Introduction to the Catalogues
On this site, there are hundreds of catalogue pages from 1880 to 1975
with
text- and image-rich material. There are also photographs of objects from
these
catalogues, a catalogue timeline, and articles about such topics as toys,
women's
fashion, and oriental rugs.
How to view catalogue pages
To view the catalogue pages, we suggest you load the free MrSID plug-in
software,
which will download automatically from this site the first time you view a
catalogue
page.
The first time you select a catalogue page, a "MrSID
plug-in"
message box will pop up on your screen. You can view the pages without
this free
software, but we recommend that you install it so you can view the pages
more
quickly and with more control. Just click "Yes" when prompted
and
the plug-in will load automatically. This plug-in is free, takes up very
little
space on your hard drive, and will not interfere with other programs on
your
computer.
For further details on the MrSID plug-in, or for information on
downloading
the plug-in on a Macintosh computer, click
here.
See sample catalogue pages
A typical catalogue page comprises text, numbers, and black-and-white
or colour
photographs, or illustrations. The P. T. Legaré Catalogue is unique
on
this site because it is bilingual with text in both English and French.
The other
catalogues are in either English or French, like the sample pages from the
Eaton's
Christmas Book 1956 and the Eaton - Automne et hiver 1950-51
catalogue.
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Teacher Hints: Suggestions for using the
pages
- Print out these pages in colour or black and white. See How
to print a page for information on printing the pages.
- For Kindergarten, make them into colouring sheets. Leave space to
print
the names of objects. See How to print a page for
information
on printing the pages.
- Use the text and images for English or French Language Arts, Core
French,
English as a Second Language, French as a Foreign Language, and Art.
Define selected
words, create vocabulary lists, write descriptions for items, or create
new catalogue
pages.
- Use the numbers to create problems for Math.
- Compare pages from different catalogues for Social Studies and
History.
- Research items and their origins for History and Geography.
See Elementary Teachers:
Curriculum-Linked
Activities or Secondary Teachers:
Curriculum-Linked
Activities for additional details on these suggested activities and to
find
other curriculum-linked activities that use the catalogue pages.
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See a Sample Catalogue Index
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 Index
from the Eaton's Fall and Winter 1918-19 catalogue
(Used with permission of Sears Canada Inc., Library and Archives
Canada)
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Most catalogues on this site contain an index, like this one from the
Eaton's
Fall and Winter 1918-19 catalogue. Click on an image to see an index
page.
To access a catalogue's index, click on the Index button. Refer to
the
index to find out what each catalogue features and to find out what terms
to
use to search a catalogue.
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Teacher Hints: You can create activities that use the
indexes
of several different catalogues, to compare what goods were available in
different
periods. You can also teach your students how to use the indexes to
perform their
own research.
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How to search for a catalogue item
You can search the entire collection of catalogues or search a
particular
catalogue. If you wish to search the entire collection of catalogues, type
the
object name into the search box at the top of the Catalogues
page.
If you know which decade you are interested in, click on Browse
by Date. Once you have chosen a catalogue, click on Index
to see how the objects are organized. Use the terms from the index as
keywords
to search for an object. Search for an object by typing its name in the
search
box on the left of the page.
For additional assistance, click on Search
Help.
How to print a page
Place the cursor within the page you would like to print. Right click
on
your mouse and select Print. Because most catalogues have restrictions on
their
printing, please click on the copyright button on each page before you
print
it. The following three catalogues have no restrictions and can be printed
freely
for classroom use: Goodwin's Fall and Winter 1911-12
catalogue, Christie
Grant Midsummer Sale 1918 catalogue, and P. T. Legaré 1920
catalogue.
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