R and I are lucky to live on a fantastic street in a truly interesting neighborhood in Montreal. Next door to us live a family whose 93-year-old patriarch was born in the house where his grown children still live. Our own building is cooperatively owned by a group of individuals who bought it 30 years ago after coveting it from their then-apartment across the street. Three of those original owners still live here and Robert, the owner of our apartment, maintains a studio in the old stables out back despite having recently moved to a house further north. This is an area rich with history, family and friendship. There is a unique intermingling of age, language, outlook and interests and many play an active role in this community.
Currently our alley is home to a magical photo exhibition, Laterna Magica, by artist (and neighbor) Loren Williams. Ms. Williams canvassed residents of two Plateau streets for photographs of the neighborhood from their own family archives. Some images are mounted on board and hung throughout the alleyway, others are displayed backlit in windows of current residents, best viewed after 7pm when the sun has gone down. Altogether it makes for a fascinating glimpse into our neighborhood over the course of many decades (and I'm sure a trip down memory lane for many).
For example, then:
One fence hosts a series of little doors which open to reveal knotholes:
Which on further inspection show former residents of the back gardens held within:
A series of historic postcards mounted on board show idyllic scenes of Parc La Fontaine, just one block away from our house:
An archive map from the turn of the century, can you find where we live?
The carriage house/stables behind our building as they stand today:
And a photograph of former inhabitants:
At night the backlit photos take on a somewhat eerie quality, reminding one of lives lived and ended in these very streets, these homes.
1 comment:
This is beautiful Liz, I'm glad you've found such a magical place to call home :)
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