1932 Douglas and Mackenzie Pictorial Map of Toronto, Canada

This is a 1932 Mrs. G. Kenneth Douglas and Alice Mackenzie pictorial map of Toronto, Canada, then known as York. The map depicts the city from the Humber River to the Don River and from Eglinton Avenue to Lake Ontario. Douglas and Mackenzie trace Toronto's history from the 18th century to the 1930s using vignettes and captions. The earliest vignette illustrates Fort Rouille, a French trading post built in 1749, but many address the American invasion of Toronto during the War of 1812. Illustrated events include the American landing in 1813, the burning of a man-of-war so that it wouldn't be captured by the Americans, and the burning of the Parliament building. An illustration near the Don River remembers William Roe, who, disguised as an old woman, hid three bags of gold from the treasury, saving it from the invading Americans. Other highlighted events include the fort built of General Simcoe, the first Governor of Upper Canada and the founder of Toronto, the site of the Canadian National Exhibition in 1878, and the ox that was roasted whole to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria. Contemporary geography, such as streets and avenues, is used to help the viewer place events throughout the city. Two neighborhoods, Rosedale and High Park, are also labeled. Some of the streets also function as a means of tracing Toronto's growth, for example Bloor Street is labeled as also being the First Concession Line

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled by Mrs. G. Kenneth Douglas, drawn by Alice Mackenzie, and copyrighted by Mrs. Douglas in 1932. This is the only known example.