TORONTO.- The Image Centre (IMC) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has released "Facing Black Star", the sixth instalment in the IMC Book Series, as well as opened the major exhibition "Stories from the Picture Press" —both focused on the IMC’s extensive Black Star Collection.

Gifted to TMU by an anonymous donor in 2005, along with $7 million for its preservation, study and exhibition, the Black Star Collection was foundational to the establishment of what became the IMC. It was also the largest donation of cultural property ever made to a Canadian university.

“The Black Star Collection is one of the world’s most significant archives of photojournalism, with nearly 300,000 photographs by more than 6,000 image-makers,” says IMC Director and exhibition co-curator Paul Roth. “Our latest book serves as a scholarly companion to the exhibition. Together these two projects are the fruit of a decade of research in the archive.”

On view since September 13, 2023 through to April 6, 2024, the exhibition "Stories from the Picture Press: Black Star Publishing Co. & The Canadian Press" is drawn from the IMC’s collection as well as from the archive of Canada’s national news agency. It explores, through images, periodicals and other archival materials, the crucial role that photo agencies played during the heyday of print photojournalism. "Stories from the Picture Press" also features more than thirty-five sections about personalities, significant events, and lesser-known moments spanning the 20th century, ranging from England’s suffrage movement for women in the early 1900s to Quebec’s Oka Crisis in 1990. “With an archive of this size, the risk is that some photographs can get buried,” says IMC Exhibitions Curator Gaëlle Morel. “Our goal was to illuminate how photojournalists and press agencies worked together to document the news and distribute images for publication, as well as to bring forward forgotten images to reveal new perspectives on past events. Visitors will see reportage both by renowned and lesser-known photographers, all of whom helped to define 20th-century photojournalism.”

Still operational today, both Black Star (founded in New York in 1935) and The Canadian Press (established in Toronto in 1917) have historically distributed photographs covering a wide spectrum of subjects, including wars and protests, refugee migrations and environmental catastrophes, crimes and accidents, official portraits and celebrity culture. Over time, both media agencies assembled an inexhaustible stock of images for a variety of international clients—not only newspapers and magazines, but also book publishing companies, cultural institutions, and a broad range of corporate organisations.

"Facing Black Star", released on June 13, 2023 by the IMC and MIT Press, brings together local, national, and international researchers to highlight the breadth of the Black Star Collection, from its disquieting record of the Nazis' rise to power to its visual archive of climate change.

This impressive volume, illustrated with 100 images, not only discusses the subjects portrayed in the photographs, but also explores the history of photojournalism and the role of archives in Western societies. The book is edited by the IMC’s Head of Research, Thierry Gervais, and Vincent Lavoie, Professor of Art History at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).

A series of free public programs related to the Black Star Collection will take place including a public exhibition opening, as well a talk and special tours. Visit theimagecentre.ca/events for more information.

"Stories from the Picture Press" is organised by The Image Centre. The exhibition is co-curated by Paul Roth, Gaëlle Morel and Rachel Verbin, with contributions from Denise Birkhofer, Alexandra Gooding, Valérie Matteau, Grace van Vliet, D’Arcy White, and Chantal Wilson.

The Image Centre

The Image Centre (IMC) is Canada’s leading institution dedicated to the exhibition, research and collecting of photography. Established in 2012 at Toronto Metropolitan University, in the heart of the city, the IMC welcomes visitors to explore the intersection of photography and culture. Through compelling exhibitions and engaging public programming, the IMC showcases work by emerging, renowned, and anonymous photographers, past and present. With a growing collection of nearly 400,000 photographic objects and an innovative scholarly research program, the IMC is also a vibrant hub for the preservation and study of photography.

Winter Exhibitions Opening Party
January 16, 2024 | 7:30–9:30 pm

Round Table Discussion: "Working through Black Star"
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 | 6 pm
Paul Roth, Gaëlle Morel, Valérie Matteau, Chantal Wilson and Denise Birkhofer

Special Exhibition Tour: "Stories from the Picture Press"
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | 6 pm
Gaëlle Morel and Rachel Verbin