I happened upon yet another of the Little Free Libraries, this one in the Forest Hill neighbourhood. Someone has gone to the trouble to decorate it nicely and since I took this pic the plants have probably grown around it as our weather has finally warmed up. That makes 6 of these Little Free Libraries that I have found so far!
This piece is actually titled "Obey Eye" and it was painted on Queen St W in 2014 by American artist Shepard Fairey. Fairey is most well known for his "Hope" poster done of Barack Aboma for the 2008 American elections. He also did another mural here at the same time which I will have to hunt down.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The big decision from yesterday's post was made and brunch was done indoors. It did start to rain and even though the canopies were opened wide, it was much nicer inside. It always feels like you have gone to Paris when you eat at Kalendar, one of my favourite restaurants in the city! Love that red wall.
Sunday morning set up on the patio at Kalendar on College St with the risk of rain to come. The big question is whether to sit outside or inside! The answer tomorrow.
We are still in the U of Toronto bookstore and I wanted to show you a closer shot of some of the ceiling detail. Isn't it wonderful? And it has been lovingly restored!
This is the University of Toronto Bookstore located inside of yesterday's building. I was trying to show a bit of the details that have been retained from its days as Toronto's central library. This section holds the textbooks for the Medical School students. I'll show you a bit more detail tomorrow.
This is the entrance to the U of Toronto Bookstore which is contained in the Koffler Student Services Centre on College St. It was one of the buildings open for the Doors Open event a couple of weeks ago so I dropped in to check out a few books. The building was constructed in 1908 in Beaux Arts style as one of the 10 Carnegie libraries in Toronto and the largest one in Ontario. It was built to be the Central Library for the city and remained so until 1977 when a new larger library was built on Yonge St and U of T took over the building to be used as its main bookstore and also serve as a student centre. I'll show a bit from inside tomorrow.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
I first showed this sculpture called The Vessel back in April of 2012 (HERE) and it looked rather stark sitting in the park at that time of year. I passed by recently and thought that it looks a lot more interesting when viewed from across the road with trees and greenery surrounding it.
These bunnies by the artist Poser pop up in laneways all over the city. I spotted these ones off Queen St West. They are creatures with an urban vibe, don't you think?
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
These wonderful carvings and details are found over the entrance to Knox College from the front campus at U of Toronto. Considering the age of the building they are still in great shape!
This is one end of the Caven Library at Knox College at U of Toronto. The bay window that I showed you yesterday is out of the pic to the left. I love the wooden ceiling and all of its details.
I showed the outside of the bay window from the library at Knox College at U of Toronto a few weeks ago (HERE) and I made a point of going there during the Doors Open event to get a pic of the interior when nobody would be disturbed. So here it is with original chairs that along with the rest of the furniture in the library have been there since 1915. I'm not sure how comfy they would be but what a great place to sit and read for a bit!
This is the Lassonde Mining Building at U of Toronto. This Beaux Arts beauty was built in 1905 and is one of the oldest buildings at U of T. It is now historically designated and even the inside feels as if it was in its original shape including a lecture hall that is perfectly maintained as it was in 1905 - I had geology lectures in there years ago. The pic I showed you on Tuesday was taken from up in that structure at the top left, part of an addition built into the attic.
As I came out of yesterday's Mining Building I looked across the road and spotted yet another ghost sign on a nearby building which also now belongs to U of Toronto. This building was built in 1912 for the Ingram Bell company which was a supplier of medical supplies to hospitals and doctors. It looks as if there were 2 signs painted over the years one atop the other.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
During the Doors Open event here a couple of weeks ago I toured a few buildings at U of Toronto and one of them was the Lassonde Mining Building on College St. The building has recently had an addition put onto its attic space and this pic was taken from there looking across the front campus towards the long University College on the right and the green copper dome of Convocation Hall on the left. All of the buildings visible in this shot are part of the university and I just liked the view! The white tent visible on the grass in the middle is set up for the graduation ceremonies taking place now.
I've always liked this mural but for some reason have never posted it. It is found in the laneway south of Queen St W right at Bathurst St and makes a nice entrance to the lane that is filled with murals and graffiti. I think there were several artists involved judging by the list of names up above it.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I have shown you the chapel at Knox College at U of Toronto before (HERE) and during the Doors Open event tours of the college were given which included a performance on the organ in the chapel. It is a Wolff organ built in the North German baroque style and installed here in 1991. A very talented young woman played us a selection of Bach pieces and the sound was marvelous!
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.
I found this piece in the entrance courtyard of the new Four Seasons Hotel in the Yorkville neighbourhood and at first glance I thought it was a fountain but it isn't. Then I thought it might be a type of planter but it isn't that either. It must be art. But it reminds me of a tiered pastry serving dish and I can't get that out of my mind. It is really tall as you can see from the pic - would hold a lot of pastry!
I spotted this side entrance to a Forest Hill home a couple of weeks ago and though it looked so pretty with the soft pink flowers against the pale house. I don't even mind that a car was sitting there!
I showed you the large Foundry Lofts building on the old Canada Foundry property a couple of weeks ago and this is one of the smaller factory buildings on the property. It is in the process of being restored and plans are for a brew pub and an upscale coffee shop to open here to serve the large population of people living in this area now. It looks like a lot of work is left to be done but it will be great when finished and the fence comes down.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
There are actually a couple of signs on this building on Queen St West. It looks as if the H J Lavelle wine company also sold Coca Cola and they had painted their sign over a previous one that is possibly for a printing company - a bit is visible towards the left. The Lavelle company went out of business in 1917 so the sign is quite an old one! And of course we have the CN Tower photobombing the pic on the right.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is just one of the 21 beautiful stained glass windows at St Francis Church and it is one of several that show scenes from St Francis' life. It was done by George Boos of Munich in the early 1900s and shows the Stigmata of St Francis. I, for one, didn't know that he had stigmata on his hands and feet.
This massive mosaic was installed in the sanctuary of St Francis Church in 1973 and it shows Saint Francis' reverence of Christ as the centre of all creation. I like the addition of the wee birds on the lower left side and the elements of nature that are included - so suitable for St Francis. The large stained glass window that was originally on this wall was restored and finally installed in 2000 behind the Blessed Sacrament Altar and illuminated from behind.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I showed you the exterior of St Francis Roman Catholic Church in May last year (HERE) and I finally got inside during the Doors Open event here in the city a couple of weeks ago. The Church was built in 1915 and has been renovated a few times especially in the 1970s when so many changes took place in Catholic churches everywhere including great changes in the style and placement of the altars. I took this pic from up in the organ loft and will show you a couple of detail shots over the next couple of days.
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.
The Horse Chestnut trees have been putting on a wonderful display this spring. This pic was taken last week just as some of the flower petals were starting to fall to the ground. They are such beautiful trees!
I couldn't let the Iris season go by without posting at least one pic of these beautiful flowers. I can never decide what colour I like the best but these ones are in the running!
This is yet another pic of the back campus of University College at U of Toronto, where the field hockey events of the PanAm Games will take place starting in mid July. The lower fence is the normal fence surrounding the playing field while the tall fence has been installed for security during the games. I'm impressed that it actually has a bit of decorative detail to it. That is the Soldiers' Tower beside Hart House visible across the field and the small white tents are for the games.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
This shop on the left showing Weird Things has been in the location on Bathurst St for a couple of years and they do have weird things - some antiques, some 'antiques' they make, and some folk art pieces. The Normal Things sign on the derelict building next door just appeared in the last couple of weeks - I love it! The buildings are in a developer limbo since someone wants to tear them down and build a structure that isn't allowed in the zoning bylaws.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This old tractor and the wagon behind it have become part of the garden centre display at a local grocery store and the rusty old machine seems to work very well with the plants and flowers don't you think?
The June theme for the City Daily Photo community is Stylish as chosen by Grace from Perth Daily Photo. I thought these two dresses in the window of a vintage clothing store on Queen St West fit the bill perfectly, especially the little number on the left with the chickens on the skirt. I'd wear it for sure!
Taking part in the Theme Day. Click HERE to see more examples of Stylish from around the world.
