Peter MacCallum was born June 27, 1947 in Toronto and is a self-taught, freelance photographer, highly regarded for his documentary work. Industrial environments and interior views have been of particular interest throughout his career, and his photographs of manufacturing plants and commercial interiors have been extensively published and exhibited.
In 1986, he was commissioned by Massey Ferguson Properties Ltd. to record their (former) manufacturing complex at King Street West and Strachan Avenue, before it was demolished for future development. In 1998 he began his project Concrete Industries, focusing on the production and structural use of reinforced concrete. Recently, he was commissioned by the City of Toronto Works and Emergency Services Department to document the dismantling of the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway.
MacCallum has been awarded Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council grants, and he has had solo and group exhibitions at a number of Toronto galleries, including the Market Gallery of the City of Toronto Archives, The Power Plant, Tableau Vivant Gallery, and artist-run centres Mercer Union Gallery and A Space.
His photographs have been published in numerous books and magazines, such as Canadian Art, C Magazine, Parachute, and Canadian Architect. They are also included in private and public collections, including the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, City of Toronto Archives, Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario, Verity Corporation, National Rubber Inc., and the Canadian Auto Workers.
The City Archives has acquired many of Peter’s industrial works, including Massey-Ferguson Ltd., Wickett & Craig Tannery Ltd., Ontario Stockyards, Involute Gear Co., National Rubber Co., Miscellaneous Toronto Views, Milnes Fuel Oil tank demolition, and the Joy Oil tank farm demolition. These series can be found in Fonds 1581, the Peter MacCallum fonds.