10 Questions
What did the tourist guides of Montreal in the 19th century mostly focus on?
The official face of Canada's first city, consisting of monuments to individual industry, public morality, and social harmony.
What was absent from the official guide of Montreal in the 19th century?
The inhabitants of the narrower streets, such as factory workers, tavern frequenters, waterfront street gangs, and longshoremen.
What was the name of the notorious canteen that served as a monument to Montreal's working class?
Joe Beef's Canteen
What was the tone of Lovell's Historic Report of the Census of Montreal?
Optimistic, emphasizing material progress and social and moral improvements.
What was the main audience of the Strangers' Guide to Montreal?
Casual tourists
What was the significance of the Victoria Bridge in Montreal?
It was an engineering marvel.
What was the primary theme of S.E. Dawson's Hand-Book for the City of Montreal and its Environs?
A thematic guide to the city in the 1880s
How did Lovell's report portray intemperance in Montreal?
As a thing of the past
What was the main difference between Lovell's private census and the Dominion census?
They were conducted separately and had different findings.
What was the ultimate effect of the official guide and Lovell's report on the perception of Montreal?
They presented a distorted view of the city, ignoring the working-class culture and struggles.
Study Notes
Working-Class Culture
- Working-class culture encompasses a wide range of recreational, social, and job-related activities, including labor day parades, trade union picnics, and secret ceremonies of the Knights of Labor.
- Working-class culture embodies a basic collective idea and the institutions, manners, habits of thought, and intentions that proceed from this collective idea.
- This culture is characterized by an active mutual responsibility between workingmen, offering an alternative to the individualist, competitive philosophy of the nineteenth-century middle class.
Joe Beef's Canteen
- Joe Beef's Canteen was a popular tavern in Montreal's waterfront district, frequented by sailors, longshoremen, unemployed men, and petty thieves.
- The tavern was seen as a moral hazard by middle-class Montreal, but working-class residents along the waterfront claimed Charles McKiernan, the owner, as their champion.
- The tavern was a source of aid in times of unemployment, sickness, and hunger, and was a stronghold for working-class values and a culture that protected them from harsh economic times.
Contrasting Views of Montreal
- Montreal was a city of contrasts, with a grand official face consisting of monuments to individual industry, public morality, and social harmony.
- The official guide to Montreal did not give a complete picture of the city, omitting the inhabitants of the narrower streets, including factory workers, tavern frequenters, waterfront street gangs, and longshoremen.
- The city's working class was absent from the official guide, but a visit to Joe Beef's Canteen would have revealed a monument to Montreal's working class.
Historical Context
- The late nineteenth century was a time of significant cultural and historical development in Montreal, with the decline of Joe Beef's Canteen reflecting broader changes in the city.
- The concept of working-class culture is both fruitful and problematic in historical analysis, and its application has limitations that must be considered.
This quiz explores the various recreational, social, and job-related activities that define working-class culture, including labour day parades and trade union picnics.
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