Snow does not just pile up on the streets but also on the roofs. This could have damaged the gable roof shown in this watercolour. Typical of French architecture, this roof would have required regular snow removal to prevent it from collapsing under the weight of the load. The ladders we see here would have allowed the homeowner to shovel off the snow.

1840 - 1894

Ah! “It has snowed, oh, how it has snowed!”

These words were written by the famous Québécois poet Émile Nelligan in the late 19th century. Since then, they have been repeated at every large snowfall. And Québec City is certainly one of the places where this poem is quoted most often: It is one of the snowiest cities in the world! Explore this album of photos and other artworks to learn how 19th-century residents of Québec City made the most of winter. Lots of questions about these images await!

View out the painter Bainbrigge’s window, Québec City

John Philip Bainbrigge Snow does not just pile up on the streets but also on the roofs. This could have damaged the gable roof shown in this watercolour. Typical of French architecture, this roof would have required regular snow removal to prevent it from collapsing under the weight of the load. The ladders we see here would have allowed the homeowner to shovel off the snow.

Chronoscope Can you identify any other French-inspired architectural elements? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1840

Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Acc. No. 1983-47-98 - Date: 1840

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