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I had errands to run downtown, and I took my camera since that is the architecturally interesting part of the city (south of Queen Street, between Jarvis and Bay Streets). And sure enough, I saw this lovely mottled effect on the facade of The Bay department store on Queen Street. I took the camera out, and I couldn't switch it on. I had forgotten to recharge the batteries, so it was all my fault (my camera remains trusted and true). Quick thinking! I had very little time, especially with the volatile weather these days. So I ran into a nearby pharmacy (no convenience store in sight). They had batteries, which I bought at the exorbitant price of $7.99 (sans tax) for four.
Back outside, the sun was still out, and its light still on the building. I took several shots, just in case. A few passers-by slowed down from their hurried gait, and looked up to see what merited a photo. I hope they appreciated what they saw.
The structured windows and brickwork contrast with the mottled sunlight. And the dark, iron-like branches of the winter-bare trees add another dimension of contrast, where industry and nature compete. Finally, though, it is the sun which wins.
Below is some background on The Bay, from the Ontario Heritage Trust plaque on the building:
Department stores revolutionized shopping in the late nineteenth century by offering selection, low prices and money-back guarantees. In 1895, Robert Simpson commissioned architect Edmund Burke to design his new department store at the southwest corner of Yonge and Queen Streets. It was the first building in Canada with a load-bearing metal frame and a façade clearly patterned on this internal structure. By 1969, Simpson's department store had been enlarged six times and occupied two city blocks between Yonge, Queen, Bay and Richmond Streets. Canada's oldest corporation and largest department store retailer, Hudson's Bay Company, acquired the building in 1978. A Bay store since 1991, it remains one of Canada's great shopping landmarks.Here is a link for the architect Edmund Burke, who completed The Bay (then known as The Simpson Department Store) in 1908. And here is a link for Robert Simpson, the founder of the department store, who commissioned Burke to design the store.
Below is a 1908 postcard, from BlogTO, which also has many vintage postcards of Toronto.
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