Hamilton Spectator Daily Negatives

Hamilton Spectator Daily Negatives

This lists the regular negatives held by Special Collection. These are the day to day negatives (Black & White and Colour) taken by Spectator photographers of people, places, events, etc. Each day the Spectator published, an envelope was created for that day. All the photographs used that day are noted on the front of the envelope (usually the description is rather vague: ie. "girl with dog"). The negatives taken by staff that were filed in the envelope are checked off. Photographs supplied by outside (ie. without a negative) will not be checked off. These could be photographs provided by stringers or picked up off one of the wire services. There are no negatives for these in the collection. Negatives that have been removed for any reason will usually have a notation next to them citing the reason for removal. Some of the citations will have the notation S File next to them. (see the section labelled "S File" for a detailed breakdown of our holdings). Except for the S Files noted in this finding aid we do not own any other of the S Files specified. They are still at the Spectator.

Colour negatives from 1964 to 1976 are stored in the same type of envelope as the Black & White negatives. As less colour was used, each envelope may contain several weeks or even months worth of colour negatives. On the outside of each envelope is noted the date a colour negative was used and a description of the subject. Colour negatives are filed at the end of each year of regular negatives. The Black & White negatives begin at July 28, 1955 and end at September 1990. Beginning with the negatives from September 5, 1987 the Black & White and Colour negatives are filed together. All negatives past the final dates listed are still held by the Hamilton Spectator. Following is a chronological listing of our holdings for both Black & White and colour negatives. This listing also notes gaps in the collection.

There is no index for these day to day files. In order to locate a specific negative for a patron they must be able to provide us with the date that the photograph appeared in the newspaper (day/month/year). Even if they have the exact date, there is no guarantee that the negative will be in the envelope marked for that day.

Index of Hamilton Spectator Daily Negatives