On a recent late Spring visit to Saint John, N.B. the distinctive signs adorning area shops and walls added lots of color and charm to a meandering walk through the city center.
Similar posts on O’Canada:
⇒ Signs of Vibrant Charlottetown
⇒ On the Street Toronto: Fun & Unusual Signs
⇒ Love These Vintage Neon and Bulb Signs!
Fred Herzog, Bogner’s Grocery (1960)
I’ve seen the street photography of Fred Herzog previously but a brief essay by Geoff Dyer in today’s New York Times Magazine prompted me to look anew at Herzog’s work. Herzog came to Canada in the early 1950s from Germany and from the late 1950s through the 1960s pioneered color street photography in his adopted city of Vancouver. His candid shots provide a splendid if unvarnished documentary of the city and its people during that period. The vintage images also subtly illustrate many things that have changed in Vancouver and other urban areas throughout Canada (and America) in the past several decades.
More of Herzog’s work can be seen at Vancouver’s Equinox Gallery and on its website.
Fred Herzog, 2nd Hand Store Boy (1959)
Fred Herzog, Alexander Street (1967)
Fred Herzog, Granville Street from Granville Bridge (1966)
Fred Herzog, Granville/Robson (1959)
Fred Herzog, White Lunch Granville (1959)
Photo Credits: Fred Herzog and Equinox Gallery
Similar Posts on O’Canada:
⊕ Vintage / Mod Design: The City Bus
Sun Carving by Local Artists David Taylor, Black Rock, N.S.
A collection of yellows from various photo outings across Canada to brighten the impending blue of winter.
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Bowl of Bright Red Glass Lighting Ornaments, Kensington Market, Toronto
Stewart Jones, Wellington Composition (2013)
Stewart Jones is an immensely talented Canadian artist with a passion for painting vivid cityscapes — many set in Ontario — that are simply wonderful. He refers to his paintings as “love letters to the forgotten corners and alleyways” of our cities. Jones’s images often depict buildings at irregular angles or vantage points and feature lush brushstrokes that together energize his work and provide a fresh perspective on the often-overlooked, uncelebrated urban structures and byways that constantly surround us. More of Jones’s beautiful art can be seen at his painting website here and on his Facebook page.
Stewart Jones, CM Composition #1 (2013)
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Stewart Jones, Urban Alley (2014)
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Stewart Jones, Kingston Walkway (Year Unknown)
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Stewart Jones, Royal Hotel Picton (2014)
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Stewart Jones, Hamilton (2014)
Image Credits: Stewart Jones
Art in urban settings is great to bring us out of ourselves and to refresh our minds. A wonderful example is artist Joe Fafard’s The Pasture, a group of bronze cows posed lazily resting in the bucolic setting of the Toronto-Dominion Centre office park (designed by Mies van der Rohe), is perfect for providing an unexpected feeling of being far away from the nearby hustle and bustle of the Financial District.
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There’s a little something for everyone in Toronto’s very colorful, very funky Kensington Market neighborhood! Lot’s to look at, taste and absorb!
The mosaic or melting pot, as you prefer, that is Toronto is notably defined by its many distinct neighborhoods. By the time I realized I was working on a theme with these signage shots I had already overlooked about a dozen or so too many feet-miles earlier to readily retrace my steps.
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A while back I posted a collection of Quebec City manhole covers as an offbeat photo subject. From a recent trip to the wonderful urban melting pot that is Toronto, here’s another assortment of these often overlooked cast iron street fixtures. Having encountered at least 25 variations, I’m intrigued by the subtle expressiveness reflected in these compact circular spaces.
No Postmark– Around 1920s
The cityscape of Toronto, with its many tall buildings adorned with fine architectural detail and its bustling street-level activity, is most akin to what Americans encounter in the busy cities of New York and Chicago. These early 20th century postcards highlight the magnitude of Toronto even then. The people and vintage vehicles in these tinted images add interest and help define scale.
No Postmark — Around 1920s
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Postmarked 1910
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Postmarked 1918
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Postmarked 1939
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Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City
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A few night time images from most recent trip (Spring 2013) to Quebec City. The night was crazy cold and windy, which greatly challenged my patience and tripod so the images are not as sharp as I’d like.
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Along the Wall, Quebec City
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Evening, Rue de St. Jean, Quebec City
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Night’s Glow, Quebec City
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City Hall, Quebec City
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Night Fall, Quebec City
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Night Above Lower Town, Quebec City
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Antique Shop at Night, Quebec City
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Windy Night Near Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City
Tower on City Gate, Quebec City
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Looking Out on the St. Lawrance, Quebec City
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Rooftop Windows and Angles, Quebec City
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Rustic Fire Hydrant, Quebec City
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Looking Down the Avenue, Quebec City
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Church Top, Quebec City
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Sign Kiosk, Quebec City
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Quebec’s Banner Fluttering, Quebec City
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Colorful Roof, Quebec City
Quebec Month / Installment 14
Pediments, bas relief sculptures, window moldings, fanciful brickworks, roof fixtures and decorative doors are among the many intricate architectural details that vie for our attention as we walk down a street and absorb all that is before us. Here are some pics of such adornments from a recent trip to Montreal.
Quebec Month / Installment 13
Underfoot and mostly unnoticed as we trek to our destinations, manhole covers rest snugly in their circular grade-level perches all around Quebec City. With their spare adornment, they are immovable except with great effort, securely guarding their underground treasures of utility.
Jazz Saints
Quebec Month / Installment 11
Not long ago I posted some pics I took of graffiti in Montreal. Painted wall art is another form of creative expression that is different from graffiti, but sometimes in only subtle ways. I’m sure someone has worked out the technical distinction between such things, but however these art forms are categorized, Montreal is a rich showcase for a great deal of both (as well as other street art variants — such as kinetic art, elaborate light shows and light sculptures — that I could not readily capture).
Painted Cargo Container
Quebec Month / Installment 10
Delivery Bikes
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Bikes For Rent
Quebec Month / Installment 9
This video by Takki Eddine Alimat, an independent Montreal filmmaker, nicely captures the intense energy and colors of his hometown.
Quebec Month / Installment 8
Multicolored Marquee, Rue Sainte Catherine
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Theater Lights, Rue Sainte Catherine
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