Here are a couple more photos of old Verdun back yards. Unfortunately they are undated but my guess is they go back to the 30s or the 40s. Perhaps some members will recognize a relative or the address although the photos are typical of many Verdun back yards. These photos are from the collection of one of our members (SHGV) who donated them to our society and I have more to share wich will follow later. Does'nt this bring back many memories of our youth growing up in Verdun ?
Guy
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36 comments:
Guy incredible historical photo no doubt. Sure resembles our backyard in the 40s and 50s but only to a point. We had our backyard, 457 Second Avenue, a little bit more manicured with all the glass windows intact. Looks like the First Avenue lane -- just kidding. Actually us kids didn't realize just how poor we were post war. I was a happy child.
Bill
Hello Guy, What evidence Do you have that can certify that these photos are of Verdun ? Because in my estimation ,although they certainly Resembles the dumps we lived in,they do not look like Verdun lanes (at least to me they don't) I suspct these are around older Montreal areas.......Don't you think ? HF&RV
Les, I know what your getting at, Verdun was never that bad and the photos are probably from the east end or some other poor area in Montreal but Verdun, never. Having come from the Galt Bannantyne area, wich was considered the poorest area of Verdun as things got better as you headed towards say Crawford Park, our yards were not very clean although I must say I don't remember them been as bad as on the photos. These photos were donated by an old Verdunite and all are Verdun scenes. However, I will do some double checking to make sure the photos are authentic Verdun back yards. Guy
Here is another photo from the same collection. Here are the points of interest to be able to identify the date and area: The street at the bottom. The car at the bottom right. The tip of Nun's Island at upper left. The "Red Top" at the middle left. The boardwalk. Lawn Bowling faintly visible at upper right. My guess is that the photo dates about 1960 + /-. Notice no addition of earth at the boardwalk. Seems to me the "Red Top" is situated between Argyle and Woodland, therefore the bottom street may be Argyle. Maybe the sharp eyes of our members may be ablle to give us more information. Guy
Wow that is a great photo Guy,.I think it's the next red top ,past Woodland towards Lasalle ,.where VerdunAv meets Lasalle Blvd. .only because there is no sign of the Bandshell at Woodland or the Pav or the Tennis Club.etc etc .....but it does look a lot like the area near 'Torchy Wharf'...or close to it. Maybe one of the other members may have a better memory ... Whta a good shot though,....I wonder where it was taken from,as it looks almost to low to be an aircraft,but too high for any of the buildings we had in Verdun ( for the most part anyway,otherthan 'Steeples of Church's .....neat shot , I like it. HF&RV
I agree, Les. I think the ":red top" is at the foot of Godin Ave and the street at the bottom of the picture is either Manning or Moffatt. Ron
Godin Ok I couldn't think of the name of the street, Ron what do you remember as being a tall structure around that area (looks like something at least 5 storey's high I would guess. Maybe one of Our Montreal area members could get a picture from around that spot, & figure out exactly where this shot would have been taken from? Thanks for the memory boost.......HF&RV
Here is a map of Verdun to help us figure out from where the photo was taken. Based on the angle of the shot showing the grassy islands situated at the tip of Nun's Island, the photo would have to have been taken from Desmarchais, Melrose or Argyle, don't you think ? As far as the Bandshell is concerned, it may have been demolished by the time the photo was taken, app. 1960 +/-. Also, woud'nt we see Heron Island on the far right if the photo was taken further towards LaSalle ? Guy
Hi Guy the bandshell came down in the late 60's .as did the Pav. but the Tennis Courts are still there to this day..... So I have to still think this Redtop is the one where Verdun Av meets Lasalle Blvd ,at the foot of Godin as Ron mentioned..... HF&RV
Hi Guys: I agree with Ron and Les . Could the shot have been taken from the roof or steeple of St John the Divine Church on Manning looking diagonally towards the river.? George
Me Again: An additional thought just hit me. Maybe someone was on a crane and had a camera , e.g., (construction worker that new Verdun )? George
Hello all. I left Verdun in 69 but recall that a multi-storey apt building was erected on the S/W corner of Wellington & 5th or 6th Ave in the mid-late 60s. Assuming that the "red top" is at the foot of Godin Ave, this seems to be the only realistic location where this photo could have been shot. My previous guess that the street in the foreground of Guy's photo is Manning or Moffatt may be incorrect; it is difficult to determine how many streets there may be between the 1st in the photo and the "red top". I played with Guy's map of Verdun and marked an "X" where the "red top" is assumed to be and a "Y" where an apt building would be at the corner of Wellington & 6th Ave. I know it may not be clearbut I've attachedit anyway. Ron
Oops, here's the pic.
Attachment: Map.jpg
That apartment building is at 6th Av & Wellington, a friend of mune lived in there, & my brother lived on 6th av,in those same years,.but staight up the street at the top of Desmarchais there was a playground & then further over was the redtop as you appraoched towards Woodland ,you would be able to the whole cemnet downs and park alongside the boardwalk,.this photo doesn't show that at all,.I still think it's further along Lasalle Blvd, near Verdun Av. as per all the previous suggestions of the wherabouts of stategic landmarks like the bandstand & the Pav & the Tennis Club.etc etc ...Good thought though, but I doubt you'd have as clear a shot as this one looking towards the river. Interesting though, HF&RV
Also if this was the apartment building at 6th & Wellington,.then looking toward the river would make the street in the immediate foreground DesMarchais,.& this isn't it. as it has no center boulevard ,that DesMarchais was noted for.. have fun & Remember Verdun
This view is taken from the foot of Allard ,according to the info with picture from from Johnny O's photo album ........taken a just a few years back ,towards the Redtop,that is a long straight stretch of the Boardwalk,sort of like the long straight stretch visible in the old Photo ? HF&RV
If you look at the bottom of the picture just by the tree, you can see part of the boulevard. Because the picture was taken from high up and at an angle, you can't see most of the boulevard. If you look at the google map, you can see the building beside the freestanding one has the same awning and you can still make out the road/laneway between the two buildings. The buildings to the right seem to be a different shape but that is likely because the sheds have all been torn down. The redtop in the picture is at Melrose by my calculations.
A very reasonable & compelling arguement ,but look at the single building,.and the building to the right of it in the photo seems to be set ahead of the single building & to the front of it in the other photo,.also the roof line is more square in one picture than the other,..... Although I have to say the awning could very well be the same shape as the old photo......it's the stuff & shape of the rooftops that lead me to think it's not the same place,but perhaps another google map of the area near Verdun & Lasalle Blvd would help clarify it a bit.... Good work on deduction though,..I'm not entirley convinced yet. and I don't see that lane as looking the same either......??? HF&RV
Also where's the laneway that runs Btwn the single house & the awning house,it doesn't look very prevalent in the comparison pics,....Neither does the road look like DesMarchais from one side of the street to the other House to House,.it doesn't appear to be wide enough for DesMarchais.///////study the shape of the actual rooftops ,because in one it looks like some 'skylights' are there in the other they are not.....(not really likely that skylights would have been done away with ,. HF&RV We need to see more pics of Verdun & Lasalle ,.& maybe even Bannatyne & Lasalle,...just to see if we can locate more geographic landmarks............ great thread though , as we haven't disected an old photo of Verdun with our version of Forensic Observations...........hahahahah HF&RV
Here is another interesting photo from 1932 wich originates from the City of Verdun Police Department and wich is part of the same collection. The writing at the back of the photo reads as follows: Date: 20/12/32 Time: 2.25 p.m. Temperature: Fair Name: Mrs Smith Address: 4221 Verdun Ave. Place of Accident: near 4643 Verdun Ave. The intersection is not mentioned. Notice convertible behind staircase and police telephone on post. Perhaps someone can give us the name of the side street, Verdun ave. being on the left. For some reason presently unknown to me, I am unable to get the information from the Lovell directory. Guy ARCHIVE SHGV
Guy, the postal code for 4639 Verdun Ave is H4G 1M6 (there is none listed for 4643 Verdun Ave). Go to www.canada411.ca and do a reverse search for this postal code. An aerial photo will appear. The cross street in your photo is either 1st or 2nd Ave. Ron
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Hi Guy ! Thanks for the nice photo. Some info : Lovell’s Directory, 1932 : 4643 Verdun Ave : Kahlenberg, D. Rabinovitvh, P, M.D. "http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/lovell/src/1931-1932/4.Montreal_street_directory/V/110643_1931-1932_0633.pdf" 4643 Verdun Ave is between 1st and 2nd Avenue, North side: JM
Here is another photo from the Verdun Police Dept. archives wich is also part of the same collection. The year is not shown but I estinate it as the beginning of the 30s. Also, notice the Police Dept. typewritten report wich is on the back of the photo. You can see the WW1 cannon in the park and the Willibrord School in the background. Guy Donation of the collection of G챕rard Guay to the SHGV
Great photo Guy, I passed this area many times,as a kid, A friend we went to school with lived right around the corner near the lane, His name was Kim Corner Also, my fathers , mothers father, ( my Dad's Great Grandfather was named Williams and he dropped dead right there in front of that grocery store ( long before my time of course) Strange coincidence that this photo is the site of an accident involving a Mr Williams......neat photo, I went to that school in the background STWillibrord's Grade School Boys side.( Rielle & Verdun Avenue) and of course the old StWillibrords High School also shwoinf here .....A lot of us played in that park as well: A very good Verdun photo...........Thanks Guy.........HF&RV
Another photo from the same collection of an unidentified Verdun lane. It looks a lot like the back of the Corona Bottling Plant that was situated at the corner of Atwater and Verdun avenue. I took a photo of that area a couple of years ago for JM but I can't find it in my computer. However, I may be wrong and perhaps another member can identify the area. Guy ARCHIVES SHGV
Here is the last photo from the same collection that I am posting of the corner of River and Wellington dated 1933. Alongside the photo is the Verdun Police Dept. typed information that appears on the back side of the photo. Points of interest are the tramway tracks on the left and the hazy horsedrawn cart heading towards Verdun. Les, I bet the first thing you spottted is the Carling ale sign on the corner grocery store. (ha-ha). As a contrast, I just happened to have taken a photo of that same corner on the 21st of April 2007. Quite a change don't you think ! River street was originally named Gough then River then Henri Duhamel wich is the continuation of Atwater Street. Guy
I think I may have been confused, the photo of the corner of Wellington and Henri Duhamel I believe is looking towards Verdun and not Montreal. However, I also have a photo I took of the opposite corner. This may be the same building standing today. Guy
Looks like "Pop's" candy store
Here is another photo from the same collection. My recollection of these blocks of ice is when the horsedrawn carriages would deliver them with those large steel pliers in the Verdun lanes and put them in our ice box wich were on our back galleries. As a matter of fact, I helped deliver those blocks of ice through the back sheds up to the 3rd floor by an unscrupulous delivery man taking advantage of us young kids in the early 40s. Guy
Again good photo Guy,.you have obviously come across a good collection......... Here's some shots from the same era,.in one shot you can see Mont-Royal in the distant background here's also a little info on the photos which were taken by Conrad Poirier Snow Pictures. Ice Cutting / Conrad Poirier . - 3 f챕vrier 1938
- 1 photographie(s) : n챕gatif sur pellicule n&b Restriction(s)
Des restrictions s'appliquent sur une ou des unit챕s de rangement. Consulter le panorama 'Contenants' pour lire le libell챕 des restrictions. Port챕e et contenu
Lors d'une op챕ration de coupe de glace sur le fleuve Saint-Laurent, nous voyons deux tra챤neaux pour le transport de la glace, tir챕s par des chevaux ainsi que des hommes circulant sur les battures gel챕es . .......................................................HF&RV
Les, I am not convinced that the mountain in the background is the Mont Royal. If the photos were taken on the Montreal/Verdun side of the St Lawrence river, the mountain would be either Mont St Grégoire or Mont St Hilaire but if the scenes were from across the river on the Longueil/St Lambert side, then the mountain would be Mount Royal. I think the photos are from the Montreal side since that is where the market was. It is unfortunate that there is so little information on these old photos. Perhaps the photos were taken from both sides of the river. Guy
Hi Guy I thought it was fairly obvious that that picture was taken from the other side of the river, HF&RV
On second thought, the last photo would have been taken from across the river and the mountain would be the Mont Royal as we can see the Montreal buildings in the background although I can't make out the Oratoire St Joseph. I think the other photos were taken from the Montreal side with Nun's Island in the background. Guy
Yes the only photo I mentioned was the last photo,and it's Mont Royal, I can't speak to the other photos,as I haven't studied them very much & the copies available in the post,are a smaller format, the origianls on the bNQ site were larger & easier to make out,...for some reason BNQ hasn't been allowing the larger version to be saved , as they used to,...I will try & find a way to save the larger format,.....but I think they changed their service & this is all we can get for now. I will post the link to their page on the nexts pics........... HF&RV
Les, In the fall issue of our quarterly magazine, Les Argoulets (SHGV), we had a series of articles on the old crafts wich included the ice industry and I am including the 2 pages on the subject. You will notice that the same photos are shown and the one with the Mont Royal in the background mentions that the photo was taken from Nun's Island. Also notice the old wooden ice box. Ours was'nt that big but similar in construction. Guy
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