Transact with history, all summer long
Images from the McCord’s Collections along McGill College Avenue

Montréal, July 7, 2006 - This summer, the McCord Museum has taken to the streets! Visitors strolling along McGill College Avenue in downtown Montréal will witness some intriguing Transactions. To take advantage of the fine weather, the McCord Museum is delighted to present its first outdoor photographic exhibition. “The chance to show our collections to such a large audience, on such a grand scale, is a very exciting opportunity for the McCord,” says the Museum’s Executive Director, Victoria Dickenson.

From July 5th through October 16th, along the west side of McGill College Avenue, the exhibition Transactions plays with the idea of the transaction – the basis of trade and commerce – but also at the root of social, cultural, and personal life. The poignant, often playful pairings of photographs present stunning colour images of objects from the Museum’s renowned collections, as well as black and white historic photographs from the Notman Photographic Archives.

This dynamic display of large-scale photographs is mounted on specially designed aluminium supports. Alcan, a global business leader at the heart of the city’s economic life for over 100 years, and a major partner in this project “is pleased to be part of a public exhibition that showcases the rich diversity of interactions in Montréal” states Daniel Gagnier, Senior Vice-President, Corporate and External Affairs.

As you look south along McGill College Avenue, colour close-ups of artifacts parade down the street. Looking north, the morning light illuminates historic black and white depictions of the city, many from the studios of William Notman. To see a Notman photograph on such a grand scale is to really see it for the first time. The tiny details that emerge in these large reproductions are truly impressive. The viewer is drawn into the photo and immersed in the scene.

The artifacts photographed for this exhibition were chosen not only for their significance in relation to the historic photographs on display, but also for their individual beauty and power. The warm and battered detail of an old suitcase reflects the long voyage that many immigrants have made to the streets of Montréal, captured in a turn-of-the-century street scene. The Canadian Pacific Railway’s vast Angus factories, located in the city’s east end and symbolic of Montréal’s booming industrial era, are embodied in a toy train car. Exquisite beading on an Edwardian evening gown, similar to that on the gowns displayed in an upscale storefront, speaks to the elegance of that time. The peaceful, luminous quality of a stained-glass temple window, juxtaposed with a vista of Montreal’s steeple-dotted skyline, underline a transaction of a more spiritual nature.

These Transactions, encompassed in the twinning of historic photographs and objects, constitute the fabric of our daily lives. Transactions are all around us. The connections may be surprising, and are certainly thought-provoking. Transactions inspires new insights into Montréal’s past, present, and future. And these images remind us that transacting with history may happen when we least expect it.

We wish to thank our partners, who made the exhibition possible

This project received financial support from the Ville-Marie borough.

This project also received support from TSX Group Inc.

The McCord

The McCord is home to one of the finest historical collections in North America. It possesses some of Canada’s most significant cultural treasures, including the most comprehensive collection of clothing made or worn in Canada; an extensive collection related to Aboriginal history and art; and the renowned Notman Photographic Archives.

Museum Hours & Admission

The McCord is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and from 10 am to 5 pm every weekend, as well as Mondays during the summer months. Admission (including taxes) is $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors, $5.50 for students, $3 for children between the ages of 6 and 12, and $20 for families. Museum admission is free of charge to Friends of the McCord and children aged five and under. The museum offers free entry to all visitors the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The McCord wishes to acknowledge the support of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Arts Council of Montreal

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Photographs available upon request

Source and information:

Nike Langevin, Head of Communications and Promotion
(514) 398-7100, ext. 251
nike.langevin@mccord.mcgill.ca

Karine Di Genova, Officer, Communications
(514) 398-7100, ext. 239
karine.digenova@mccord.mcgill.ca