John Little Archive Project
By Craig Klinkhoff
The John Little Archive Project is dedicated to preserving and organizing archival materials related to the artistic legacy of John Little (1928–2024). Following his passing in October 2024, the Little family designated me as steward to oversee the contents of the artist’s studio, which contains an extraordinary collection of sketches, photographs, and records. The vast majority of these materials, including thousands of photographs, will be digitized to ensure that important pieces of Little’s process and inspiration remain accessible to scholars, collectors, and the public.
The John Little Archive Project is a testament to the extraordinary time and care invested by Lillian Dumbrille and Ariela Alperstein, whose efforts—undertaken in close collaboration with Roger Little and Ronaldo Soriano Trono—have made this preservation initiative possible.
Image courtesy of Mark Tomalty
Inside the Archive
A glimpse into the controlled chaos of John Little’s studio — shelves of labeled boxes, pinned calendars and maps, and countless sketches and photos. Each of the makeshift boxes in his studio archive is labeled by neighbourhood, subject, or theme. They contain sketches, reference photographs, personal photographs, newspaper clippings & obituaries.
Little often used as his input the same drawings and photographs he took in the 1950s and 60s.
Archive Preview
Items Digitized
8487
Recently Digitized
M177 Rural Quebec
M176 Westmount
M175 Ile d'Orleans / Prince Arthur University McGill
Latest Update
July 23, 2025
The Young Skaters and their ice rink Maria Street, St. Henri, Montréal
Box Name
Rinks
Neighbourhood
Centre-Sud (St. Henri), Montréal
John Little Archive Number
M40
The Young Skaters and their ice rink Maria Street, St. Henri, Montréal, 1970
John Little photograph M40-L5-344
John Little photograph M40-L5-345
John Little photograph M40-L5-346
Sherbrooke Street, Montréal
Box Name
Sherbrooke St.
Neighbourhood
Ville-Marie (Golden Square Mile), Montréal
John Little Archive Number
M20
Sherbrooke Street West, painted circa 1968
John Little photograph M20-L11-89
Meet The Team
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Ariela Alperstein
Ariela Alperstein is a student at the University of Michigan with a History and History of Art double-major and a minor in Museum Studies. She hopes to work in textile conservation and is very excited about this incredible project.
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Lillian Dumbrille
As an avid artist, Lillian is honoured to be assisting with this significant project. In the fall, Lillian will enter her second year in the Concurrent Education program at Queen’s University, with a specialization in Art History.
More Coming Soon
As we continue to sort, digitize, and document the contents of the studio, more materials will become available online. Upcoming updates will include highlights from the archive and new tools for exploring John Little’s artistic legacy.
Contact
We welcome academic collaborators, volunteers, and institutions interested in supporting archival access to John Little’s legacy. For all inquiries, submit the contact form below.