Montreal @1880 J.G. Parks stereoscopic photo Windsor Hotel

$30.00 CAD

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Early albumen silver print stereoscopic photo of the principal façade of the Windsor Hotel from across Dominion Square, Montréal, Québec.

Title handwritten on back “Windsor Hotel Montreal 

Printed right margin ‘J.G.  Parks Photographer’. Left margin ‘195 ½ St. James Street, Montreal'

Joseph George Parks was a Canadian photographer active in Montreal from 1864-1880.

Back has some smudges and color variation. 

8.5 x 17.50 cm.

 

The Windsor Hotel (opened 1878, closed 1981) was a hotel located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is often considered to be the first grand hotel in Canada, and for decades billed itself as "the best in all the Dominion".

The hotel was constructed between 1875 and 1878 by the Windsor Hotel Company consortium of six Montreal businessmen, including William Notman. At the time Montreal was Canada's largest city, and the centre of commerce in the young country. The consortium was formed to construct an opulent new hotel to symbolize the city's growing prominence and wealth. As of 1889, the hotel was accessed by visitors from outside of Montreal through Windsor Station, which was designed by New York architect Bruce Price)

The hotel opened without fanfare on January 28, 1878. Soon after, an opening gala was held that was the largest social gathering Montreal had ever seen. It was attended by the Right Honourable Sir John A. Macdonald, Princess Louise and the Marquess of Lorne. 

WIKIPEDIA