Calgary's Grand Story; The Making of a Prairie Metropolis from the Viewpoint of Two Heritage Buildings

Smith, Donald B.

ISBN 10: 1552381749 / ISBN 13: 9781552381748

Published by University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB

About this Item

[1-55238-174-9] 2005. (Mass market paperback) Very good. xxii, 346pp. 4to. Top cover shows a light crease, more noticeable from the inside. There is an inscription to the half title page, as well as information that has been blacked out with black marker. Else is fine, clean and bright, with black and white photographs throughout.

Seller Inventory # 133385

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Calgary's Grand Story; The Making of a Prairie Metropolis from the Viewpoint of Two Heritage Buildings
• Publisher: University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB
• ISBN 10: 1552381749
• ISBN 13: 9781552381748
• Binding: Soft cover
• Seller catalogs:
  • Canadiana

About this title

Synopsis

Calgary was a boomtown of 50,000 people in 1912, the year the Lougheed Building and the adjacent Grand Theatre were built. The fanfare and anticipation surrounding their opening marked the beginning of a golden era in the city's history. The Lougheed quickly became Calgary's premier corporate address, and the state-of-the-art Grand Theatre the hub of a thriving cultural community. Through the great days of Vaudeville and classic cinema, through the Depression, two world wars, and the oil and gas boom, the Lougheed and the Grand were cornerstones of downtown Calgary. As the city grew up around them, questions about their future arose. Did they still have a place in this new metropolis of shiny glass and steel? After they were nearly destroyed by fire in 2004, the push to restore and revitalize the buildings gained new momentum.

From the viewpoint of these two prominent heritage buildings, Donald Smith introduces the reader to the personalities and events that helped shape Calgary in the twentieth century. Complemented by over 140 historical images, Calgary's Grand Story is a fascinating tribute to the Lougheed and the Grand and celebrates their unrivalled position in the city's political, economic, and cultural history.

About the Author

Donald B. Smith is professor emeritus of history at the University of Calgary. He has written extensively on Native history, as well as the history of Alberta and Calgary.