Not Just Numbers
Case 12 Conclusion: Abraham Sprachman
Fifteen Minutes
Did you find anything surprising about this person’s life?
Did you make any assumptions that were later challenged?
Is there anything specific about this person that you would like to know?
Details
Abraham Sprachman (1897-1971) was born in Obertyn, Galicia. In 1904, he arrived in Toronto with his mother and siblings, where they reunited with his father and eldest brother who were working as peddlers.
Abraham’s architectural firm, Kaplan & Sprachman, designed homes, apartment buildings, and synagogues for Toronto’s Jewish community, as well as clubhouses—built in response to the social exclusion Jews faced—and the new Mount Sinai Hospital. However, the firm is most famous for designing roughly 75% of movie theatres built in Canada between 1919 and 1950.
In 2016, Parks Canada recognized Kaplan & Sprachman for their architectural work during the “Golden Age of Cinema” and designated the Eglinton Theatre, now the Eglinton Grand, as a National Historic Site.
Abraham’s son Mandel (1925-2002) was also a renowned theatre architect, as well as an advocate for preserving Toronto’s architectural heritage. He repurposed old theatres, including redesigning the former Yiddish Standard Theatre to become the Cantonese Golden Harvest. His greatest career achievement was restoring the Winter Garden Theatre, after more than 60 years of being out of use.
Mandel also designed the first Cineplex, which opened in 1979. With a world record 18 theatres inside a single complex, the shift to smaller theatres lowered operating costs and expanded access to foreign language films, at a time when Toronto’s population was becoming increasingly diverse.
Robert, one of Mandel’s sons, is a public artist. His most notable contribution is the Iron Horse near Davisville Station. Originally a temporary display from 1994 to 1996, the Iron Horses returned as a permanent landmark in 2019.
For more information:
“Iron Horses.” n.d. Midtown Yonge BIA. https://www.mybia.ca/iron-horses.
“Mandel Sprachman Fonds.” n.d. City of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/online-exhibits/web-exhibits/web-exhibits-architecture-infrastructure/mandel-sprachman-fonds/.
[News segment about the Iron Horses begins at 0:50] “Our Toronto – November 30, 2019.” 2019. Our Toronto –. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.5379682.
Silverstein, Barbara. 2016. “Former Eglinton Theatre Declared National Historic Site.” The Canadian Jewish News. November 30, 2016. https://thecjn.ca/news/former-theatre-national-historic-site/.