Posts Tagged ‘carvings’

a Guildwood December day walk

Posted: December 28, 2024 in locations, nature, waterfront
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Just after Christmas, we took a short walk around Guildwood Inn Park where we encountered this cold but jolly fellow.

three snowball snowman, leaning slightly, with three stone buttons, 2 eyes, a nose, and a smiling mouth

below: Once it led to the Granite Club (built 1926), now it leads to a path through the park

stone and brick arch from an old building, now in a park, winter time, snow on ground, a bench beside the arch

The Guildwood Inn (Guild Inn) property is now home to many pieces of stone and concrete that once adorned old Toronto buildings that were demolished many years ago. For a more thorough discussion of the history of the pieces, see History in Pieces of Stone a post from 2020.

below: Staging photographs, playing in the snow.

photo session, two people throwing snow while a third takes pictures, backdrop is old stone columns in a park setting

below: A pyramid of old blocks of rescued stone.

pyramid shape made of blocks of stone and concrete rescued from demolition of old buildings

winter scene, Guild Inn among the trees, snow

old carved stone top of a column, now resting a park, winter, with red dogwood branches among the dead leaves and leafless trees

old stone wishing well, in snowy park

snow covered partial wall made of rescued stone, snow covered park,

carved stone bas relief, octagon, with large floral motif in center

below: Representing Quebec…..sculpted panel by Frances Loring.

sculpture on large square stone, bas relief, personification of quebec

Christmas garland hanging from bare branches of a small deciduous tree in winter

small christmas wreath with greenery, as well as red and gold ribbon, hanging on a tree in Guildwood Inn Park

two men talking together while walking on snowy path through woods, in a park

below: The park runs along the top of the Scarborough Bluffs.

signs at edge of cliff, Lake Ontario at Guildwood Inn Park, danger cliff unstable, do not enter, small trees, snow, fence posts, Lake in background

below: Bits of the park fall into Lake Ontario each year – and occasionally parts of the old fence go too.

old fence wire and posts, dangling where cliff side has eroded, beside Lake Ontario at Guildwood Inn park, winter time, snow on ground, some red dogwood shrub branches near water

late doors

Posted: March 31, 2017 in doors, locations
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
9

Mt. Pleasant cemetery is the final resting place of about 168,000 people.  A small percentage of those are interred within mausoleums, some of which are fancier than others.   The following is a sample of the architecture of the mausoleums that I have seen there (including the doors of course).

below: The Eaton family mausoleum with its corinthian columns.   Timothy Eaton is buried here, the founder of the Eatons department store chain (that no longer exists).  Timothy apprenticed to a merchant in Ireland before emigrating to Canada.  After working in a number of stores in Ontario, he purchased a business at the SW corner of Yonge & Queen.  His store was one of the first to sell goods at a fixed price and only for cash…. no bargaining and no credit.

entrance to Eaton tomb/vault at Mt. Pleasant cemetery, two lions beside the steps that lead to the metal door, large corninthian columns on either side of the door.

fancy stone work over the top of the metal door in the Eaton vault. door is greenish colour with age

close up of a pane in a window with a metal window frame, square with lines dividing the pane into 8 triangles, stained glass window in the background. Looking into a vault at a cemetery

below: The Cox family mausoleum which was built in 1905. Sixteen people are buried here including George Albertus Cox (1840-1914) a business man and Senator, his two wives Margaret (d. 1905) and Amy (d. 1915) and their six children.   The building was designed by Sproat & Rolph who were the same architects that designed the Canada Life Building and the Royal York Hotel.  It cost $50,000 to build.

a metal door in a building in a cemetery, three large columns on each side of the door

below: Detail of the flower motif on the windows of the door above.

looking through the metal bars of a window, bars have little flower shaped metal pieces on it, looking into vault in cemetery, stained glas window in the background.

below: Robert Emmet Kelly died in 1915 while on his honeymoon in Atlantic City.  His wife Bessie had this monument built in his honour.  She was buried there when she died in 1964, 50 years after her husband.

small building in cemetery with words Robert Emmet Kelly carved in stone across the top of the door

below: Last, but not least, the Just sisters.   This mausoleum was originally built for Sir Frank Baillie who died in 1921.   His remains were moved to Oakville in the 1960’s and the building sat empty for a few years.  It was purchased by the Just family and now Gloria Irene Just (d. 1977) and Gladys Irene Just (d. 1970) are interned here.  They were daughters of Thomas Fullerton Just, a mining equipment dealer from Quebec.  Someone has left flowers.

front of cemetery tomb for Just family, wood door with engravings on it.

If you are interested in doors, there are lots of blogs that feature door photos on Thursdays…. check out Thursday Doors organized by Norm 2.0 for more information.   This post is a little late but shall we pretend that it’s still Thursday?

Icefest

Posted: February 23, 2015 in events, locations
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Bloor Yorkville Icefest, Frozen in Time
Cumberland Ave., February 21 & 22

 Ice sculpture beside a sidewalk. The top part has the words Bloor Yorkville icefest and the bottom part has the words Frozen in time, icefest 15. The middle section looks like a large face made of Egyptian motifs.

The 10th annual Icefest featured the carving of blocks of ice into Ancient Egypt themed sculptures.

Four ice sculptures with Ancient Egyptian themes - King Tut, and a pyramid amongst them. Also a wall of hieroglypics with two guards beside it.

Both Saturday and Sunday were snowy days but the weather didn’t deter the crowds, or their picture taking.  I’m sure that there are thousands of photographs of the sculptures!
Here are a few of mine.

A man in a white parka is standing beside a sculpture with his elbow resting on it. A woman in white coat and hat is taking his picture.

A woman is facing a sculpture of a dinosaur. Both of them have their mouths wide open.

A boy is standing beside a sculpture

A mother with two little kids is posing with an ice sculpture.

A little girl in a pink snow suit it peaking throw a whole in an ice sculpture

A father is taking a photograph of his son beside an ice sculpture

A group of four people are standing around an ice sculpture. They all have puzzled looks on their faces as though they can't figure out what the sculpture is supposed to be.

An ice sculpture of a bear with it's front paws raised, looms over the interesection of Yonge and Bloor.

This bear loomed over the NE corner of Yonge and Bloor.

Most of the sculptures along Cumberland Ave (west of Bellair) are still there and will remain as long as the temperatures remain low and no one vandalizes them.