Research guides: ANT338 Laboratory Methods in Biological Anthropology: Archives and Text Collections

Online Archives and Collections

WWI Christimas Card by crabchick on flickr Online text collections (historical newspapers, immigrant letters or historical photographs) are PRIMARY SOURCES. Primary sources have been generated within the time period you are studying, and most have been originally in print (news articles, photos, pamphlets).

JSTOR is included in this list because journal articles from medical journals published in the 1920 through 1950s are primary sources as well. They give us insights on how a disease like tuberculosis was understood by the medical establishment at the time.

The Globe (Toronto, Canada: 1844-1936)
The complete Globe from 1844-1936. Includes full-text view and full page view (so you can see the articles, images, advertisements and any other content in the context of the whole paper).

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
A vast archive of scholarly journals, including medical, nursing and public health journals. Research articles from the time shed light on the understanding and treatment of disease in the 1920s through the 1950s.

Our Ontario Community Newspaper Collection
Archive created through a pilot project to digitize backfiles of community newspapers throughout Ontario. A project of Knowledge Ontario.
Toronto Local History Collections in Toronto Public Library
Toronto local history collections are provided in more than 30 branches of the Toronto Public Library. The collections include materials of historical significance about a specific geographic area. This could be the Toronto neighbourhood(s) served by the local branch library; an historic community, such as an annexed municipality; or the City of Toronto as a whole.
Paper of Record
A searchable archive of historical newspapers, predominantly Canadian, with over 21 million images in its collection. The resource is free but one must sign in.

Canadiana Online This link opens in a new window
Early Canadiana Online (ECO) is a digital library providing access to over 1,330,000 pages of Canada's printed heritage. It features works published from the time of the first European settlers up to the early 20th Century.

Print Archives and Indexes

There are many archives collections within the Golden Horseshoe area, but you will not have time to consult them in person. Instead, here you will find those few links you may access at the UTM Library.

CPI.Q This link opens in a new window
Link to the catalogue record of the PRINT index to Canadian newspapers, magazines and scholarly literature covering the period of 1920 - 1937. UTML has some newspapers available on microfiche and film.

Ontario Ethno-Cultural Newspapers
Link to the catalogue record of the annotated checklist of Ontario ethno-cultural newspapers published between 1835 and 1972.

Electronic Journals to Browse

Here is an example of a journal that might have relevant articles on the evolution of TB treatment over the years. It can help you with the context for your research.

Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences
An Oxford University Press journal dating back to 1946. Archive is fully searchable. Consider looking at: "Development of Knowledge of Unity of Tuberculosis and of the Portals of Entry of Tubercle Bacilli," 1974, 29(4). "Constructing Medical Indications: The Sterilization of Women with Heart Disease or Tuberculosis, 1905-1935" 1994, 49(3).

Primary Sources: Medical Books from the Period

Medical texts and histories make fine primary sources. Most of the books you will find in the system are in print at Gerstein, but if you request these via Document Delivery service (through the Request link in the catalogue), it will take only two business days to get them to UTM.

Tuberculosis: a treatise [...] on its etiology, pathology, frequency, semeiology, diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment
A comprehensive text (available electronically) giving access to terms and treatments from the period. Published in 1909.
Tuberculosis : a general account of the disease, its forms, treatment and prevention
A text from 1915 on TB intended for an educated non-medical audience. A great source of context and historical detail. RC311 .J49 1915. (Please note: The e-book version does not work.)
A historical chronology of tuberculosis
A Gerstein book on the history of TB published in 1938. It will reflect the understanding of TB etiology, treatment and social impact of the disease in the inter-war period.