Fonds MG 3 volumes 2149-2232 - Clairtone Sound Corporation

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Clairtone Sound Corporation

General material designation

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

MG 3 volumes 2149-2232

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

Physical description area

Physical description

  • 13 m of textual records
  • 0.3 m of technical drawings
  • 0.3 m of graphic material

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1958-1979)

Administrative history

Clairtone Sound Corporation was incorporated under the statutes of Ontario on 2 July 1958. Based in Toronto, the company began manufacturing high-quality sound electronics and accessories. In 1960 it established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Clairtone Sales Limited, and opened its first international sales office in New York City. In the following year Clairtone purchased Strathroy Industries Limited and the company's subsidiary, The Middlesex Furniture Company Limited, thereby establishing its own cabinet manufacturing facilities. In the early 1960s the company established an international reputation for stereo and cabinetry design. In 1964 profits decreased and the company entered into an agreement with Industrial Estates Limited to erect a modern plant in Stellarton, N.S. and move its operations to Nova Scotia. The new plant was in full operation in August 1966, producing cabinets with built-in stereo, hi-fi, and colour television sets, and employing a workforce of nearly one thousand. In subsequent years mounting financial losses led Industrial Estates Limited to approve the sale of Clairtone to the Province of Nova Scotia. The company sustained losses totalling $19 million by 1970 and in 1971, it ceased operations when the government closed all manufacturing facilities. All buildings, inventories, and assets were sold but the company was not officiallly dissolved until 1979.

Custodial history

Records were in the custody of the Province of Nova Scotia after Clairtone was dissolved in 1970. They were transferred to the Public Archives of Nova Scotia records storage centre in Dartmouth ca. 1974 where they remained until their transfer to the archives in 1984.

Scope and content

Consists of records mainly created and accumulated by the corporation during its operations in Nova Scotia. Contains extensive upper management correspondence (13 top company officers), including that of Peter Munk, the company co-founder and president, and other top officers such as the vice-president, general manager, and controller, as well as lesser officials such as the purchasing director, engineer, and marketing and sales manager. Some of these files include annual and other major reports, minutes of director's meetings, policy manuals and official financial statements. There are also separate sections consisting of financial statements and other major corporate records such as annual reports, procedural manuals, and legal agreements, as well as marketing files (including product and promotional photographs and literature), and engineering department records such as quality control manuals and product blueprints.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

Language of material

Script of material

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number area

Standard number

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Control area

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related places

Related genres