Old Halifax

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by K-Man

Thought I'd throw these up as I haven't seen them before....the Fourm parking lot almost looks like a forest, lol. Anyone have any thoughts on what the event might be? It look likes they're unveiling a statue and if you look in the Grandstand along the front left everyone is dressed the same....

-- HALIFAX FORUM GRANDSTAND BUILDING --

Source: Facebook - OLD Black and White Pictures of Halifax, Nova Scotia
User: JB Martel

You can't really see the Forum parking lot from that perspective.

I suspect the event is a religious ceremony of some sort.

[K-Man]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

You can't really see the Forum parking lot from that perspective. I suspect the event is a religious ceremony of some sort.

Sure ya can. Here's why I'm saying that it's the parking lot....

The red box in both images is the edge of the Industrial Building.
The orange lines are guidelines to show the edges of the Grandstand and come all the way back to the edge of the racetrack.
In the b&w image the yellow line shows a rough line of sight from the racetrack to the trees in the background. If you look at the color aerial image and follow that same yellow line of sight you can see that it takes you to where all the trees are where the Forum parking is today. And, I find this a little humorous as it just came to me, it looks like the south end of the Forum was a green space in the first place and now 90 some years later we're coming full circle to it once again possibly being a green space.

-- EXHIBITION GROUNDS 1930's --


But anyway...I also noticed this when I was looking at the aerial image. What I originally thought might be statue in the b&w photo looks like it could be related to the small little 'building' when you see it from the air. I was hoping the view from the Grandstand image (1952) might lend a clue but it looks like both structures were gone by that point.

-- EXHIBITION GROUNDS 1930's --


-- VIEW FROM GRANDSTAND AUG.11, 1952 --

Source: HRM Archives - https://gencat1.eloquent-systems.com...=aerial+ladder

[K-Man]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Another:


Frederick Jelfs collection of bus and tramway material
HFX-TC-CCF Brill T44A 1954-278-Str-Brunswick Nr Duke-4 Armdale-=-NSLPS-1968-07-17

Ohhh, hell yeah. I spy with my little eye a '66 GTO. But this time 'my little eye' has betrayed me. It's actually a '66 Grand Parisienne. Pretty damn similar looking aren't they? Speaking of GTO's though '67 was a great year too. What's that you say? A '69 Judge in Carousal....why, yes please!
Ya know, I wish they never renovated the building and squared off the windows the way they did. It was much nicer in it's original brick with arched windows.
The color they used reminds me of the same light green that they used on the Alehouse in the 70's (originally the Salvation Army built in 1893).
This is another building that looks far better restored to it's original brick than it did painted up. Boy do I love a few tasty pints at the Alehouse...

-- SALVATION ARMY/ALEHOUSE (1970's) --

Source: Nocticed in Nova Scotia - https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...gs-in-halifax/

[OldDartmouthMark]

Actually, that Pontiac is a '66 Grande Parisienne - similar body to the US Grand Prix (GP was a full size car in '66), but uniquely Canadian in that it used the chassis and drivetrain from Chevrolets instead of the US Pontiac parts. The unique Canadian cars were made due to circumstances created from tariffs that existed between US and Canadian markets (which started to change from the Auto Pact of 1965).

Here's a brochure: http://www.oldcarbrochures.org/Canad...ure/index.html

Another way in which the '66 Grande Parisienne differed from the US Grand Prix is that it was available in a 4-door hardtop, whereas the US GP was only available in a 2 door hardtop.

FWIW, the GP was styled to closely resemble the GTO from the front, so it's an easy mistake to make. There, I'll turn off my automotive geek-dom...

The old Halifax market is one building that I wish had been kept, as I thought it was an attractive and fairly unique building for Halifax at the time. I can imagine it being repurposed as an urban grocery store in today's Halifax, something which doesn't currently exist at this time and will be needed as we continue to add density to the area.

However, at the time it was razed, Halifax was undergoing a transition in the downtown, and the apartment building that replaced it added some needed density to the area. The market building had outgrown its usefulness at that time.

Unfortunately, I would consider the building that replaced it to be mostly uninspiring...
https://goo.gl/maps/1UPoFPTazfVXdPdb7

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by K-Man

Sure ya can. Here's why I'm saying that it's the parking lot....

The red box in both images is the edge of the Industrial Building.
The orange lines are guidelines to show the edges of the Grandstand and come all the way back to the edge of the racetrack.
In the b&w image the yellow line shows a rough line of sight from the racetrack to the trees in the background. If you look at the color aerial image and follow that same yellow line of sight you can see that it takes you to where all the trees are where the Forum parking is today. And, I find this a little humorous as it just came to me, it looks like the south end of the Forum was a green space in the first place and now 90 some years later we're coming full circle to it once again possibly being a green space.

-- EXHIBITION GROUNDS 1930's --


But anyway...I also noticed this when I was looking at the aerial image. What I originally thought might be statue in the b&w photo looks like it could be related to the small little 'building' when you see it from the air. I was hoping the view from the Grandstand image (1952) might lend a clue but it looks like both structures were gone by that point.

-- EXHIBITION GROUNDS 1930's --


-- VIEW FROM GRANDSTAND AUG.11, 1952 --

Source: HRM Archives - https://gencat1.eloquent-systems.com...=aerial+ladder

Good detective work! From this 1931 pic on NS Archives, it looks like the little building might be a starters stand, perhaps from where race officials judged finishing order? Also, this view shows you are correct about the parking lot area originally consisting of trees and grass:

[K-Man]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Actually, that Pontiac is a '66 Grande Parisienne - similar body to the US Grand Prix (GP was a full size car in '66), but uniquely Canadian in that it used the chassis and drivetrain from Chevrolets instead of the US Pontiac parts.

Yes! I would have to say that you are correct. It does indeed appear to be a '66 Grande Parisienne and not a '66 GTO as I had originally thought. Thanks for the clarification - I've updated my first post to reflect the correct information. Fantastic eye ODM....I gotta ask how could you tell? After reading your post I had my nose smooshed against the monitor trying to spot the difference. I did find it a wee bit odd that the GTO badge wasn't on the car but even after all my looking the only thing I can see is that the hood line on a GTO goes straight across on the front while on the Parisienne it dips down in the middle. The head lights, turn signals, mirrors, bumper, hood lines and badge....everything looks the same, lol!

[K-Man]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Aw man, lol. How could I not think to check this image for a clue? Can't get a more perfect shot than that, eh? I think you have the right idea with it being a starter stand/stage area. Although all you can see is the top, this is probably one of the best "real photo" close ups I've seen of the mysterious Forum gates & building along Almon St. I was surprised there was no mention of them in the recent proposal. I was hoping to find an image or maybe a description as to what their purpose was.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by K-Man

Yes! I would have to say that you are correct. It does indeed appear to be a '66 Grande Parisienne and not a '66 GTO as I had originally thought. Thanks for the clarification - I've updated my first post to reflect the correct information. Fantastic eye ODM....I gotta ask how could you tell? After reading your post I had my nose smooshed against the monitor trying to spot the difference. I did find it a wee bit odd that the GTO badge wasn't on the car but even after all my looking the only thing I can see is that the hood line on a GTO goes straight across on the front while on the Parisienne it dips down in the middle. The head lights, turn signals, mirrors, bumper, hood lines and badge....everything looks the same, lol!

My problem is that I’ve been studying these things for far too long!

I also knew it wasn’t an American Grand Prix because it didn’t have a GP in the grille...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by K-Man

Aw man, lol. How could I not think to check this image for a clue? Can't get a more perfect shot than that, eh? I think you have the right idea with it being a starter stand/stage area. Although all you can see is the top, this is probably one of the best "real photo" close ups I've seen of the mysterious Forum gates & building along Almon St. I was surprised there was no mention of them in the recent proposal. I was hoping to find an image or maybe a description as to what their purpose was.

Ha ha... I was wondering how you missed this one!

But seriously, it is a pretty definitive photo of the Forum/Exhibition grounds in their heyday!

Re: the gate... there must be at least one photo existing somewhere out there... we just have to find it!

[K-Man]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Ha ha... I was wondering how you missed this one!

But seriously, it is a pretty definitive photo of the Forum/Exhibition grounds in their heyday!

Re: the gate... there must be at least one photo existing somewhere out there... we just have to find it!

Haha, I saw your post and I was like *face palm*. How the hell do you not think of that image, eh?
As for the gates - I'm about ready to start going door to door demanding to see peoples old photo albums in search of a picture. It's out there. It mocks me......

[K-Man]

DEFENDING HALIFAX - THE EARLY FORTIFICATIONS

Thought I’d share this PDF from the Halifax Military Preservation Society written by Tom Tulloch. The article covers all the fortifications that were built in Halifax during it’s first 14 years from 1749-1763. It’s 26 pages long but it’s actually a nice little summary with 60% of it being diagrams & overlay images of old maps over top of present day google maps. There's some nice early drawings in there too. It was pretty interesting little read. I threw a few screenshots up just to give an idea of what’s in there....

Defending Halifax PDF:
https://hmhps.ca/pdf/Defending-Halif...om-Tulloch.pdf

[OldDartmouthMark]

There was a news item regarding these fortifications last spring:

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/discover...ifax-1.4402218

[K-Man]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

There was a news item regarding these fortifications last spring....

Huh, this is kind of cool. I wonder if they ever found anything? I was under the assumption that most of the early fortifications being made of earth and timber were just re-purposed or built upon to the point of being unrecognizable...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by K-Man

Huh, this is kind of cool. I wonder if they ever found anything? I was under the assumption that most of the early fortifications being made of earth and timber were just re-purposed or built upon to the point of being unrecognizable...

I haven't seen much of it online, but here's another earlier article:
https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/local-ne...fences-1121070

I would think, with the passage of time and all the building and rebuilding that has been done over the years would mean that there wouldn't be much left, though I suppose there is the possibility there could be other remnants left over, such as dishes or weapons, etc. An interesting topic nonetheless.

My search also turned up a facebook page that has some info as well. Didn't have time to read through it yet.

[OldDartmouthMark]

The 3 configurations of the Dennis Building (so far).

This is another case where I stumbled upon a photo of something I was looking for a long time ago by accident.

Anyhow, since it was built I've noticed 3 distinct configurations of the Dennis building.

1) The original 4 storey, shown in this photo from 1869:



Source

2) With one floor added on in what appears to be a Romanesque style. I've only ever seen one photo of this style, from the aftermath of a fire in 1912:



Source

3) And in its current configuration when 3 floors were added on after the fire:



Source

Well, today I found this photo which gives a close-up of that odd add-on floor from the second configuration:



Source

It's labeled "Duke of York laying Corner Stone, South African Monument", so I looked up that event and found it occurred on October 19, 1901, so we know at least that the top floor existed from 1901 to 1912.

Not earth shattering by any means, but it is a look at that top floor, which appears to have been built using clay brick masonry, and is rarely seen in photographs.



Now, I wonder what the next (its fourth) configuration will look like? Only time will tell.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Spring Garden Road near the Lord Nelson - entrance to Park Lane is there now.



City of Halifax fonds
Halifax (N.S.). Development and Planning Department records
Planning Department reference files
Shopping Centres - Spring Garden Road
Spring Garden Road, north side, south of the Lord Nelson Hotel - Spring Garden Shopping Centre
Retrieval code: 102-105-3-SC5-14
1970-03-26

[OldDartmouthMark]

Corner of Spring Garden and South Park. Other than the corner building which now houses Eastlink... lots of changes there.



City of Halifax fonds
Halifax (N.S.). Development and Planning Department records
Planning Department reference files
Shopping Centres - Spring Garden Road
South east corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Avenue intersection looking east along Spring Garden Road - Spring Garden Shopping Centre
Retrieval code: 102-105-3-SC5-9
1970-03-26

[OldDartmouthMark]

Since this thread is in Halifax photos, I thought this link would be appropriate:

https://www.dartmouthheritagemuseum....ed-in-halifax/

On January 7, 1839[1], the physicist François Arago delivered a presentation to the members of the French Académie des Sciences announcing the celebrated French theatre designer and inventor Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre had produced images using the camera obscura and the chemical interaction of sunlight on a copper plate. As a result the daguerreotype is widely heralded as the official birth of photography.

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the English Channel, British gentleman scientist William Henry Fox Talbot presented his own findings to London’s Royal Society – first on January 31st 1939[2], and again on February 21st of 1839. Talbot had first developed an advanced concept of producing images on paper in 1834-35.

While Arago and Daguerre were engaged in selling Daguerre’s process to the French government, Talbot was engaged in promoting his own photogenic process. British botanist Dr. Golding Bird became aware of Talbot’s process and enthusiastically embraced the pioneers work, so much so he would publish his own paper in the British Magazine of Natural History. Shortly afterwards, this treatise would cross the Atlantic and find its way onto the pages of the Halifax broadsheet, the Colonial Pearl. The article stated:
The new art of Sun Painting – A late number of the Magazine of Natural History contains a very interesting paper by Dr. Golding Bird, a distinguished botanist, on the application of the photogenic art to botanical purposes. We have sadly puzzled ourselves to obtain an intelligible view of the new art of photogenic drawing. The treatise of Dr. Bird is, however, so plain and easy to be understood, that we feel assured our readers will receive much satisfactory information on the subject from the annexed extracts. The new mode of fixing the images of the camera obscura, and copying engravings by means of the chemical action of light on paper. –The Colonial Pearl, Halifax, Friday, May 31, 1839

A follow-up announcement was made in the next issue of the Colonial Pearl, on Friday, June 7 1839: “We are glad to find that our notice of the new art of sun painting in our last, has excited considerable interest among our readers. One of our friends who read the article has since formed several photogenic pictures with ease and success.”

The reportage in the Colonial Pearl of a photogenic drawing –called Talbotype by many contemporary photographers, also known as the Calotype– having been made in Halifax was reported at least three months prior to the Daguerre process being introduced to the public in Paris on 19 August 1839, and five months before the Saxton daguerreotype was made in Philadelphia. As a result, Halifax could be the earliest location of significance for bringing the photographic process to North America.

[OldDartmouthMark]

The discussion about the south Barrington Street conservation district started me thinking about this building again:

https://goo.gl/maps/iKjuj7zBgwqyRZ8X7

1343 Barrington, from the street, looks like a featureless brick cube, a basically uninteresting apartment building. But, if you look at the side of the building you can see remnants of an ornate Victorian masonry building... so I've been curious.

It appears that it was 'modernized' at some point in its life, and probably expanded to add more units. Sometime in the 1950s or sixties I would guess.

So, of course, I had to figure out what it looked like before it was changed, and for a long time I had never been able to find a photo of it.

Today, when browsing through the Halifax Municipal Archives, I stumbled upon this photo:

John and Beatrice Alley photograph collection
Crowds on Barrington St. at Bishop
Retrieval code: CR16-105
[1918]

If you look at the far right, you can see this building as it looked in the 1940s (photo is labeled as 1918, but the car in the pic would indicate the 1940s), but it is a little faded out. I did play with the brightness and contrast a little, and improved it a little bit:





It looks like it was quite nice in its day...

Photo quality is still not great, but it's the only one I've seen so far. If anybody has found a better pic I'd love to see it!

[someone123]

Here's another photo of it. What a loss for that streetscape:


Source

From HfxHeritage on twitter, which is packed with great stuff.