Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Avrom Isaacs fonds
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Level of description
Fonds
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Class of material specific details area
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1942-1996 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
13.93 m of textual records 1.5 m of graphic material (375 photographs) ca. 15 sound recordings 1 video cassette
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Avrom Isaacs, Toronto art dealer, was born in Winnipeg in 1926 and graduated with an Honours B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Toronto in 1950. In 1955, he opened The Isaacs Gallery where he represented numerous Canadian artists, including Michael Snow, Graham Goughtry, Gordon Rayner, Jack Chambers, Joyce Wieland, Mark Prent, John Meredith, Robert Markle and Gathie Falk. Isaacs opened the Innuit Gallery in Toronto in 1970 and has served on the executive of the Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada. He was awarded an honourary doctorate by York University in 1992 and is an Associate Fellow of Calumet College at York. He was a recipient of the RCAIC silver medal in 1992, a former director of the Toronto Arts Awards Foundation, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Ontario College of Art. He has served on various arts advisory boards at the municipal, provincial and federal level, and was a member of the board of the Canadian Filmmakers' Distribution Centre from 1979 to 1982, serving as it's Chairman from 1981 to 1982. In addition to publishing a number of books and records of contemporary music, Isaacs has also sponsored poetry readings, underground film screenings, and mixed media concerts at his gallery. In August 1991 Isaacs consolidated his two galleries to form the Isaacs/Innuit Gallery. The gallery closed in 2001.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Fonds consists of business records of The Isaacs Gallery (TIG) (1942-1991), consisting of correspondence, exhibition catalogues, mailings and financial records (1984-1986); artist files (1961-1988), consisting of correspondence, biographical sketches, press clippings, and other material relating to artists represented by Isaacs (e.g., Dennis Burton, Graham Coughtry, William Kurelek, Michael Snow and Joyce Wieland) and some who were not represented by him; artist portfolio files (1955-1988), consisting of press clippings and catalogues of their works; and promotional files (ca. 1960-1989) relating to the Isaacs Gallery.
Notes area
Physical condition
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Script of material
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Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Access is restricted.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Until his death, written permission to consult and to make copies is required from Avrom Isaacs. Requests for permission must be directed to the University Archivist. Users must sign the Access and Use Agreement form.
Finding aids
archivesfa.library.yorku.ca/submissions/fonds/ON00370-f0000134.htm
Associated materials
See Joyce Wieland fonds (F0445) for related material.
Accruals
The fonds comprises the following accessions: 1996-036, 1997-034, 1998-014, 1999-020, 2000-006. Further accruals are expected.
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Place access points
- North America » Canada » Ontario » Toronto