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McGill University Bookstore
a, Student Life

McGill 101: A guide to buying and selling textbooks

by Olivia Kurajian on

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Amid all of the excitement that accompanies thousands of students flooding the streets of Montreal, buying textbooks might be overlooked at the start of the semester. Textbooks can be hard to find, and even harder to afford. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways for students to acquire textbooks that won’t break the bank.

Bookstores

The McGill Bookstore, located at 3420 McTavish Street, is a place of convenience and certainty. Books purchased here are on the pricier side, but it comes with a guarantee that you are getting the right ones as professors directly alert the bookstore of the books and the editions that their classes require. Some professors require students to purchase a course pack as the course’s main textbook, or in addition to other books and textbooks. These coursepacks are also available at the bookstore. There are also many ways to save money when buying from the McGill Bookstore. Firstly, if reading from a screen does not bother you, the McGill Bookstore offers 'digital coursepacks' at 40-50 per cent off the price of the print edition. Secondly, for those who don’t mind highlighting or wear-and-tear, the bookstore sells certain textbooks in used condition at reduced prices. For students with old textbooks sitting at home, the bookstore will buy back certain books. They have an online database which allows users to search which books can be bought back and for what prices. Finally, the bookstore also offers the option to rent certain textbooks which can knock off up to 40 per cent off the original price.

If you prefer smaller bookstore The Word Bookstore, a quaint little hole-in-the-wall, is located at 469 Milton Street just steps away from the Milton Gates. This bookstore sells used books and may be tiny, but it is jam-packed with McGill students and the many textbooks they require. They often post the selection of textbooks that they have in stock on their Facebook page, which may save students a trip or two.

Another bookstore close to campus is Paragraphe at 2220 McGill College Avenue. This store carries new books which are almost as pricey as the McGill bookstore; however, some professors choose to send their textbook requests here, so you should become familiar with this location.

Finding books online

There are a variety of ways to acquire textbooks through online platforms. It is worthwhile to check if books may be found on Amazon, where they are often available in new and used condition, and may be delivered in as quickly as two days. McGill also has its own online classifieds platform to facilitate selling all sorts of items; it's a great way to buy used textbooks and books off fellow classmates at affordable prices. In addition to the classifieds, a few Facebook pages exist that can help locate good deals. McGill Textbook Exchange and the more general McGill Free and For Sale groups on Facebook are great resources that are offer similar platforms to buy and sell textbooks. The McGill Bookstore also has an option to purchase textbooks online and then pick them up in the store.

Other tips for buying textbooks

Before you embark on your textbook buying adventure, make sure you double check the title and edition of the textbook required for your course. Sometimes professors will allow you to use an older edition of a textbook which may mean the books are less expensive. Even if you can’t save money through buying an older edition, you may be able to share a hard-copy with friends or find an e-book online.

As for coursepacks, it is possible to find the included articles online. McGill has an extensive online database system called WorldCat that will grant McGill students access to an abundance of publications. Google Books and Google Scholar are other third-party platforms which may also have the required articles or chapters at no cost.

Finally, for textbooks only needed for a short time, professors often put textbooks on reserve at one of McGill’s 13 libraries. Although this is a great alternative to spending money on your own book, it is important to note that there are limited copies available, each with a three hour rental limit. Be careful during midterms and finals as many of your classmates may be searching for the same title.

This article is a part of our McGill 101 issue, which aims to ease your transition and answer questions you have about McGill and Montreal.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

McGill 101: Music mania in Montreal

by Morgan Alexander on

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There’s no denying that Montreal is one of the top pop culture hubs in Canada. One look at the summer festival line-up and anyone would find themselves in shock from musical overload. While it’s true that summer is the best time for outdoor concerts, and big festivals tend to attract even bigger stars, there are plenty of venues rocking all year round, producing killer sounds and presenting great artists. These are the top five need-to-visit venues for all incoming McGill students. All near campus, all reasonably priced, and all certain to have amazing line-ups.

1) Divan Orange

If you’re looking for live music every night of the week, a flurry of Quebecois artists, or the occasional slam poetry competition, then you’re looking for Divan Orange. French is the language of choice, so those not familiar with the language may want to bring a buddy to help them order drinks, but have no fear—the vibrant atmosphere and pulsing music welcome patrons of all languages.

2) Katacombes 

At some point, everyone should go to a metal concert, if only for the stories they can tell later. Katacombes is the punk/metal/hardcore venue of Montreal. The venue is huge and features a great variety of performers, though metal bands do reign supreme. Beyond concerts, Katacombes is committed to promoting artists throughout Montreal, hosting a whole range of events from art auctions to short film showings.

3) Korova Bar 

Disclaimer: Korova doesn’t have live music, and really is more of a dive bar with a dance floor than a music venue; however, nothing can compete with the sheer excitement and hip-hop paradise that is “Sucka Free Monday." Every Monday, Korova plays hip-hop music all night for no cover. It attracts people from all over the city, but in particular, it draws the McGill crowd on a weekly basis. The bar is fairly small and Sucka Free tends to draw a huge crowd, so if unrelenting human contact isn’t your thing, go another night to enjoy beer and a local DJ.

4) Hip-Hop Karaoke @ Le Belmont 

Hip-Hop Karaoke is an event like no other, and having it take place in Le Belmont—a borderline dive bar open just two days a week—makes it so much better. Hip-Hop Karaoke is just what it sounds like—people singing along to hip-hop songs—the twist being that there are no lyrics provided, just performers getting up on stage and doing their thing. What this makes for is an amazing mix of people giving out amazing covers of famous songs, often with choreographed dancing and personalized bridges melded into the lyrics.

This article is a part of our McGill 101 issue, which aims to ease your transition and answer questions you have about McGill and Montreal.

McGill Intramurals mug
a, Sports

McGill 101: The lowdown on McGill intramurals

by Elie Waitzer on

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Getting into this school is not easy, and many figure they’ll have to hang up their skates and lock themselves in the library for good once they get here just to stay afloat in McGill’s intense academic environment. Committing to a varsity team is a valuable and life-changing experience, but for students who want to maintain high GPAs, make it to Café Campus on Tuesdays, and lack any semblance of athleticism, it may not be the best (or most feasible) option. If those sound like your priorities, then look no further than the intramural program offered by McGill Athletics.

The program is open to all full-time McGill students, and you can register online through McGillAthletics.ca before the start of each semester. During the regular season, games take place during the week after 5 p.m. and on weekends beginning at 9 a.m. Since playoffs usually coincide with the lead-up to each semester’s Final Exams, game times are flexible and league organizers will coordinate schedules with each team.

When you register, you have the option to either enroll a private team with a bunch of friends, or go solo to meet new people across campus. To join as a single player, head to one of the free agent meetings held in Tomlinson Hall (2nd floor of the Fieldhouse) at 5 p.m. to get connected with captains of existing teams that need players. Depending on the sport, these meetings are held on Sept. 8 (soccer, flag football, ultimate, hockey) or 10 (badminton, ball hockey, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball) for the Fall semester. Fees for a semester come in at around $25, with the exception of hockey ($50).

The majority of sports are divided into three categories: Open, women’s, and co-recreational. Then there are generally four divisions of play: Competitive, intermediate, beginner, and recreational. In all but the recreational divisions, fierce competition is guaranteed as your team competes for the prized, glass McGill intramural mug awarded to all eligible members of the championship team. This mug cannot be bought with money, and is the perfect weight for drinking mead or ale at a party while your opponents cast their eyes down in defeat.

In the Winter, make sure to register early before all the spots are taken for inner tube water polo. The wildly popular sport (on college campuses) is a variation of traditional water polo with all the players—excluding the goalie—floating in inner tubes. At the recreational level, it’s like a lazy river with teamwork and fancy caps. At the competitive level, it’s a gruelling full-body workout with complete with flipped tubes and dirty underwater tactics. If you’re already a seasoned intramural veteran, here are some pro tips.

If you’re in the heat of a post-season push and want to squeeze that extra two per cent out of your squad, dive into your team’s statistics at GOLNetwork.com. If you want to take your involvement to the next level, consider applying to become an intramural referee and make extra money on the side. With options for every level of skill and interest, intramurals can be a fun and relaxed way to stay active during the semester or a great outlet for your competitive side.

This article is a part of our McGill 101 issue, which aims to ease your transition and answer questions you have about McGill and Montreal.

Facebook Groups for Schools
a, Student Life

McGill 101: Navigating Facebook – McGill has sent you a friend request

by Karina Alibhai on

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Facebook is great for sharing photos, connecting with friends, and staying up to date on off and on-campus events. There are many McGill groups and pages on Facebook that offer an array of updates and services for students. Here are the most important ones to follow to ensure a current and useful newsfeed.

McGill Entering Class of 2015: This group is for all newly admitted students to McGill who will be commencing their studies in Fall 2015. This is usually the first group many McGill students join as it is a great space to ask questions and meet others before arriving on campus. Many groups on campus post about their club or event, as well making it a great resource for students who are looking to get involved.

Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU): This is the page for the undergraduate students' union at McGill. You'll find announcements for events occurring in the SSMU building, such as club fairs and workshops, and employment opportunities on campus. The building hours and address can also be found here.

McGill Inter-Residence Council (IRC): This student council organizes events for all students living in residence. Like this page to stay up to date on various events and opportunities offered by the IRC, such as on-campus games of capture the flag and themed parties.

Undergraduate Society Pages: Each undergraduate society has a Facebook page which all students are encouraged to like. This page provides updates on what is happening with regards to that particular faculty, such as the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS), Science Undergraduate Society (SUS), or Management Undergraduate Society (MUS). Similar to the SSMU page, these pages regularly post opportunities for employment, faculty-specific events, and information about faculty councils, elections, and office hours.

Students’ Association Page: Each department usually has its own student association. By liking the page, students get notifications on events and important news related to the department. Examples of students’ association are the History Students' Association (HSA) and McGill Psychology Students' Association (MPSA). This is a great place to ask fellow students for advice on courses, textbooks and professors, as well as stay informed about talks, seminars and job fairs that pertain to that specific department.

Free Food on Campus and in Montreal: One of the most popular Facebook groups for McGill students, this group allows members to post about opportunities to find free food on campus and around Montreal. Living on a student budget is not always easy, but there are always events on campus offering free food, which helps to make life more affordable. A distant cousin of this group is the Samosa Sales group. There is usually one samosa sale a day and students who are selling or who are looking for samosas can post in this group. The typical price is $1 for one or $2 for three, meaning McGill students could live affordably off of only samosas if they really wanted to.

Textbook Exchange: Textbooks are expensive but necessary. Students in this group buy and sell used textbooks off each other for much cheaper prices than the bookstore. Posts in this group peak at the start of each semester, and popular textbooks can be sold within a couple minutes, so it is best to keep refreshing this page until you find the textbook you need.

Free and For Sale: This group is McGill’s version of Craigslist—students can buy and sell various items for reasonable prices.  As the group description says, you can “find fridges, futons, and tons of other stuff.” There is also a group called McGill Clothing Exchange which is specifically for buying and selling clothing.

Housing: This is a space for students to post about housing and other living opportunities. When looking for an apartment or a roommate, this is a great place to start the search. Students also frequently post here for advice about landlords or housing dilemmas that may arise.

Jobs and Internships: This group makes searching for a job much less daunting. Information on jobs and internships on campus, in Montreal, and beyond are posted on this group. Researchers looking for paid participants will also post here, as will event organizers looking for temporary staff.

This article is a part of our McGill 101 issue, which aims to ease your transition and answer questions you have about McGill and Montreal.

Seoul music
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Seoul steps out of the shadows

by Morgan Alexander on

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For any up-and-coming band, the first festival performance is a big deal—it solidifies their role in the music world and confirms that the effort they put into their music is worth it. This experience was no different for Montreal-based band Seoul, who cheerfully reiterated during their performance that playing at Osheaga was their first “big gig.” Seoul is one of many up-and-coming bands that Osheaga was originally created to host, allowing local artists to garner more attention. This type of exposure marks a welcome shift into maturity and visibility for a band that once prided itself on anonymity.

Seoul, comprised of Julian Flavin, Dexter Garcia, and Nigel Ward, has been together for five years. In 2011 the group completed their first album, I Become Shade, but decided to put off releasing the record until 2015. “

It took a while to release it because we wanted to find a label that we were happy with,” Garcia said. “We were in different places, different cities, and we had other goals than just releasing the album.”

As a result, the album sat unchanged for nearly four years, despite misconceptions that the album was in fact being worked on throughout those years.

“[Saying the album took so many years to create] makes it seem like this strange epic masterpiece, which it’s not,” Garcia reiterated. “There was this period of serious effort followed by a period of waiting.”

It’s an understandable misconception, but one that the group says is farlry typical of other artists, just to a lesser degree.

“People have made a lot out of the taking-a-while thing,” Flavin added. “I feel like really it was just a process that takes a while period, and everybody has that to a degree that isn’t immediately given to the public eye.”

While the long period in between production and release didn’t much affect the sound of the band, it did give the group a chance to define their image. Seoul is unique in the sense that they didn’t come up with a name prior to the release of their album.

“Everything sort of stemmed from the aesthetic of the album,” Ward explained.

For the band’s first press photos, the images were in black and white and the groups faces were always distorted in some way. Combined with their relatively unknown status, the group was to tailor its image into something unique for university groups, giving them a more seemingly experienced edge.

“We thought it was more appropriate that certain images of other things that are not the band,” Flavin said. “The idea of having press photos where we’re not extremely visual was just a product of our thoughts on this album[….] We’re not against portraying ourselves as the people that we are, we just thought it was more apt musically.”

The ironic result of the group’s efforts to label themselves as the music, and not the band, is the resulting uncertainty as to what type of music they actually produce.

“You kinda have to do it [define your sound], it’s kind of a bummer always,” Flavin said. “For this album we’ve decided on ambient pop just because the music was written with a sort of pop song grafty kind of outlook, which is just something we’re really drawn to.”

The band’s ultimate goal is, in essence, to chill. Make more music, play more shows, and hopefully get an album out soon. But for now the band is happy to be recognized as a Quebec-based up-and-comer, even if they have been around for years.

“New is defined by when people start to realize that you’ve made music,” Ward said.

Video

2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe Makes its Debut

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Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupé (C 205) 2015; Exterieur: designo diamantweiß bright, Night Paket exterior: designo diamond white bright, night package
Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupé (C 205) 2015; Exterieur: designo diamantweiß bright, Night Paket
exterior: designo diamond white bright, night package

This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupé (C 205) 2015; Exterieur: designo diamantweiß bright, Night Paket exterior: designo diamond white bright, night package
Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupé (C 205) 2015; Exterieur: designo diamantweiß bright, Night Paket
exterior: designo diamond white bright, night package

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

Sport

Lisboa Triathlon 2015

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This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.

Long copy or short – You decide

As a marketer, you probably don’t even believe in body copy. Let alone long body copy. (Unless you have a long body yourself.) Well, truth is, who‘s to blame you? Fact is, too much long body copy is dotted with such indulgent little phrases like truth is, fact is, and who’s to blame you. Trust us: we guarantee, with a hand over our heart, that no such indulgent rubbish will appear in your entry. That’s why God gave us big blue pencils. So we can expunge every example of witted waffle.

For you, the skies will be blue, the birds will sing, and your copy will be crafted by a dedicated little man whose wife will be sitting at home, knitting, wondering why your entry demands more of her husband‘s time than it should.

But you will know why, won‘t you? You will have given her husband a chance to immortalize himself in print, writing some of the most persuasive prose on behalf of a truly enlightened purveyor of widgets. And so, while your dedicated reader, enslaved to each mellifluous paragraph, clutches his newspaper with increasing interest and intention to purchase, you can count all your increased profits and take pots of money to your bank. Sadly, this is not the real copy for this entry. But it could well be. All you have to do is look at the account executive sitting across your desk (the fellow with the lugubrious face and the calf-like eyes), and say ”Yes! Yes! Yes!“ And anything you want, body copy, dinners, women, will be yours. Couldn’t be fairer than that, could we?

a, News, SSMU

Renovated SSMU Student Run Cafeteria to offer expanded menu, replace Bocadillo

by Mayaz Alam on

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On Aug. 24 a new, yet to be named food operation opened alongside The Nest in the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) cafeteria. Together, the two services will form the Student-Run-Café (SRC). 

The new food operation sells items such as burgers and pizza, while The Nest  has added a full pasta bar. Menu items are clearly differentiated between the two  food operations, with little overlap in what each location sells. 

According to SSMU Vice-President (Finance & Operations) Zacheriah Houston, the new food operation will increase the variety of food options sold at the SRC while allowing The Nest to maintain its original mandate as a sustainability hub.

“Students were very clearly asking for more meat, but it didn’t fit the vision of The Nest,” Houston said. “The new café will have more meat and a wider variety and selection of food, but it’ll definitely be offering vegan and gluten-friendly options [too].”

The new food operation will be situated in the space formerly occupied by Bocadillo, a food service provider whose lease expired in June, 2015. 

Bocadillo’s departure followed the earlier exit of Bambou Bol in March 2015, which occurred due to the latter’s failure to pay rent. SSMU Vice-President (Clubs & Services) Kimber Bialik noted that these departures enabled SSMU to move forward with its mandate to prioritize student space.

“It was a mix of good timing with […] those leases […] ending, and when we were ready to mobilize with [the SRC].” Bialik said.

The creation of the SRC follows a series of motions passed by SSMU to prioritize student space in the Shatner Building, while minimizing the presence of corporate efforts on campus : one such motion, the “Confidential Motion Regarding the Future of Food Services in the University Centre”—which was confidential at the time because it dealt with ongoing lease negotiations with Bocadillo—was passed on March 26. It mandates that SSMU work towards removing commercial tenant activity from the Shatner Building. The motion also prevents any new agreements with commercial tenants without the explicit approval of SSMU Legislative Council.

According to Houston, the decision to forgo a commercial tenant in favour of another student-run operation was difficult, given the uncertainty that the SRC will immediately produce a profit.

“We were giving up guaranteed revenue [from a commercial tenant] for revenue that could be more favourable for [SSMU] or could be worse,” Houston explained. “We have pretty high hopes given the amount of traffic that used to go through the cafeteria and also based on how well The Nest did during the last term.” 

While The Nest ran a deficit of nearly $20,000 during its first semester of operation, Winter 2014, Houston does not foresee a similar setback for the new food operation.

“The new operation will definitely be budgeted for a surplus because [it] replaced a commercial tenant; so financially, it’s not really an option to run a deficit,” Houston said. “The Nest […] had [a] really high food cost percentage compared to any other restaurant that I’ve looked at because local, diet-sensitive food is expensive.” 

Currently, there will be no option for students to pay for food at either The Nest or the new food operation using a McGill meal plan. Houston attributed this to the high cost of offering an alternate payment system that accepts meal plans.

Both Bialik and Houston explained that student consultation will play a large role in the evolution of the SRC. Houston noted that students will be able to take part in the naming of the new food operation; “The Nest,” which opened in January 2014, was chosen in a similar process. Bialik highlighted that input from current students will help determine how the renovated area surrounding the SRC is repurposed.

“As of right now, there have been no decisions as to what we’re going to do with that space because the consultation on how […] the SRC was going to be designed was in 2012,” Bialik explained. “Considering that the majority of those students are gone, we definitely want to reach out to students again and figure out what their priorities are […] for the space.” 

For Jessica Zheng, U3 Science, the departure of Bambou Bol and Bocadillo, coupled with the increased menu offerings at the SRC, is both positive and negative.

“I think less [restaurant] variety will deter students from frequenting the SSMU building during lunch hours,” Zheng said. “At the same time, because the SRC is offering an extensive menu now, students can still find a satisfying meal, especially for on-the-go items despite the closure of two food options.”

SSMU’s remaining food service tenants, including La Prep and Liquid Nutrition both have leases that end in June, 2016. They account for approximately 65 per cent of annual food sales, according to a presentation given to Council by Kathleen Bradley, last year’s vice-president (Finance & Operations).

Private

Benfica crowned 2014/15 Champions of Portugal

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This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.

Long copy or short – You decide

As a marketer, you probably don’t even believe in body copy. Let alone long body copy. (Unless you have a long body yourself.) Well, truth is, who‘s to blame you? Fact is, too much long body copy is dotted with such indulgent little phrases like truth is, fact is, and who’s to blame you. Trust us: we guarantee, with a hand over our heart, that no such indulgent rubbish will appear in your entry. That’s why God gave us big blue pencils. So we can expunge every example of witted waffle.

For you, the skies will be blue, the birds will sing, and your copy will be crafted by a dedicated little man whose wife will be sitting at home, knitting, wondering why your entry demands more of her husband‘s time than it should.

But you will know why, won‘t you? You will have given her husband a chance to immortalize himself in print, writing some of the most persuasive prose on behalf of a truly enlightened purveyor of widgets. And so, while your dedicated reader, enslaved to each mellifluous paragraph, clutches his newspaper with increasing interest and intention to purchase, you can count all your increased profits and take pots of money to your bank. Sadly, this is not the real copy for this entry. But it could well be. All you have to do is look at the account executive sitting across your desk (the fellow with the lugubrious face and the calf-like eyes), and say ”Yes! Yes! Yes!“ And anything you want, body copy, dinners, women, will be yours. Couldn’t be fairer than that, could we?

Horst
a, Art, Arts & Entertainment

Horst: Transcending the ages through colour photography

by Jack Neal on

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Horst Paul Bohrmann’s (Horst P. Horst) work has become recognized worldwide as some of the most forward-thinking endeavours in photography, and he is widely considered one of the most prolific fashion photographers of all time. Despite this recognition, not much is known about the man behind the lens. The superbly designed Horst: Photographer of Style exhibition, held at the McCord Museum, provides a spectacular glimpse into the wondrous transition from black and white to colour photography, while also shining light on the shadows of this enigmatic individual as well.

Born in 20th century Germany, Horst moved to Paris to pursue a career in architecture with Swiss architect, Le Corbusier. But upon meeting the ‘star-photographer’ of French Vogue, Baron George Hoyningen-Huene, he veered off into what became his absolute passion: Photography. This is where the exhibit begins.

The exhibit begins in a darkly lit room with the letters “H O R S T” in large, white capital letters printed in 3-D over a dark grey wall alongside a biography of Horst’s early life. A multitude of his black and white photographs of beautiful women taken during the 1930s for a Vogue cover are on the walls. The centre of the room is occupied by a floor-to-ceiling glass case showcasing six designer dresses worn by some of the models in the photographs. These images, taken in the 1930s, were some of the first high-fashion photographs ever taken, and appear immaculate from lighting to shadowing to poses.

The second part of the exhibit showcases Horst’s Surrealist work, also from the 1930s, with a handful of stunning black and white photos featuring women in bizarre positions, posing with sharp-edged, cube-based inanimate objects. In this part of the exhibit the viewer is introduced to Horst’s friendship with fellow artist Salvador Dalí—an artist who clearly influenced and inspired some of Horst’s more abstract work. Additionally, Horst’s work-life division becomes increasingly clear. This separation is enhanced by the exhibition’s inclusion of four Dalí-esque still lifes and dozens of Horst’s sketches cleverly compiled onto an iPad, which viewers can flick through at their own pleasure.

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The exhibit continues with a short black and white film that documents Horst at work, mid photo shoot. Afterwards the exhibit opens into a stark-white and high-ceiling gallery that dazzles with the vivid colours and bright clothes of the aforementioned Vogue covers. This stark contrast between this section of the gallery and the more dimmed atmosphere of the preceding sections brilliantly displays Horst’s transition to colour photography and the dazzling effects that the transition had on Horst’s work.

The initial black and white photos, the introduction of improved technology in the 1940s via the short film, and finally the incorporation of colour all blend together superbly and transport the viewer through time. In reality, a large majority of the brightly dazzling colour photos in the ‘modern’ part of the exhibit are from the 1930s, thus either emerging at the same time of or preceding some of the faded black and white photography at the beginning of the exhibit. Highlighting the impact that colour can have on photography in such a seemingly anachronistic way is the most interesting takeaway from this exhibit. With colour, the world can instantly appear more glamorous and modern, and conversely reveal how incorrect society’s romanticized and re-imagined visions of the past are. The exhibit brilliantly enhances this realization by transitioning from brightly coloured magazine covers into subdued–albeit nude–black and white photos that Horst took in the 1950s, a clever testament to the rather mind-shifting experience that this exhibition encapsulates.

Whether or not the exhibit was designed to foster this rather existential questioning, it is nevertheless a splendid conclusion to the show. Horst: Photographer of Style is an incredibly well thought-out and striking exhibit that showcases not only Horst’s own growth, but that of photography and art as well.

Horst: Photographer of Style is being presented at the McCord Museum (690 Sherbrooke Street West) until Sunday, August 23. Admission is $8.50.

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