Although we are now in July, I still have quite a few images to share that were taken last month.

For today’s post, I’ve combined some shots taken in and around Old Montreal and the Old Port that were taken over the course of a couple of visits in June.

View from the Éolienne V sculpture

On June 10, I took a few shots from a view I really like – looking up toward Place d’Armes from near the corner of Saint-Antoine street and Saint Urbain street. On the corner is a water themed sculpture by Charles Daudelin titled Éolienne V (1983). It provided a nice foreground point of interest to shoot from, particularly with the nearby buildings reflecting in the flowing water.

For another shot (taken from a similar angle as the above shot), I processed in black and white and pushed the exposure to blow out the background. I quite liked how it came out.

 

I decided to take a number of overlapping shots from the street corner in order to make a collage effect. Although PS Elements has a quick tool for stitching panoramas, I ended up having to align by hand – thankfully I only used 8 frames.

 

Peel Basin, Windmill Basin, Sand Sculpture and Vauquelin Place

About a week later (June 16) I was back down in Old Montreal and the Old Port. Another beautiful summer morning to be out shooting.

I began my walk down at the Peel Basin. Construction in Griffintown is still rampant with condo’s being built it seems on every corner.

 

Walking back toward the Old Port, I passed by the iconic Farine Five Roses sign. The sun was still quite low and was just visible behind the sign. In post production I used Topaz Labs Star Effects to enhance the sun flare.

 

Crossing over the rue Mill bridge there were some great reflections of the clouds in the lock of the Lachine canal.

 

A favourite spot of mine is the area around Windmill Point Basin.

 

I continued my morning walk along the Promenade du Vieux-Port.

 

 

The annual summer sand sculptures are back. This year the format is a little different. In past years, 3 sculptures have been located next to the clock tower, whereas this year they are next to the Quai des Convoyeurs. Also, rather than all being on exhibition at the same time, 3 sculptures will be ‘unveiled’ at different times during June and July:

Sculpture 1: June 13 – 26

Sculpture 2: June 27 – 10

Sculpture 3: July 11 – 25

The first sculpture is of a pirate – thankfully it hadn’t rained before I visited and was still in good shape. It looked like he was deciding which crêpe to order 😉

 

 

I was planning to photograph all 3 sculptures, unfortunately however, when I visited to shoot the second sand sculpture, the mermaid had succumbed to the elements and lost half her face 🙁

Hopefully I’ll have time to pop down to the Old Port this afternoon or tomorrow to photograph the 3rd sculpture while it’s still in perfect form.

Following the Old Port, I spent a bit of time around the fountain in Vauquelin Place. This is a wonderful spot in the summer to sit and chill on a bench in the shade of the trees and admire the fountain and the architecture of City Hall.

 

 

The statue at the North side of the square commemorates Jean Vauquelin, a French Naval officer who fought during the Seven Years’ War (1754 and 1763) and was erected in 1930.

 

Facing Vauquelin, on the other side of rue Notre-Dame (at the north end of Place Jacques-Cartier), stands Nelson’s Column (erected in 1809).  An interesting fact concerning this monument is that not only is it the oldest monument in Montreal, it is in fact the oldest ‘Nelson’s Column’ in the world. Dublin’s Nelson Pillar was the oldest (1808) but was destroyed in 1966 by an Irish Republican bomb. As a side note, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London was not unveiled until1843.

Another worthy note is that the original statue of Horatio Nelson that originally stood on top of Nelson’s column was removed in 1997 to preserve it from the weather. The original can now be found at the Centre d’histoire de Montréal.

 

 

It often strikes people that in a city being predominantly French, Montrealers may not be too enthralled with having a statue commemorating the famous British Naval Admiral who defeated the French (and Spanish) at the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805). Indeed, in 1894, French sovereigntists plotted to blow up the column – despite the fact that when erected it was funded by donations from both British and French Canadians, the latter being unsympathetic to Napoleon or the ideals of the French Revolution.

Objections to the column do still rise occasionally though. As late as 1997 the City proposed moving it to an Anglophone district, but public opposition forced the City to keep the monument at Place Jacques-Cartier.

Here is a view of Nelson’s column looking north from Place Jacques-Cartier…

 

 

 

If you walk to the North side of Place Vauquelin, you have a nice view of the Montreal skyline.

 

A final shot from my June 16 walkabout was of another structure significant for being the oldest in Montreal. Situated next to the Notre-Dame Basilica is the Old Sulpician Seminary. Built in 1685, the Seminary is the oldest standing building in Montreal.

 

 

Recently sold prints

In keeping with the subject of today’s post, it seemed like a good time to share a print that was recently purchased by a buyer in Québec (31.5″ x 23.5″).

 

If you are interested in purchasing a print for yourself, it’s available in various sizes (signed and numbered) in the online store. Alternatively if you are looking to buy a print framed and ready to hang, click here.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

– Martin

Montréal in Pictures

Your virtual guide in and around Montréal

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