Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Photo of The Grange, 1907. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 304. D'Arcy Boulton Sr. recalled his sentiments upon first arriving in Upper Canada in his reminisces, Sketch of His Majesty's Province of Upper Canada. He wrote: "When I first...set my foot on British ground, after residing in the American states,......

Two weeks ago there was the unveiling of a new jittery logo, and now an end to the Art Gallery of Ontario's seemingly never-ending state of construction is finally near. A public opening date of November 14 has been announced for the museum, which has been under various states of transformation since 2005 and closed since October 2007. That first day in November, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will be inaugurating the building with a......

Every weekday morning, bright and early, we feature a photo (or two) from a photographer in the Torontoist Flickr Pool. It's our way of giving the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention that they deserve. Not So Long... BY MICHAEL CHRISMAN......

Torontoist presents an imagined inside look at the creative process behind the AGO's shiny new logo, above. Designer: Bruce Mau Client: Art Gallery of Ontario Due: May 15, 2008 Creative Brief: Design a "distinctive new logo that will represent the Gallery well beyond its Fall 2008 opening." Logo should capture "both the stability of the century-old institution and the forward-looking energy of the new Gallery." (If that proves too challenging, refer to graphic design......

Photo by marco 2000. On Monday night, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) hosted a members-only event to provide an inside look at its ongoing renovations before it shuts its doors to the public for its last phase (to be completed sometime in 2008). Dubbed “Transformation AGO,” and overseen by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the AGO is one of the final buildings to be completed as part of Toronto’s “Cultural Renaissance". Perhaps people are feeling......

Project manager for the Art Gallery of Ontario's Frank Gehry-designed transformation Mike Mahoney stands on the site of the Galleria Italia, a 450-foot-long sculpture promenade rising above Dundas. Enclosed by moulded glass hanging from swooping beams of Douglas fir, this will become one of the city's most iconic architectural features and a postcard favourite. Photo by Miles Storey......

The Art Gallery of Ontario's latest exhibition features the work of two photographers: Alfred Eisenstaedt and Ansel Adams. In the early 20th century, both photographers were pushing the limits of their craft -- though in opposite directions. Eisenstaedt took to the streets and snapped people in cities, while Adams sought out wild landscapes and untouched mountain passes. The AGO's special exhibition fills three large rooms with B&W images, most of them from the 1930's......