Murphy, supervisor of our toe-typing department (where Coolopolis employs boys who have lost their arms in streetcar mishaps), brought this one in. He says there's a 87.4-per-cent chance you've either touched this old match striker plate or at least looked at it. Where's this relic located?
Time's up: After a pretty blatant clue, we have winners in the comments section. The feature is located in the south doors of Morgan's Colonial House Department Store (or most prosaically, a.k.a., The Bay). Morgan's was Montreal's version of Harrod's. Scots-born Henry Morgan led the uptown migration of retailers from Old Montreal.
The place was built in 1891, when smokers abounded and they still cleaned the glass. Of course, the striker plate would be illegal now (take a bow, Bill 101). Back to ol' Henry. The 65-year-old bachelor, who made his home at Milton Cottage in the municipality of Maisonneuve, died of 'la grippe' (pneumonia, maybe?) after tumbling out of his buggy when his flagship store was just two years old. Here's a clipping from the Quebec Chronicle, Dec. 13, 1893:
These were the departments at Morgan's that year:
Gloves, robes, prints, smallwares, dress goods, cottons, linens and flannels, mantles and shawls, millinery, silks, black goods, tweeds and tailoring, gents furnishings, carpets, hosiery, costumes, Butterick's patterns and publications, fancy goods, stationery, upholstering goods, furnitures, boots and shoes, boys' clothing, china and glassware, mail order dept., Colonial house [actual name of store], St. Catherine facing Phillips sq.
More about the old guy here and here.
I m thinking it's to light candles in a church or ....Oratory?
ReplyDeleteTime is strange. It's the english that is now throwing me off.
ReplyDeleteNope. It's hard not to think of the answer to this one.
ReplyDeleteOK, J(Alex Trebec)D, what's "it's hard not to think of" in italics mean? Aye caramba, you've got me.
ReplyDeleteMabel! Another round of Patience for the customers, please.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not offer this clue.
ReplyDeleteGadzooks old chap! Why if those aren't near the perfume section of The Bay then my name is Henry Morgan.
ReplyDeleteOkay, well, I'm obviously going to guess the Bay now :-)
ReplyDeletebut where inside..? hmmmmmmm
I would guess on that wacky floor with the Bay Museum - you can test your beaver pelt knowledge there, too. woo!
That Malibu gal has a "Historic Montreal Past and Present" photo album that was published by Henry Morgan & Co for the princely "PRICE FIVE DOLLARS" somewhere around 1930. Although there's no exact publishing date, the Royal Bank of Canada building is "new" and the Jacques-Cartier has yet to be named and is referred to as the New Bridge.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really great title I'd love to get my hands on one day.
ReplyDelete