Torch - Fall 2017

Traditions

Past Becomes Present Havergal’s Dr. Catherine Steele 1928 Archives connects students and alumnae to earlier times

By Suzanne Bowness

Think of an archive and your mind may conjure an image of dusty faded documents untouched on endless shelves. But to visit Havergal’s Dr. Catherine Steele 1928 Archives, especially listening to its lively archivist, Debra Latcham, is to realize that there is a lot more activity in this space than you would imagine. Located just off the Reta Weston Resource Centre, the archive is approximately 420 square feet. Inside are rows of grey boxes with copies of the Ludemus (back to 1898), the Chronicle (back to 1914) and even back issues of the Torch (back to 1981). But there is also the unexpected: for example, early Havergal uniforms, when they were navy not green tunics; trophies that date back to the 1900s; Cabbage Patch Kid dolls from the 1980s dressed in Havergal uniforms; Middle School play scripts and VHS tapes; copies of recent menus; books written and published by Old Girls; and even two chamber pots dating from 1894! You might also be surprised at how often the archive is invaded by students. Grade 7 and 8s have come to learn about primary sources. Grade 10s examine yearbooks when studying the early years of Havergal and Toronto. Latcham says they’re particularly fascinated by the Boarding School rules of the past. Senior School students come to research alumnae. And everyone likes to try on old uniforms, from the scratchy blue wool bloomers to founding headmistress Ellen Knox’s impressive lace collars. If a girl is from a legacy family, Latcham connects photographs of family members with yarn to the student’s picture—once she connected a student to 22 other Old Girls. Following advocacy by namesake Dr. Catherine Steele, who graduated from Havergal in 1928 and was also a teacher and principal for 20 years, the archive was formalized in 2003. Latcham also joined Havergal that year and has earned certification through the Archives Association of Ontario, as well as an Information Retrieval Specialist certificate from Seneca College. This repository

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Havergal’s history remains alive and well for future generations.

space moved to its current space in 2006 and was supported from the start by an endowment from the Class of 1951 and the generous gifts of more than 297 donors. More recently, the Class of 1960 (spearheaded by Cynthia Thomas 1960) also directed its endowment toward the archive. Regular volunteers—Old Girls Joan Winearls 1955, Luba Frastacky 1963 and Jane Westlake 1967—donate time weekly to help catalogue and sort. Growth of the school’s historical content is powered by alumnae donations. One of the most impressive records is from the three sisters of the Hahn family, Hilda and Freya, who graduated in 1915, and Sylvia, an artist who graduated in 1929 and created the altar in Brenda Robson Hall. The collection includes tuition receipts, report cards, recital programs, photographs, letters from Ellen Knox and more. Yet another growing aspect of the collection is digital—as a result, Latcham’s wish list now includes a digital asset management system. While changing technology is an issue (there are lots of floppy disks!), records can be sent out for technology transfer when needed. Ten years ago, Havergal’s yearbooks since 1898 were scanned. The Chronicle is now also scanned. Both are keyword searchable. Since 2003, Latcham estimates that the archives have tripled, adding as an example that the school takes in 10,000–15,000 photographs per year. It’s a huge collection to wrangle, but the rewards are also great—a living record of legacy and a place for students and alumnae to find their past.

Unfortunately, there are still gaps at certain time periods in the archive. We are asking any Old Girls who graduated in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s to consider donating school year memoribilia. To organize a donation, contact oldgirls@havergal.on.ca .

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