Fonds F0134 - Avrom Isaacs fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

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Avrom Isaacs fonds

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    Fonds

    Reference code

    CA ON00370 F0134

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    Statement of scale (cartographic)

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    Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

    Dates of creation area

    Date(s)

    • 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.

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      Script of material

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        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.

        Related materials

        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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