City of the Dead: the History of Toronto's Early Cemeteries

Celebrate spooky season with a trip back in time to two of Toronto's oldest cemeteries, St. James and the Toronto Necropolis. Learn about some of the famous - and infamous - people buried there, such as early Black leaders Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, executed rebels Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews, and Fathers of Confederation George Brown and Robert Baldwin. Hear the sensational stories of escaped slave and abolition activist Henry 'Box' Brown, and the obsessive love of a World War 1 soldier's mother. Learn about tombstone iconography and Victorian mourning and burial practice.

Presenter Virginia Van Vliet has been involved in researching Toronto history for community heritage organizations for 25 years. She is a member of the Association for Gravestone Studies.

For more information, please call Maria A. Shchuka Library at 416-394-1000.

This is a fee, drop-in program.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Toronto Public Library - Maria A. Shchuka Branch, 1745 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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