Ellis Wiley
Ellis Wiley (1918–2002) was a Canadian accountant and prolific amateur photographer. Wiley died in 2002, and his widow donated his just over 2,500 35mm slide films to the City of Toronto Archives. The Wiley collection spans the years 1945 to 1998.
Ellis Wiley

Ellis Wiley · This image is available from the City of Toronto Archives, listed under the archival citation Fonds 124, File 1. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyri · Public domain
- Name
- Ellis Wiley
- Died
- 2002
- Known for
- photographer of Toronto
- Occupation
- accountant
- Born
- 1918 · Toronto.
- Nationality
- Canada
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Ellis Wiley (1918–2002) was a Canadian accountant and prolific amateur photographer. Wiley died in 2002, and his widow donated his just over 2,500 35mm slide films to the City of Toronto Archives. The Wiley collection spans the years 1945 to 1998.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Commentators note how often writers make use of Wiley's photos to illustrate books and articles about Toronto. They noted that not only was Wiley a good photographer, but that there were very few other freely re-usable images from the period when he was active. They noted that Wiley's collection includes many photos of iconic landmarks shortly before, or even during, demolition. Derek Flack, writing for BlogTO, noted that Wiley's photos did contain imperfections, which marked him as a skilled amateur. He felt these imperfections added to their charm, and gave them a tone of immediacy.

The Confederation Life building, with a BA Oil gas station in the foreground. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ellis Wiley · This image is available from the City of Toronto Archives, listed under the archival citation Fonds 124, File 1, Item 62. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A norm

A PCC streetcar turning east from Keele Street on to St. Clair Avenue West, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The line terminated at a turning loop just north of this intersection.
Ellis Wiley · This image is available from the City of Toronto Archives, listed under the archival citation Fonds 124, File 2, Item 42. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A norm
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ellis Wiley • Died — 2002 • Known for — photographer of Toronto • Occupation — accountant
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1918
Ellis Wiley born at Toronto.
2002
Ellis Wiley died.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Etobicoke
Residences
Toronto.
Birth place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Astrid Idlewild. F. Ellis Wiley, 1918–2002: An overview. Accozzaglia. 2011-01-06.
- 2.Chris Bateman. What Kensington Market was like in the 1970s. BlogTO. 2017-09-23.
- 3.Eric Veillettes. A drink with BlogTO editor Derek Flack. The Toronto Star. 2014-06-06.
- 4.Derek Flack. The Kodachrome Toronto archive. BlogTO. 2011-03-25.
- 5.Ellis Wiley Fonds. City of Toronto Archives.
- 6.Chris Bateman. What the Financial District was like in the 1970s & '80s. BlogTO. 2014-10-09.
- 7.Derek Flack. A flashback to the gritty Toronto of the 1980s. BlogTO. 2017-06-26.
- 8.Derek Flack. Ellis Wiley's Toronto photographs. BlogTO. 2011-02-25.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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