The Material Presence of Early Social Work: The Practice of the Archive

This article focuses on the practice of archival research and addresses the methodology and work of interpretation that are at stake in dealing with a multiplicity of archival media: texts, images and objects. It raises questions that arise from the archive of a Toronto child-care agency that celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2009. This work is part of a project that links social work practices to cultural representations. By exploring …