completing an eight-month work co-op in the Collections Development Depart m e n t at the National Gallery of Canada, L i b ra r y and A rc h i v e s. B e fo re re t u rning to university I worked in the Libra r y as a Pre s e rv a t i o n Assistant in Rare Books and Special C o l l e c t i o n s, and also completed a pro j e c t indexing nineteenth-centur y Canadian a rt exhibition catalogues. I am grateful to the Libra ry staff for these enriching pro fe s- sional opport u n i t i e s. In May of this year I will re t u rn to full-time studies and plan to complete my degree by the end of 2004. In the future I plan to draw upon my experience in art history and my degree in L i b ra ry Science to make a contribution to our pro fe s s i o n. Thus far my involvement in ARLIS/MOQ has been a re w a rding experie n c e. I look fo r w a rd to our members t i m e- ly contributions for the fall issue of MOQ- D O C. I should like to thank Denise Loiselle, F rances Smith, and Peter Trepanier of the National Galler y of Canada for their editorial help on this issue. I am grateful to Françoise Roux for her help with French translation and editing. Je voudrais également remercier Françoise Roux pour sa collaboration à la traduction française et à la mise en page. Catherine Carlyle Catherine Carl y l e Page 2
MOQDOC est publié deux fois par an par A R L I S / M O Q, section Montréal-Ottawa - Québec de la A rt Libra ries Society of North A m e rica (329 March Road, Suite 232, Kanata (Ontario) K2K 2E1, C a n a d a ). Téléphone : (800) 817-0621 ; télécopieur : (613) 599-7027 ; courrier électronique : arl i s n a @ i g s. n e t R é d a c t rice en chef, C a t h e rine Carl y l e, Bibliothèque et A rc h i ve s, Musée des beauxa rts du Canada, 3 8 0, p romenade Sussex, C. P. 4 2 7, s u c c u rsale A, O t t a wa (Ontario) K1N 9N4. Téléphone : (613) 990-4758 ; télécopieur : (613) 990-9818 ; courrier électronique : c c a rl y l e @ ga l l e ry. c a Après le 30 avri l, 2004/After A p ril 30, 2004 my e-mail address will change to: c c a rl y l e @ u wo. c a Cette publication est distribuée sans frais aux membres d ARLIS/MOQ. Pour obtenir plus d info rmation concernant l adhésion à ARLIS/MOQ ou l abonnement à MOQ/DOC veuillez consulter : <http://libra ry. c o n c o rd i a. c a / a rl i s m o q / >. Dépôt légal : Bibliothèque nationale du Québec/Bibliothèque nationale du Canada 2004 A R L I S / M O Q ISSN 1180-5641 M O Q D O C COMITÉ DE RÉDAC T I O N E D I TORIAL COMMITTEE C a t h e rine Car lyle Françoise Roux Ont également collaboré à ce numéro : M a rilyn Berger Isabelle Crépeau B rian Mekis Irena Murra y S a n d ra Pa i k owsk Erin Suliak Susan Tra v i s Editorial Assistance/ Assistance à la rédaction Frances Smith Peter Trepanier Graphisme : Sylvie Alix Co-présidents : A R L I S / M O Q COMITÉ EXÉCUTIF EXECUTIVE 2004 I s abelle Crépeau et Susan Tra v i s Vice-président(e) : poste vacant S e c r é t a i re : Diane Va l l é e Tr é s o ri è re : K a t h ryn Ko l l a r Secrétaire du service d adhésion : Janice Anderson Page 3
Corridart: An Act of Censorship The demolition of the C o r ri d a rt: dans la rue Sherbro o ke e x h i b i t i o n, c reated for the M o n t real Summer Olympics of 1976, is a s h o cking example of censor ship in Canadian art. This exhibition, an interp retation of the contempora ry urban lands c ape had been envisioned as an outdoor c o r ridor of art. It was organized by the arc h i t e c t / a rtist Melvin Charn ey and was intended to extend eight kilometre s along Sherbro o ke Stre e t, ending at the Olympic Stadium. The project included wo rk by 21 art i s t s, with other activities by p e r fo rm e rs, a c t o rs, mu s i c i a n s, and poets. C o r ri d a rt was intended to be in place fo r the full month of the Olympic Games. H oweve r, municipal wo rke rs for the City of M o n t real demolished it on the night of July 13, t h ree days befo re the Olympics o p e n e d. The story of the demolition of C o r ri d a rt i s p e r h aps better known than the exhibition i t s e l f. The wo rks invo ked the ideals of international conceptual and installation art, with its emphasis on aesthetic fre e d o m and the pri ma cy of experi m e n t a t i o n. T h e p u b l i c s reaction to C o r ri d a rt was dive rs e. Some people wo r ried that Pierre Ayo t s C ross on Mount Roya l, a simulation on the McGill Unive rsity campus, was in fact the real thing and complained on radio talk s h ow s. When Guy Montpetit s S c u l p t u re en seri é was threatened with destru c t i o n, a pro t e c t i ve barricade was made by the nuns from the convent wh e re the wo rk was installed. H oweve r, the ma yor of Montre a l, J e a n D ra p e a u, o rd e red the demolition of C o r ri d a rt b e fo re the installation was eve n c o m p l e t e d. The ma yo r s office complained that C o r ri d a rt had contra ve n e d municipal bylaws that gove rned the public doma i n. I ro n i c a l l y, the demolition Page 4 b e gan with the re m oval of much of the same scaffolding that the same city wo rke rs had installed earl i e r. A city spoke s ma n cited C o r ri d a rt as ugly and obscene, and Mayor Drapeau re fe r red to it as a hoax and a fra u d. C o r ri d a rt was demolished because real estate deve l o p e rs took issue with the exhibition s cri t i c a l stance on the destruction of histori c b u i l d i n g s. Melvin Charn ey s M e m o i re de la ru e wa s the only wo rk that openly criticized the wide-scale destruction of urban arc h i t e c- t u re that took place at the time. In fa c t, a rt critics generally stated that C o r ri d a rt was an important new visualization of c o n t e m p o ra r y urban culture. T h e M o n t real Olympic Committee and the Quebec Ministry of Cultural A ffa i rs supp o rted the artists in asking Mayo r D rapeau to reinstall the show, but little action was take n. In reaction to the city s act of censor s h i p, a dozen art i s t s launched a legal suit against the city of M o n t real that was settled out of court 12 ye a rs later, in 1988. The artists re c e i ve d only a fraction of their original claim. N eve rt h e l e s s, an abundance of C o r ri d a rt documentation is now at the Concord i a U n i ve rsity A rc h i ve s, thanks to the determ i- nation of its dire c t o r, N a n cy Marre l l i. I n 1996 Kim Gauvin, an art history gra d u a t e s t u d e n t, d i s c ove red C o r ri d a rt d o c u m e n- tation at risk of disposal in the city s courth o u s e. M a r relli intervened with a re q u e s t to have the ma t e rial deposited at C o n c o rd i a. With the art i s t s a g re e m e n t, the court sanctioned the move. It is interesting to note that although Marrelli wa s l e gally bound to consult the surv i v i n g a rtists and their lawye rs, the court h o u s e could discard the documentation without a nyo n e s perm i s s i o n. In 2001, to ma rk C o r ri d a rt s t we n t y - fi f t h a n n i ve rs a r y, N a n cy Marrelli and I produced an exhibition with an illustra t e d bilingual catalogue for the Leonard and
Bina Ellen A rt Gallery at Concord i a. I n connection with the show, ma ny more documents entered the arc h i ve s h o l d- i n g s. The large panels for Bob and Kev i n M c Ke n n a s R u e s - m i ro i rs installation we re also rescued from a barn in Quebec s E a s t e rn Townships rather than from the c o u rt h o u s e. The story of C o r ri d a rt: dans la rue Sherbro o ke will not disappear as easily as Mayor Drapeau had hoped. A description of the C o r ri d a rt fonds can be found at the Concordia Unive rs i t y A rc h i ves pri vate fonds and collections we b s i t e :< h t t p :// a rc h i ve s 3. c o n c o rd i a. c a / P ri av t e fo n d s / P 119. h t m l >. Le prophilographe et la re c o n s t i t u t i o n de poteries anciennes Le pro p h i l o g rap h e, un outil info rma t i q u e déjà utilisé par les architectes et les dessin a t e u rs, p e rmet maintenant d accélére r le processus de reconstitution de poteri e s anciennes à partir d un simple tesson. U n pointeur mesure le contour de la pièce et t ransmet les données à un ordinateur qui recrée une image tridimensionnelle de l o b j e t. L a vantage de cette technique est sans contre d i t, sa précision et son object i v i t é. S a n d ra Pa i k ow s ky P ro fe s s o r, A rt History Depart m e n t C o n c o rdia Unive rs i t y On peut se demander quelle import a n c e ont les poteries pour les arc h é o l o g u e s. Elles re n fe rment entre autres des info rmations non négligeables sur la vie quotidienne et sur les rap p o rts commerc i a u x e n t re les commu n a u t é s. Au s s i, l e s m o rceaux de poteries mis en re l a t i o n a vec la stra t i g raphie d un site a rc h é o l o g i q u e, p e rmettent de dater les d i ve rs niveaux d occupation de l endro i t. R e fe re n c e s : G a u v i n, K i m. C o r ri d a rt R evisited Excavating the Ruins. M. A. T h e s i s, C o n c o rdia Unive rs i t y, 1 9 9 6. Pa i k ow s ky, S a n d ra, with Nancy Marre l l i. C o r ri d a rt R evisited/25 ans plus tard. M o n t real: Leonard and Bina Ellen A rt Gallery, C o n c o rdia U n i ve rs i t y, 2 0 0 1. R é c e m m e n t, l utilisation du pro p h i l o- g raphe a permis de valider une hy p o t h è s e voulant qu il y ait eu d import a n t s échanges commerciaux entre le port phénicien de Tyr et la ville de Hazor, s i t u é e au nord de la mer de Galilée. Un des indices sur lequel les archéologues se basaient était les jarres torp i l l e s. U n c h e rcheur de Hazor prétendait que ce type de jarres découve rtes à Tyr prove n a i t de Hazor, a l o rs qu un archéologue de Ty r a vançait l hypothèse contra i re. Grâce au p ro p h i l o g rap h e, on a pu démontrer que les jarres trouvées dans les deux endro i t s a vaient été fab riquées dans chaque e n d roit respectif : les jarres torpilles de Ty r a vaient été modelées à Tyr et celles de H a z o r, à Hazor. Page 5
Il est à souhaiter que ce nouvel outil ouvre la porte à la création d une base de données re g roupant diff é rents modèles de p o t e ries anciennes. Les arc h é o l o g u e s p o u r raient y puiser une multitude de re n- s e i g n e m e n t s, c o m p a rer leurs découve rt e s e t, p e u t - ê t re, t ro u ver réponse à des questions complexes permettant de mieux c o m p re n d re les sociétés anciennes. I s abelle Crépeau B i b l i o t h é c a i re C e n t re canadien d arc h i t e c t u re McGill Special Library A s s o c i at i o n Student Group Visit to the Nat i o n a l G a l l e ry of Canada Library and A rc h i ve s, Ja n u a ry 16, 2 0 0 4 Friday, January 16, 2004, was a cold, snowy day in Montreal, and I was therefore surprised to see so many eager McGill Library School students waiting at the bus depot when I arrived there early in the morning. After a two-and-a-half-hour ride we met with the rest of our student group and with our event coordinator and S.L.A.S.G. President, Naomi Fisher, at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Despite the inclement weather and the distance travelled, more than 20 of us gathered in the cafeteria for lunch before our tour of the Library and Archives. When we trouped upstairs to the Library, Jonathan Franklin, Head of Collections and D a t abase Management, g reeted us. H e introduced us to the Library, its history, and its guiding principles. We got a sneak peek of the Library s new exhibition at the entrance and toured the reference collection. The beautiful view of Parliament Hill through the windows of the reading room was breathtaking. Working in the Library must be a treat for librarians and researchers alike. Jonathan then introduced us to Cyndie Campbell, who showed us the Archives and documentation files. Cyndie presented various aspects of pre s e rvation and public access, and a discussion followed. Afterwards, it was on to Nancy Sprules in Cataloguing. Her engaging talk about the challenges and rewards of cataloguing the L i b ra ry s Special Collections almost convinced these MARC-weary students to consider wo rk as cataloguers. (Just kidding, Nancy, you were very inspiring!) Page 6
We were then joined by Anna Kindl from Acquisitions, who detailed aspects of her work. Jonathan joined us again to discuss his va rious roles within the Libra ry. C a t h e ri n e Carlyle, an M.L.I.S. co-op student, gave us a quick tour of the preservation room, and d e s c ribed the va rious conservation and preservation techniques for the many items that the Library collects. Peter Trepanier then gave us a tour of the closed stacks, where we were impressed by the size and range of the collection. Peter gave a fascinating introduction to the Art M e t ropole Collection and the subject of a rtist books. E ve ryone ap p reciated his expertise and enthusiasm. Although our visit with the staff at the Library and A rc h i ves of the National Gallery of Canada went over the allotted time, it was all too short. We were able to tour the Gallery for a short while before closing time, and we then headed en masse to a restaurant for dinner. Later in the evening we returned to Montreal by bus. Many thanks from the students to Naomi Fisher and the staff at the National Gallery of Canada, L i b ra ry and Archives, for their time and effort in making this informative and rewarding visit possible. E rin Suliak M. L. I. S. I, McGill School of Libra ry and Information Studies A rt Déco Montréal A rt Déco Montréal is a bilingual, n o n p ro fi t o rganization fo rmed to foster awa re n e s s and ap p reciation of the A rt Deco peri o d (1920-1940) and to pre s e rve the decorat i ve, i n d u s t ri a l, and arc h i t e c t u ral arts of that e ra. Founded in 2001 by a small group led by Sandra Cohen-Rose, m e m b e rship now stands at about 75 pro fe s s i o n a l s, p ra c t i t i o n- e rs, and laypers o n s. A rt Deco societies can be found in Nort h A m e ri c a, Au s t ra l i a, N ew Zealand, and South A f ri c a. Most have a similar mission statem e n t, best expressed by A rt Deco New Yo rk. To foster public ap p reciation and u n d e rstanding of the artistic expre s s i o n of all aspects of A rt Deco. To draw attention to the merits and s i g n i ficance of the dynamic style of A rt Deco arc h i t e c t u re, d e s i g n, c ra f t s, a n d d e c o ration in eve ry way possible. To implement greater unders t a n d i n g of the aesthetic fo rces of A rt Deco t h rough tours, p u b l i c a t i o n s, e x h i b i t s, a n d c o m munity eve n t s. To prevent the needless destruction of i m p o rtant examples of the peri o d, a n d to help protect and pre s e rve such examples wh e rever possible. To provide advice to ow n e rs and public authorities re ga rding the pre s e rvation and repair of A rt Deco buildings and the uses to which they can, if nece s s a ry, be adap t e d. To maintain and pre s e rve arc h i ve s, b o o k s, re c o rd s, b i b l i o g rap hy, and all ma t e ri a l s, l i t e ra t u re, t ra n s c ri p t s, a n d documents relating to A rt Deco buildi n g s, a rt s, and art i fa c t s. Page 7
See also: < h t t p : / / w w w. a rt d e c o. o rg / H T M L / s t a rt u p. h t m l >. A rt Déco Montréal is a member of the I n t e rnational Coalition of A rt Deco Societies. M e m b e rs enjoy celebrating the great sense of style, p a n a c h e, f u n, and elegance that a re part of the A rt Deco style, a wo n d e r f u l e ra of fa s h i o n, s o n g, d a n c e, and joie de v i v re. Meetings are held re g u l a rl y, often in A rt Deco style buildings and with an A rt Deco theme. L a u t e rman Libra ry has an extensive collection of books on all aspects of the peri o d, including decora t i ve art s, a rc h i t e c t u re, j ewe l ry, and fa s h i o n. A major exhibition cura t e d by Larissa Beringer was launched to coincide with the fall 2002 meeting of A rt Déco Montréal held at McGill. The exhibition highlighted the Blackader Lauterman Collection of books and peri o d i c a l s. The Rare Books and Special Collections Division, M c G i l l U n i ve rs i t y, has a collection of books with bindings of the peri o d. D r. I rena Murray ga ve a lecture and mounted an exhibition of the collection of bindings in the Rare Books L i b ra ry. A rt Déco Montréal has held meetings at the A l d red Building (Barrott and Black a d e r, a rchitects); Montreal Botanical Gard e n s, C e n t ral Pavilion; McGill Unive rsity; Unive rs i t é de Montréal, Main Pavilion (Ernest Corm i e r Pavilion); and Ecole Vi n c e n t - d I n d y. To u rs a re given by Jean-Yves Bourd a g e s, wh o s h a res his knowledge of the peri o d. I n October 2003 a group tra velled to To ro n t o to attend the symposium at the Roya l O n t a rio Museum that complemented A rt Deco 1910-1939, a major exhibition that had t ra velled there from the Vi c t o ria and A l b e rt Museum in London. In 2004 the Canadian Centre fo r A rc h i t e c t u re is planning two meetings, one in the spring and the other in the fa l l, in connection with the exhibition entitled R u h l mann: Genius of A rt Deco at the M o n t real Museum of Fine A rt s f ro m September 30 to December 12, 2 0 0 4. I invite you to visit the A rt Déco Montréal web page and to become a member. < w w w. a rt d e c o m o n t re a l. c o m > A rt Déco Montréal is committed to pro t e c t- ing the city s rich arc h i t e c t u ral heri t a g e, i n p a rticular the fo rmer Eaton s Ninth Floor R e s t a u ra n t. Our aim is to have it re s t o red to its fo rmer arc h i t e c t u ral glory so that it is functional and ava i l able for special events in the c i t y. M a rilyn Berg e r Head Libra ri a n B l a ckader Lauterman Libra ry McGill Unive rs i t y In 2005 the eighth Wo rld Congress on A rt Deco will be held in New Yo rk City, with a p re - c o n fe rence in Wa s h i n g t o n, D. C. A rt Déco Montréal is considering proposing a p o s t - c o n fe rence in Montre a l, which will give us an opportunity to showcase our A rt Deco gems to the wo rl d. S a n d ra Cohen-Rose has written a landma rk publication on Montreal buildings of this p e ri o d, entitled N o rt h e rn Deco-Art Deco A rc h i t e c t u re ( C o ro n a, 1 9 9 6 ). The Black a d e r Page 8
Imag(in)ing Shake s p e a re: T h re e C e n t u ries of Repre s e n t at i o n s McLennan-Redpath Libra r y, M c G i l l U n i ve rs i t y, M o n t re a l, until March 18 S p e c t a t o rs in the crowded playhouse and solitar y re a d e rs in the libra ry both i magine and have imaged for them S h a ke s p e a re's plays. The re p re s e n t a t i o n s on display cover some three hundre d ye a rs of the wo rk of actors, p a i n t e rs, stage designers, and book illustra t o rs all in one way or another interp re t i n g S h a ke s p e a re's chara c t e rs. The Boy d e l l e n g ravings that are the centrepiece of each case are taken from the collection of historical paintings commissioned by A l d e rman John Boydell (1719-1804) and exhibited at the Shake s p e a re Gallery in Pall Mall. O riginally intended as a gift fo r the nation, the collection, for fi n a n c i a l re a s o n s, became the prize in a lottery and then was sold at auction by Chri s t i e ' s in 1805. In the same ye a r, t wo volumes of p rints we re published and dedicated to Their Majesties, and in 1852 a New Yo rk edition was published. It is plates from the latter that are on display. The exhibition was arranged by Dr. R i c h a rd Vi r r, C u rator of Manuscripts in the R a re Books and Special Collections D i v i s i o n, McGill Unive rs i t y, and Jonathan Da Silva, G raduate School of Libra ry and I n fo r mation Studies, as part of his p ra c t i c u m. Donald Hogan was re s p o n s i- ble for the installation of the exhibition. D r. I rena Murray Chief Cura t o r R a re Books and Special Collections McGill Unive rs i t y The exhibition comprises the fo l l owing 11 s e c t i o n s : The Tragedy of Macbeth A Midsummer Night's Dre a m The Tragedy of King Richard III The Tragedy of Hamlet, P rince of D e n ma rk The Te m p e s t All is True (Henry V I I I ) The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Ve n i c e Twelfth Night, or What You Wi l l Imag(in)ing the Bard Imag(in)ing the Canon Adding to the Canon Page 9
Discovering Toys at the Canadian Centre for Architecture The CCA is an international re s e a rch centre and museum founded on the conv i c t i o n that arc h i t e c t u re is a public concern. T h e C CA was established in 1979 to build public a wa reness of the role of arc h i t e c t u re in s o c i e t y, p romote scholarly re s e a rch in the fi e l d, and stimulate innovation in design p ra c t i c e. Each jeu de l'oie ga m e b o a rd is illustra t e d a c c o rding to a theme. R oya l t y, p e a s a n t s, m i l i t a ry campaigns, a n i ma l s, b u i l d i n g s, n a t u- ral wo n d e rs, and more have all been i m m o rtalized in les jeux de l'oie. Le jeu des monuments de Pa ri s s h ows 63 diffe re n t buildings and monuments in Pa ris in the mid 1 8 0 0 s. Especially notewo rt hy is the depiction of seve ral stru c t u res that no longer exist, including the second Pont des Inva l i d e s, which was replaced in 1854. In fulfilling the mission of its parent institution, the CCA libra ry has amassed roughly 750 a rc h i t e c t u ral toys and games dating fro m the early 1800s, up to and including the p resent day. The bulk of the collection consists of toys and games from the United States and Euro p e. F rom October 2003 to Ja n u a ry 2004 I had the opportunity to catalogue the most recent acquisitions. The fo l l owing are a few of the highlights that passed through my hands and into b i b l i o g raphic re c o rd s. Le jeu des monuments de Pa ris ( Pa ri s : B a s s e t, b e t ween 1836 and 1854) An example of jeu de l'oie, or game of g e e s e as it is known in English. The fi rst re f- e rences to jeu de l'oie occur in Italy in the late sixteenth centur y. Tra d i t i o n a l l y, t h e game is played on a board consisting of 63 s q u a res laid out in a spira l. Two dice are u s e d. The object is to be the fi rst player to reach square 63, s t a rting from square 1. When landed upon, c e rtain squares will cause a player either to jump fo r wa rd t o a higher- n u m b e red square or fall backwa rd to a lowe r- n u m b e red square, as in the modern-day game of Snakes and L a d d e rs. Page 10 Anchor Stone Building Box No. 0 (Rudolstadt: F. A d. Richter & Company, 1 8 8 8 ) In The Education of Man F ri e d rich Fröebel w rote about the importance of building b l o cks as simple playthings that allow child ren to feel and experi e n c e, to act and re p re s e n t, to think and recognise." In the 1830s he created seve ral sets of wo o d e n b l o cks that we re designed to teach child ren the elements of geometric fo rm and to s t i mulate the cre a t i ve pro c e s s. In the late 1870s the German artist Gustav Lilienthal and his brother Otto built upon Fröebel's idea and devised a method of cre a t i n g stone blocks out of sand, c h a l k, and linseed oil va rn i s h. With stone blocks (as opposed to wooden ones) truer replicas of buildings could now be ma d e. U n fo rtunately for the L i l i e n t h a l s, their business acumen did not match their inve n t i ve n e s s. U n able to sell their blocks in the way that they had hoped, t h ey sold the rights to their ma n u fa c t u ri n g p rocess to the German entre p re n e u r F ri e d rich Richter in 1880, who in 1882 built a fa c t o ry in Rudolstadt, G e rma ny, e x c l u s i ve l y for the ma n u fa c t u re of A n ker Baukasten. By Wo rld War I Anchor Blocks we re the most popular toy in the wo rl d, and pro d u c t i o n continued through both wo rld wa rs. U n fo rtunately the company found itself on the communist side of the Iron Curtain fo l- l owing Wo rld War II, and in 1963, at the height of the Cold Wa r, East Germa n a u t h o rities shut down the plant.
Pe r h aps spurred by nostalgia or sensing a re n ewed dema n d, a group of A n c h o r enthusiasts came together in 1994 to produce Anchor Blocks in Rudolstadt, to the same exacting specifications as the ori g i- n a l s. Though sales have steadily incre a s e d each ye a r, it re mains to be seen whether this n ew generation of Anchor Blocks will capt u re the public's imagination the way their p re d e c e s s o rs did. The fi rm went out of business in 1966, a n d the Erector name was sold to Gab riel Toy s. It has changed hands a number of times since and is currently owned by the Nikko C o rp o ration of Jap a n. The Kaleidoscope House ( P h i l a d e l p h i a : B o z a rt Toy s, 2 0 0 0 ) Anchor Stone Building Box No. 0 was one of the smallest Richter sets ever ma d e, c o n- taining just 18 stones and selling for 50 pfe n- n i n g s. L i ke all Anchor sets, this one includes a wonderfully re n d e red design sheet. E re c t o r. N o. 7 (New Haven: Mysto M a n u fa c t u ring Company, 1 9 1 5 ) One of the most popular toys of the twe n t i- eth century was the Erector set, a building system that consisted of metal gird e rs, g e a rs, b o l t s, and nuts. (My father has a set he got in the 1940s and, at age 66, he has yet to part with it.) A. C. G i l b e rt, a Yale gra d- uate and a gold medalist at the 1908 Olympic Games in London, abandoned a c a reer in medicine to devote himself entirely to the toy business, fi rst ma rketing ma g i c sets in 1908 with his friend John Pe t rie under the banner Mysto Manufa c t u ring Company. He invented Erector in 1911 after tra ve l l i n g along the New Haven Railroad and seeing the erection of electrical gird e rs. O t h e r companies made similar metal toys at the time (most notably Meccano), but Gilbert ' s pieces had a unique lip that allowed for the c o n s t ruction of much stronger gird e rs. E rector was a big hit at the New Yo rk City Toy Fair in 1913, becoming a ru n a way succ e s s. The Kaleidoscope House is a 1:12 scale cont e m p o ra ry arc h i t e c t u ral dollhouse designed by the artist Laurie Simmons and the architect Peter W h e e l w ri g h t. Its wa l l s consist of sliding tra n s p a rent panels, t i n t e d in va rious colours. F u rn i t u re and accessori e s a re designed by contempora ry designers and art i s t s. Included are a dining room set by Dakota Ja ck s o n, a sofa by Karim Rashid, a chair by Ron A ra d, a coffee table by Ke i s e r / N ew ma n, as well as miniature art wo rks by Carol Dunham, Peter Halley, L a u ri e S i m m o n s, Mel Bochner, Cindy Sherma n, a n d Mel Ke n d ri ck. B o z a rt Toys was founded in 1996 by Lary M a n g e l, a fo rmer ga l l e ry dire c t o r. The comp a ny seeks to develop and produce a range of wh i m s i c a l, s t i mulating pro d u c t s designed by actively exhibiting mu s e u m quality visual artists and designers. B rian Mekis C a t a l o g u e r B i b l i o t h è q u e C e n t re canadien d arc h i t e c t u re b m e k i s @ c c a. q c. c a This specimen, E re c t o r. N o. 7 from 1915, wa s one of the last of the sets to be made by the Mysto Manufa c t u ring Company, wh i c h changed its name to the A. C. G i l b e rt C o m p a ny in 1916. Page 11
Des nouvelles de notre section / C h apter New s C a l e n d rier/calendar 2004 P rint Culture & City Sensation: An Exhibition! Main Floor, R e d p ath Library Building & Rare Books Reading Room, F o u rth Floor McLennan Library Building A p ril 15-20, 2 0 0 4 32nd ARLIS/NA A n nual Confere n c e R o o s evelt Hotel, N ew Yo rk City, N. Y. M a rch 20 A p ril 20, 2 0 0 4 P resented by the Department of A rt Hist o ry and Commu n i c ations Studies, M c G i l l U n i ve rsity and the Rare Books and Special Collections Division, McGill Unive rs i t y L i b r a ri e s < h t t p :// w w w. l i b r a ry. m c g i l l. c a / h u m a n / e x h i b i t s. h t m > A p ril 30, 2 0 0 4 ARLIS/MOQ Meeting at Unive rsité de Montréal M o n t re a l, Q u e b e c May 14, 2 0 0 4 ARLIS/ON Meeting at Bro ck Unive rsity S t. C at h a ri n e s, O n t a ri o Page 12