Larry Becker (1939 - 1998) was a collector. Fortunately for Torontonians, his collecting focus was his native city of Toronto. Even more fortunately, the City of Toronto - through its Archives and Museums - has been given his entire collection, which is, in reality, a collection of over 20 inter-related collections that reflect both the man and his city. This exhibition povides an opportunity to explore not only the history of the city, but also the nature of collections, collecting, and collectors.

Collectors

Collectors are a "special breed," as Larry Becker was fond of telling interviewers. Passionate. Dedicated. Even obsessive. Willing to spend time, energy, and money feeding their collecting "habit" and, sometimes, creating an organic whole from interesting, but disparate parts. Larry Becker was just such a collector - a man dedicated not only to acquiring interesting, isolated items, but also to fashioning a larger entity whose "whole" was definitely greater than the sum of its individual parts, as this exhibition attests.

Collecting

Collecting is a process. Collections are shaped, and re-shaped, sometimes becoming static only when the collector dies. Larry Becker, for example, was rearranging his postcard collection right up to the time of his death. Now the Becker Collection is "finished," and ready to be presented to the public that he always had in mind while creating it.

Collectors develop particular interests and particular styles of collecting. Some strive to collect every stamp, medal, postcard, or advertising card ever created on a particular subject, in a particular place, or between particular dates. Others seek to collect only the most unusual or the most representative or the most expensive examples. Some seek breadth; others seek depth in their collections. Some are distinctly amateur and pay little attention to the history or meaning of the objects they collect. Others do a great deal of research before and after acquiring items, seeking to identify what to acquire, and then placing it in a broader context. Some are secretive; while others are open and eager to share findings and insights.

Larry Becker was a thorough and a thoroughly professional collector, who dedicated time and money to building a collection that displayed both depth and breadth. Like some collectors, he strove to acquire a "complete" collection of some items, such as CNE medals, TTC tickets and transfers, and Toronto dairy bottles. Like other collectors, he sought to acquire individual "gems," such as an 1860 dance card or an 1812 shilling note. In all cases, however, his choices fit securely within his over-all vision of Collecting Toronto, both the ordinary and the extraordinary about his city. In many cases, his choices are accompanied by research notes that set the object in a broader historical context.

Unlike most collectors, however, Becker always intended his collection to be displayed and to benefit a larger public. Throughout his collecting life, for example, he arranged and rearranged mini-exhibition trays, which were obviously intended to be displayed. He also helped celebrate Toronto's 1984 Sesqui-Centennial by presenting his collection in an exhibition entitled "Treasures of Toronto," some of which are shown again here with their earlier labels. Now, Larry's long-time dream of sharing his collection "with the citizens of Toronto, present and future" is coming true.

Collections

Collections, in the hands of a knowledgeable and energetic collector, are not simply random assemblages of odd, possibly valuable items, but "creations" - even "art forms," as Becker was also fond of telling interviewers. Moreover, collections reflect their collectors. In the case of Larry Becker, it's not surprising that Larry Becker the native Torontonian collected "Torontoniana." Beyond that, it's not surprising that Larry Becker the teacher collected education materials; or that Larry Becker the small businessman collected a wide range of advertising ephemera; or that Larry Becker the animal lover collected dog tags, and so on.

Sadly, major collections - whether of rare books, fine art, natural history, or local ephemera - seldom survive past the life of the collector. Most are dispersed and undocumented, so that future generations don't even know what had once existed, or what might have been revealed about the life and times of the creator. What was deemed "collectible" or worthy of being collected? What themes were deemed significant? What materials were available to be collected? What subjects or objects were ignored? We'll never know.

Fortunately for Torontonians, Larry Becker's collection has not been dispersed. It therefore offers a rare opportunity for us, and those who come after us, to understand both one of Toronto's most prominent private collectors and the city he loved.