Description
Book SynopsisIn 1911, when Arthur Goss was hired as Toronto's first official photographer, the city was at a critical juncture. Industry expansion and population growth produced pressing concerns about housing shortages, sanitation, and the health and welfare of citizens. Dispelling popular misconceptions, Picturing Toronto demonstrates that Goss and other photographers did not simply document the changing conditions of urban life their photography contributed to the development of modern Toronto and shaped its inhabitants. Drawing on archival sources from the early twentieth century, Sarah Bassnett investigates how a range of groups, including the municipal government, social reformers, and the press, used photography to reconfigure the urban environment and constitute liberal subjects. Through a series of case studies, including the construction of the Bloor Viaduct, civic beautification plans, urban reform in the Ward, immigration and citizenship, and Goss's portrait photography, Bassnett expos
Trade Review"Picturing Toronto offers a visually compelling look at the history of Toronto in its quest for modernity, and offers a glimpse into how a new form of technology could be a transformative force in a rapidly evolving city." Spacing
