Albert Jackson Lane is a small alley that runs south from Harbord Street.

upper storey door with metal stair case and its shadows. White door. Red flower box on railing outside door.

below: What is happening to Harbord Fish & Chips? (Albert Jackson Lane is on the right).

small brick building painted white was Harbord Fish and Chips, sign is gone and the building is being renovated

below: Looking down the alley, the first impression is that it is rather nondescript but a few bits of colour suggest that walking down the lane might be worth the effort.

looking down a short alley, Albert Jackson Lane, with garages lining both sides, the backs of houses at the end including one that is being renovated

below: A purple and teal fish by birdo, aka Jerry Rugg

birdo mural on a garage door, orange background, fish swimming behind a stone, fish is teal and tail is purple and teal striped

below: Part of “Secret Garden” by Emily Kouri

mural by emily kouri from 2012 on a garage door, in pinks and blues with yellow circles with butterflies in the circles

below: An older mural that completely covers the garage and the fence on both sides.  I am not sure who the artist is.

older mural on garage and fence on both sides, covers the whole thing, in oranges, browns, and greys,

below: This character is well known – a poser bunny.

poser bunny and text, pink bunny, pink text, on light blue background, text is on garage door, bunny is on wall beside door

below: The Toronto skyline and its reflection in Lake Ontario in a mural by Mel Coleman.

a mural of Toronto skyline reflected in Lake Ontario, stylized, by Mel Coleman in Albert Jackson Lane, painted on a garage door

below: A talking head, a square head on TV.  I love the bunny ears on the TV – who has those anymore!

on a beige garage door, a white rectangle painted and on that, black drawing of a man with with a square head on TV, a lamp is beside the television

below: At the end of the alley, a house with major renovations in progress.

row of backs of houses from lane, house in middle has windows removed and hole in the walls being enlarged

Comments
  1. L Myers says:

    Thanks for sharing the excellent photos of your lane walk! I love this little lane, named after Toronto’s first black postal carrier! There’s a memorial plaque for him, downtown on Lombard Street (near the site of an old postal station) and also a very beautiful new postage stamp. (Check out the picture there of the First Day Cover, with the lane on the envelope! Wonderful! Former childhood stamp nerd!) https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/blogs/collecting/details.page?article=2019/01/25/black-history-albert-jackson&cattype=collecting&cat=stamps A great part of Toronto history. (And somewhere interesting to walk, too!)

    • Mary C says:

      Sorry for the delay in answering – but thanks for the notes on Albert Jackson! I might incorporated them into an updated version of this post.

  2. […] In my research here, I came across a blog post by an aficionado of Toronto street art that includes a number of photos of the murals and graffiti that adorn the little alleyway now known as Albert Jackson Lane. Here it is if you want to take a look. […]

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