Retail Retrospective, Toronto Reference Library, Toronto, ON

Trish and I checked out the Retail Retrospective exhibit in the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library this evening. It was fun to check out the shopping bags of yesteryear and share the memories they brought back. It’s here until January 11 and free.

Glimpse the retail world of yesterday and celebrate Toronto’s shopping scene through the decades.

Retail Retrospective showcases vintage shopping bags from our Special Collections tracing the history of retailers that defined eras in Toronto. Rediscover the iconic and historic shops that shaped how our city shops today.

Far more than vessels for carrying goods, shopping bags can double as advertisements, status symbols and snapshots of design history. Their physical form can even tell a story—paper or plastic.