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The construction of the Church of Notre-Dame was one of the boldest building projects of the nineteenth century. The first major example of Gothic Revival architecture in Canada, it was, at the time of its completion, the largest building in North America. Franklin Toker treats the church not only as a work of art but also as a historical document that reflected the social and nationalist aspirations of the community and marked a high point in the fascinating career of its architect, James O'Donnell.
In the extensive new preface, Toker examines the approach he took in writing The Church of Notre-Dame in Montreal and reflects on the implications of what has been discovered since the book was first published in 1970.
"Fascinating ... long overdue ... the very sort of informed, broad and yet specific interpretation of the individual monument which is needed in most areas of North American studies to place the work in context and give it definition ... Toker documents the remarkable harmony -- interracial and interdenominational -- surrounding the commission and construction of the church ... The range of plates is especially resourceful: architects' drawings, early prints and historical photographs, a model, and even an aerial view." Art Bulletin
"Franklin Toker's book undoubtedly will prove to be the definitive study of La Paroisse, the parish church of Montreal. From first inception to last coping-stone, no detail of its history has been overlooked. The scholarship is meticulous, the writing style is pleasant ... it is everything a book of its kind should be." Artscanada