Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
In 1908, the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts
was founded, and in 1910, the permanent collec-
tion was begun. The museum then became the Art
Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) in 1975, and
today boasts a collection of over 10,000 works of
art. The beautiful Victorian architecture of the
Dominion Building is the AGNS’s home for his-
toric and contemporary Nova Scotian, Canadian,
international, and folk art. The permanent collec-
tion includes paintings, drawings, sculptures,
photography, video, and decorative arts dating
back to the eighteenth century. The AGNS also
houses many major loans from the Nova Scotia
College of Art and Design, as well as other institu-
tions from the province of Nova Scotia. The focus
of the Gallery is to bring visual arts and the public
together, as well as the exploration and enjoyment
of the works.
The AGNS has over 600 photographs in its per-
manent collection. With both historical and con-
temporary works, the photography collection is a
fine example of mainly Canadian artists. Historical
works include the photography of George Nass, Sid
Kerner, and Ronald Caplan. Contemporary works
include those from Canadian artists Susan McEa-
chern, Steven Livick, and Thaddeus Holownia.
International works are also collected, such as
those by Gary Wilson and Franco Fontana. In
2003, an important retrospective of the Canadian
photographer Tim Zuck was exhibited, titledTim
Zuck: Learning to talk.
http://www.agns.gov.ns.ca
Art Gallery of Ontario
The permanent collection of the Art Gallery of
Ontario (AGO), originally the Art Gallery of Tor-
onto, was begun in 1900. Over a hundred years
later, the collection now holds over 36,000 works,
representing a thousand years of art making. The
collection includes European Old Masters, Group
of Seven, and Canadian and international contem-
porary works. In the spring of 2005, AGO will be
unveiling its ‘‘Transformation.’’ With the help of
many donations, the Transformation will include
new art, a new building, and new ideas.
The photography collection within the contem-
porary collection of AGO is a mixture of Cana-
dian and international artists, including Jeff Wall,
Steven Livick, Edward Steichen, Cindy Sherman,
and Martha Rosler to name a few. The AGO also
has a significant collection of the photographer
Captain Linneaus Tripe. One of the strengths of
the photography holdings is the unique collection
of portraits. Some of these portraits were exhib-
ited recently in the showIn Situ, showcasing the
photographs of other artists in their studios.
Edward Steichen’s photograph of Brancusi in
1927 is a great example of art of the subject of
making art.
http://www.ago.netCanadian Centre for Architecture
In 1979, the Canadian Centre for Architecture
(CCA) was founded with the purpose of building
public awareness of the role of architecture in
society. With the help of Phyllis Lambert, the
founding director of the institution, the CCA
began collecting works dating from the seventeenth
century to the present documenting the architec-
ture of the world. The collection consists of draw-
ings, paintings, sculpture, and photography.
The photography collection within the CCA
showcases the history of photography relating to
architecture. With over 55,000 photographic items
dating back to the beginning of the medium, the
collection studies the role of photography in
representing the created environments of the
time. The collection holds over 72 daguerreotypes,
some dating back to 1840 and being among the
most import extant daguerreotypes today. In
addition, the collection holds many works from
nineteenth century photographers from the Uni-
ted Kingdom, such as William Henry Fox Talbot;
from France, such as Edouard Baldus, including
major albums done for the railways; Georg
Bridges from Greece; Robert Macpherson of
Italy with some of the finest work in existence
today; and Charles Clifford from Spain, to name
just a few. Photographs from the early twentieth
century include works on civil engineering pro-
jects and construction sites. The collection also
has many works by twentieth century photogra-
phers involved in the interpretation of modern
architecture, such as Alfred Stieglitz, Charles
Sheeler, Paul Strand, and Walker Evans, all repre-
sented by a number of iconic images.
The CCA often holds exhibitions dedicated to
their photography collection. A recent important
exhibition in 2004 wasWest 27th Street, Manhattan,
showcasing photographs by John Veltri of the city
of New York in 1966, before its redevelopment.
http://www.cca.qc.caMUSEUMS: CANADA