Collection search - Orto Estonian Publishing House fonds [textual record, moving images, graphic material]

Record information – Brief
1
Orto Estonian Publishing House fonds [textual record, moving images, graphic material]

Hierarchical level:

Fonds

Date:

1944-1976.

Reference:

R3396-0-5-E, MG28-V24

Type of material:

Textual material, Art, Moving images

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

100590

Context of this record:

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Orto Estonian Publishing House fonds
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Record information – Details
Fonds includes:

10 lower level description(s)
View lower level description(s)

Date(s):

1944-1976.

Place of creation:

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent:

21.51 m of textual records.
3 film reels; 16mm.
2 paintings oil.

Language of material:

English

Scope and content:

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The fonds consists of correspondence with authors, editors and translators; manuscripts of both published and unpublished works; as well as business and financial records of the Orto Estonian Publishing House Ltd. The fonds constitutes a rich source of literary archives, particularly for the Estonian community world-wide.

The fonds also contains portraits of Andres Laur, founder and president of Orto Estonian Publishing Company. Paintings are by Arthur Michkelsoo and H. Mikkcksoar respectively. In addition to the portraits, there are three films entitled: Orto literary exhibition; Sweden; and the Building of the Orto Estonian Publishing House.

Provenance:

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Orto Estonian Publishing House

Biography/Administrative history:

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Orto Estonian Publishing House : Andres Laur, a wartime refugee from Estonia, began publishing literature in Finland in 1944. The next year, in Sweden, he started an Estonian book club, which resulted in a market on five continents and formed the basis for a flourishing literary publishing business in 1946 which he called Orto Estonian Publishing Company.

In 1950, attracted in part by the large number of Estonians in the metropolitian Toronto area, Laur decided to relocate Orto in Toronto. Here, he also published Kodukolle, a general interest magazine from 1951 to 1956, and established in 1952, Vaba Eestalana, an Estonian weekly newspaper which ceased publication in 2001, when it was merged with Meie Elu (Our Life) to form Eesti Elu (Estonian Life). In 1963, he founded Centennial Press and launched the Canadian National Book Club to publish English language books. Through a Canada-wide literary competition, he received enquiries and submissions from writers throughout the country, but this business venture failed.

In 1973 Laur died, having served the Estonian community well, providing more than 100 literary works, novels, poetry etc., as well as periodicals and other publications. His two major publications were illustrated editions of Estonia's national epic, Kalevipoeg, and of the Bible. Deprived of Laur's energy and spirit, Orto ceased its operations in 1974.

Finding aid:

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Textual records (Electronic) The finding aid is a shelf list of the file titles. The one exception is Series H which generally lists the subject matter of individual groups of archival volumes rather than the contents of the files. MSS1328 (90: Open)
http://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000002649.pdf

Additional information:

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General note:

The literary papers, including correspondence, and manuscripts both published and unpublished, chiefly in Estonian, constitute an important research source. The business records constitute a source of information on the Estonian community in Canada and throughout the world and also about the publishing business, since for many years Orto was the major exporter among Canadian publishers. Painting by H. Mikkcksoar is located in Rm. 330, Stack 12B. Material received in 1974 from Mrs. Viia Levine of Toronto, Ont.
Subject heading:

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Publishers and publishing - Canada, 1944-1976 Vaba Eest lane, 1944-1976

Ethnicity - Canada, 1944-1976 Centennial Press, 1944-1976

Estonia

Estonians - Canada, 1944-1976

Canada - Emigration and immigration - Social aspects, 1944-1976

Authors - Canada, 1944-1976

Editors - Canada, 1944-1976

Translators - Canada, 1944-1976

Business enterprises Canada 20th century
Source:

Private

Related control no.:

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(1975-04-15)
1975-0226 MISA
1976-017 PIC

Former archival reference no.:

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MG28-V24

Other accession no.:

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1975-0226 MISA
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

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Textual records

[Consultation90 Open]

Volume [MG28 V 24] 1--120

[Consultation 90 Open]

Finding aid box [FA 1328] 110

[Consultation 10 Closed]

Graphic (art)

[Consultation90 Open]
Paintings must be consulted under close supervision for conservation purposes.

Moving images (film)

[Consultation90 Open]

Terms of use:

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Paintings: No donor restrictions. Copyright unknown. Crown copyright on reproductions.Credit: National Archives of Canada.

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Date modified:: 2024-05-10