Old Photographs of the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal (1899-1966)

October 31, 2024 Dalia Nardolillo History, The City

With the news of the Montréal Basilica undergoing major renovations, I was inspired to do some research in the Montréal archives.

Over the next 15 years, the iconic church will be getting a $50 million-dollar facelift. In 1824, the first stone was put into the Basilica. Construction of the Basilica ended in 1829.

Interestingly, each of the exterior stones weigh 150-300 pounds a piece. For the restoration each piece has to be inspected, one by one with a crane, to see if it needs to be replaced. This historic building is going to undergo eight phases of restoration, which is expected to end in 2035.

I hope you enjoy going through the photographs of the Basilica over the years. I think you’ll find it extremely fascinating how Montréal has evolved.

1899—Place D’Armes in front of the Basilica.
1916—A tangle of electrical wires and poles obscures the sky. We can see a corner of the Notre-Dame basilica and horse-drawn carriages circulating in the street.
1920—Facade of the Notre-Dame basilica
1929—Night photograph of the Basilica.
1929—We can see the facade decorated with coats of arms on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the Basilica (1829-1929). The contrast of the photograph is low.
1930—Photograph of Place d’Armes in Old Montréal after the electrical wires were buried. We see several passers-by strolling in the public square and a few cars parked on rue Saint-Sulpice.
1930—Photograph of the baptistery of the Notre-Dame Basilica, located on Place d’Armes in Montréal.
1930—Photograph during the day.
1930—Photograph of the interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica located on Place d’Armes in Montréal. We see an overview of the sanctuary.
1940—Photograph of the facade of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal. We see people gathered on the Place d’Armes and horse-drawn carriages installed around the square.
1942—Photograph of the ceremony paying tribute to Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve during the third centenary of Montréal on Place d’Armes on May 18, 1942.
1950—Photograph of the interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica. We can see part of the nave, the balconies, and the pulpit.
1950—We can see the surrounding buildings, the horse-drawn carriages installed along the Place d’Armes, poles, and electrical wires. We can see in the foreground, the statue of the monument.
1956—Aerial view of the old port. On the left side of the photograph.
1956—Photograph of a partial view of the interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica museum in Montréal. There are paintings and some objects on display.
1956—Photograph of Notre Dame Street taken in an easterly direction. The church of Notre Dame and the Saint-Sulpice seminary are particularly visible, and electric poles and wires are visible.
1956—Photograph of the sanctuary of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal. We note the rich Gothic style decor as well as several religious statues including a scene representing the crucifixion of Christ.
1956—Photograph of the statue of the Madonna on a pedestal, inside the Notre-Dame Basilica.
1958—Photo of the funeral of Camillien Houde, taken from above the National Canadian Bank building.
1966— From left to right in this photograph, we can see the New York Life Insurance building, the Aldred building, the Duluth building, and a section of the Notre-Dame Basilica.

Find more photos from the Montréal archives on their website.

 

About Dalia Nardolillo 10 Articles
Dalia, a photojournalist hailing from Montreal, is deeply passionate about documenting events and sharing stories about people's lives. She is on track to graduate from Concordia University with a degree in journalism and a minor in art history. Currently, Dalia holds the position of Editor-in-Chief at her school's newspaper, The Concordian. Following graduation, she aims to secure a full-time reporting job at a major news outlet.

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