Ottawa: Then and Now
 

Nice photo comparison of Elgin & Sparks (1901 vs 2012) by Alexandre Laquerre (spacingottawa):

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6...d419355f_b.jpg

Elgin & Sparks – 1901 c. 2012

wow i didn't realize that the war memorial area used to be a row of buildings like that, very cool!

I had no idea about this... Those buildings in the back of the image are fantastic!

The older image is lovely. What's the building that used to be where the NAC is?

City Hall?

To preemptively blunt some of the NCC rants that I can feel coming on this thread, a lot of the lovely buildings that were on Elgin over 100 years ago were lost to fires.

I still blame the NCC. They were probably responsible for the fire.

yes... from wiki:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...%2C_Ottawa.jpg

What a stunning photo comparison. I have never seen this perspective of downtown in the old days. It always seemed to be from Sparks Street.

City Hall in the background burned in 1931. Perhaps if times were better, the building could have been salvaged but after significant debate, it was demolished. Likewise with the Russell House Hotel, another beautiful structure seen in front of City Hall. It was Ottawa's premier hotel until the Chateau Laurier opened and ultimately the latter put it out of business in the mid 1920s. The abandoned hotel burned in the late 20s and was demolished to make way for Confederation Square. What is not seen was another magnificent building, which would have been behind the buildings on the left, the old Post Office. That building did not burn but was demolished to make way for the war memorial in the late 1930s. The 1930s were a tough time in Ottawa as many beautiful structures were torn down, at least partly because of the Great Depression.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ion_Square.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ion_Square.jpg

The Post Office and Russell House Hotel to the left

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_19390428.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_19390428.jpg
Just after everything was demolished.

Thanks for the pictures. They're all quite interesting.

It is less noticeable now that the concrete has coloured and the landscaping is in, but it is striking how much influence fascist architecture seems to have had.

Wow, what a find. Thanks!

What influence are you seeing? I'm not terribly familiar with fascist architecture, but a visit to Wikipedia seems to suggest far more simple and classical lines than you see here.

I think he's seeing it in the War Memorial.

Another Then&Now from SpecingOttawa (By Alexandre Laquerre)

Coin Bank & Somerset – vers 1935 c. 2012:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/6...0c921385_b.jpg

http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/03/01/c...s-1935-c-2012/

Intersection Sussex & Rideau – ~1910 versus 2012

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7208/6...5fa1a999_b.jpg

By Alexandre Laquerre

http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/02/16/i...0-versus-2012/

By Alexandre Laquerre

Elgin @ Laurier 1939-2011.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6...0aa54021_z.jpg
http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/11/30/m...3-1939-c-2011/

Rideau Canal 1933-2012
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6...297b663f_b.jpg
http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/01/09/c...nant-et-avant/

Sussex & St-Patrick 1940-2011
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6...9ed99ce6_z.jpg
http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/11/20/m...-1940-et-2011/


Looking north at the Rideau Canal 1901-2011
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6...5d2058cc_b.jpg
http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/01/16/l...ant-1901-2011/

By Alexandre Laquerre

Sparks @ Wellington - 1885 vs. 2011
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6199/6...ed0e382b_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexlaq...n/photostream/

Sparks & Rideau
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6...fc0e5ed8_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexlaq/6711775211/

From Urbsite:

King Edward Avenue(late 1930s vs 2011)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TsDmFw5b1t...0/P6020052.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4DZqzD6yK...kingrideau.jpg




http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oK9BM4wRhD...0/P5010075.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz68jGwP_i...ecathcart2.jpg



More photos available:http://urbsite.blogspot.com/2011/06/...-massacre.html

Wow, Simply stunning collection of photos and comparisons...it's too bad that Ottawa, Toronto and a few other cities wasn't a little bit more like NYC, wheras more of the old buildings are retained and restored. As mentioned higher up the page, I'm aware of many being destroyed by fires or other things, but some shouldn't have been demolished just to be replaced by a higher tech building without character or substance.

Anyways, it's a lot of fun to see pictures like these, and see the way things used to be...

Those are some beautiful shots, and some great buildings at Elgin and Sparks. Those wide open spaces of the Greber plan make the 'after' shots seem less urban and cold. Strange.