Finding the past in our present
A bird's eye view of winnipeg in 1884
"Bird's Eye" views
In a time before photography, these elaborately drawn and lithographed maps were almost as close as you could get to.....
Just like we might scour google street view, or watch tours on youtube while dreaming of a vacation, Victorians had the bird's eye view.
Small details may be suspect, but the accuracy artists like ...Fonseca acheived--in a time long before airplanes, helicopters or drones, is astonishing.
(translating exploration on foot to top view using maps-- incredibly perspective, like a reverse walking tour. Today we can unpack them to locate our own history, and perhaps even reverse-engineer our own walking tour of historic Winnipeg.
Today they've become popular, iconic decorators items....
....while few of these buildings are still standing today, Guerreiro's research locates these defining features of Winnipeg's history in space and place with a precision not yet seen. This original research allows us to tie-together multiple source maps, and develop a deeper understanding of early Winnipeg's geography than ever before.
Thank you to Ferron for research
thanks to Jim Smith for maps
-Eric Napier Strong, Curator
In a time before photography, these elaborately drawn and lithographed maps were almost as close as you could get to.....
Just like we might scour google street view, or watch tours on youtube while dreaming of a vacation, Victorians had the bird's eye view.
Small details may be suspect, but the accuracy artists like ...Fonseca acheived--in a time long before airplanes, helicopters or drones, is astonishing.
(translating exploration on foot to top view using maps-- incredibly perspective, like a reverse walking tour. Today we can unpack them to locate our own history, and perhaps even reverse-engineer our own walking tour of historic Winnipeg.
Today they've become popular, iconic decorators items....
....while few of these buildings are still standing today, Guerreiro's research locates these defining features of Winnipeg's history in space and place with a precision not yet seen. This original research allows us to tie-together multiple source maps, and develop a deeper understanding of early Winnipeg's geography than ever before.
Thank you to Ferron for research
thanks to Jim Smith for maps
-Eric Napier Strong, Curator
Click on a district to start your tour
Click here for a list of only the buildings which are still standing.
About the project
The first objective of this project was to locate the buildings pictured along the border of Forseca's '1884 Bird's Eye View of Winnipeg' map, listed within as A-T. Additionally, a second objective of locating addresses relevant to Ross House and/or life in Winnipeg was developed, listed within as 1-13. It is intended that locating both lists of buildings will provide a more detailed rendering of Winnipeg in 1884, as well as contextualize the buildings within Winnipeg's current cityscape.
Building addresses are listed using 1884 street names, in order to be found on Forseca's map, and include modern addresses for those wishing to pinpoint the building today. Also listed is the earliest year that the address was recorded in conjunction with each building. It should be noted that two maps are referenced in addition to Forseca's: Fowler's 1880 Map of St. Boniface and Waghorn's 1908 Map of Winnipeg. These are to assist in locating the St. Boniface Hospital (7) and the Residence ofA.G.B Bannatyne (E). Although Bannatyne's Residence is pictured on the border of Forseca's map, the map does not include the West Gate area of Winnipeg.
This project was the focus of my 2017 nine-week term at the Ross House Museum. Research was conducted online using secondary sources such as The Manitoba Historical Society, manitobia.com, Virtual Winnipeg, the University of Winnipeg Archives, and the University of Manitoba Building Index. The primary source Henderson's 1884 Directory of Winnipeg was also consulted. Some locations required a specific resource which is credited in-line. There is a full bibliography at the end of the project.
-Ferron Guerreiro, Museum Interpreter
Building addresses are listed using 1884 street names, in order to be found on Forseca's map, and include modern addresses for those wishing to pinpoint the building today. Also listed is the earliest year that the address was recorded in conjunction with each building. It should be noted that two maps are referenced in addition to Forseca's: Fowler's 1880 Map of St. Boniface and Waghorn's 1908 Map of Winnipeg. These are to assist in locating the St. Boniface Hospital (7) and the Residence ofA.G.B Bannatyne (E). Although Bannatyne's Residence is pictured on the border of Forseca's map, the map does not include the West Gate area of Winnipeg.
This project was the focus of my 2017 nine-week term at the Ross House Museum. Research was conducted online using secondary sources such as The Manitoba Historical Society, manitobia.com, Virtual Winnipeg, the University of Winnipeg Archives, and the University of Manitoba Building Index. The primary source Henderson's 1884 Directory of Winnipeg was also consulted. Some locations required a specific resource which is credited in-line. There is a full bibliography at the end of the project.
-Ferron Guerreiro, Museum Interpreter
