The past year has been an exciting one for the Archives as we have been busy celebrating our 100th Anniversary. Now, as 2003 is drawing to a close, and talk of ice and snow begins to dominate our conversations, it is delightful to think about the winter season of 1903, when the Archives was just brand new.

Many things were different then. The automobile was still a novelty. Our food was kept cold in an “ice box” filled with an actual block of ice, slowly dripping onto a pan of sawdust. And steam locomotives and ships were the modern form of high- speed travel.

But many activities from the world of 1903 would be very familiar to us even now. Toboggans and a snowy hillside still make for hours of fun, and few can resist the possibilities presented by a frozen pond or lake. The simple pleasures of a snowball fight or a hot cup of cocoa after a sleigh ride are timeless.

In this, our final centennial exhibit, the Archives of Ontario invites you to enjoy some images from our collection that portray winter scenes and pursuits from early in the 20th century. Follow the links below to join us in a Celebration of the Winters of Long Ago.

Click to see a larger image (278K)
1903 Eaton's Christmas Catalogue - Cover

Click to see a larger image (233K)
People on a giant bobsled in High Park, Toronto, [1916]
High Park (Toronto, Ont.) Toronto (Ont.)
John Boyd
Black and white print
Reference Code: C 7-3 12935
Archives of Ontario, I0003541

Acknowledgements:
The Archives of Ontario thanks Sears Canada for giving permission to use images from the T. Eaton Company fonds held at the Archives of Ontario.