I am pleased to announce the launch of LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY. Here you can follow my latest discoveries, mostly in Toronto, Ontario, the city of my birth. Yorkville I enjoy discovering beauty in artistic niches, and bursts of vivid colors … Continue reading
It was a beautiful, sunny day today and I decided to take a walk down Bloor Street and snap a few shots.
Here’s a shot of Dolce & Gabbana’s whimsical window display. You can see me reflected in the glass pane as well as traffic moving along Bloor Street.
Here’s Michael Kors’ elegant window display consisting of women’s handbags:
And the classic Tiffany & Co. looked like this:
I can’t recall which well-known store the following mannequins were from, but they appear to blend with the buildings and street appearing surreal.
As I turned away from Bloor Street and onto Queens Park, I saw this odd, striped, huge, Sphynx-like face (minus the body) in contradistinction to a woman working on a ceramic piece and contemporary buildings in the background.
When I later turned onto a side street, I noticed this flashy blue car. If you look closely at its front tire, you’ll notice what appears to be a red, embedded, wheel locking device. The traffic signs, apparently ignored, can be seen through the window.
Enjoy the sunshine!
Today was “Doors Open” in Toronto meaning that about 150 buildings were open to the public. I decided, therefore, to visit The Ontario Legislative Building, not too far from where I live.
Walking through Queen’s Park, I took a picture of the statue of King Edward VII seated on a horse. The equestrian statue, originally standing in Edward Park in Delhi, India, was “erected on the present site through the generous subscriptions of the citizens of the area” reads the plaque placed before it.
A statue of Queen Victoria stands near the Legislative Building’s entrance where the public was admitted.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fluently bilingual guides wearing green T-shirts welcomed me. “If you have any questions, ask anyone in a green T-shirt,” a young brunette wearing glasses prompted cheerily. There were policemen guarding the premises, too.
When I asked this handsome man in uniform whether he’d let me photograph him, he said, “Take as many pictures as you need until you’re satisfied.”
The impression I got the moment I stepped inside the Legislative Building, designed by architect Richard Waite and built between 1886 and 1892, was one of magnificence and splendor.
Attention to detail is everywhere. The ceilings are very high (some with chandeliers), balustrades are carved from wood, and the building’s west wing (rebuilt in 1909 after a destructive fire) boasts of a marble floor displaying a delicate mosaic pattern reminiscent of mosaics I once saw in Modena, Italy.
One of the most impressive features of the Legislative Building is its stained glass ceiling.
Historical portraits depicting political personalities dating from the distant past to the present adorn the building’s walls.
“Doesn’t he look like Napoleon?” a visitor asked me as I snapped this shot.
“Yes,” I laughed, “he does!” realizing that this was probably what prompted me to select this portrait among all the others.
This colourful room is the one which the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, uses for celebrations.
As I exited the room through the wooden door you see on the left, I saw this intriguing antique cabinet.
The pièce de résistance, however, is the Legislative Chamber “with its richly carved details set in mahogany and Canadian sycamore.” This is the chamber in which Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) “debate and pass laws for the Province of Ontario.” (Source: http://www.ontla.on.ca)
For more information about The Legislative Building, visit www.ontla.on.ca.
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