Ontario photo studios - what happens to the files, visit cards and negatives.

[lmfamilyresearch]

Does anyone know what happens to the files, visit cards and negatives of photographers/photo studios (from 1850-1920s) when they close (retire, go out of business...)?  For example, the McCord Museum Archives has the Notman & Sons of Montreal collection.  Does anyone know of a book or a list indicating where the files went?

Photographers and photo studios I am interested in are:

Toronto, ON:
The Toronto Dominion Gallery, 145 King St. E.
D.C. Butchart
St. Lawrence Studio, D.C. Ferguson, St. Lawrence Hall
Electric Photo Gallery, King and Younge Streets
Notman & Fraser
J.W. Rupert
C.S. Kilner
The T. Eaton Co. Ltd., 190 Younge St.
Hunter & Co. (late Ewing & Co.), 39 and 41 King St.
W. O'Connor, 63 King St. E (I think the street number is 63, hard to read clearly)
Gagnon & Fraser, 79 King St.

J.A. Brock & Co., 279 Front St., Belleville, ON
Allan & Bro., King St., St. Catherine, ON
Esson, 113 Queen St., Preston, ON

Thank you.

[Treetotal]

Have you tried the Ontario Archives?
Carol

[lmfamilyresearch]

Yes I have.  I have even tried the Toronto Archives.  Well at least I've tried an online catalogue search for both places with no returns. 

[DonM]

As far as your question is concerned, the negs (large format) usually get tossed/destroyed when a photographer dies unless the family decides to keep them.  Only those who have/had a high profile are retained or donated.  Commercial Studios (catalogues) are usually passed on by the client to their.

Some, such as Eaton's and other large catalogue retailers used large commercial in-house facilities who did everything from design/layout/photography/catalogue printing.  Toronto had two of these facilities both are long gone. 

Don

[polarbear]

T Eaton Company records and photos mentioned...

http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/ARCH_DESC_FACT/FACTSDESC/REFD%2BF%2B229?SESSIONSEARCH

PB