Fonds LA.SC110 - Florence Vale fonds

Identity area

Reference code

LA.SC110

Title

Florence Vale fonds

Date(s)

  • 1909-2006 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

64 cm of textual records
384 photographs
659 slides and negatives
97 drawings
5 etchings
1 videocassette
6 audio reels
7 dolls
4 box constructions
3 hooked rugs

Context area

Name of creator

(1909-2003)

Biographical history

Florence Vale, Canadian artist, was born on April 18, 1909 in llford, Essex, England and died on July 23, 2003 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her family immigrated to Toronto two years after her birth, where she grew up with an interest in music. She married artist Albert Franck on June 8, 1929, and together they bought a house on Hazelton Avenue in Toronto which became a centre for artists, writers, musicians, and critics. Florence Vale was the mother of two children, Trudy (who died as an infant) and Anneke.
Florence Vale began to paint with her husband’s paints and brushes in the late 1940’s with no previous artistic training-only what she had learned under the influence of her husband and the artists who visited her home. Her art was influenced by Surrealism, Cubism, Expressionism, and the works of Paul Klee. After her husband’s death in 1973, Florence Vale continued to express her artistic ability with oil paints, collages, and ink, also including her own poetry in some of her works. Many of her works, most prominently after the death of her husband, were erotic, while still viewed by critics as keeping a whimsical, innocent tone. Her art appeared in exhibitions throughout Ontario, with exhibitions also in Quebec and New York, U.S.A. She was associated with the Gadatsy Gallery, Toronto.

Archival history

Following the death of Florence Vale, the materials now constituting the Florence Vale fonds were held by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Gadacsy until 2006.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

AGO credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Gadacsy, 2006.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Fonds consists of records relating to the life and work of Florence Vale. Textual materials include correspondence, records of exhibitions, and documentation of her artwork. Visual materials include photographic documentation of the artist, her family, friends, and her work; drawings, etchings, rugs, and box construction art pieces and dolls. Also includes are media materials in the form of audio reels and a videocassette.
Contains series:

  1. Documentation of Artwork
  2. Publicity Materials
  3. Correspondence
  4. Photographs
  5. Drawings and Etchings
  6. Poems by Florence Vale and Others
  7. Artist’s bookworks
  8. Audio reels of the singing and poetry readings of Florence Vale
  9. Video Documentary on Florence Vale
  10. Dolls and Box Constructions
  11. Rugs

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

Arrangement has been performed by the archivist following the original order of the creator wherever possible. File distinctions are primarily those divisions in which the records came into the archives.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open. Access to Special Collections is by appointment only. Please contact the reference desk for more information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is held by the heirs of Florence Vale. Copyright belonging to other parties, such as that of photographs, may still rest with the creator of these items.
It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain permission to publish any part of the fonds.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Art Gallery of Ontario

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Final

Level of detail

Partial

Dates of creation revision deletion

8-Aug-13

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Description prepared by Sandrena Raymond, 2012. Updated by Amy Furness, 2015.
Uploaded and adapted by Nirvana Chainani, 2019

Accession area

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