Exhibits

The Manitoba Legislative Building: Photographing a Work in Progress

Construction of the Manitoba Legislative Building began in 1913. Construction continued during the First World War although the war caused some delays, including shortages of material, labour and funds. The building was ready for partial occupancy in 1919, and was officially opened on 15 July 1920.

In 1915, L.B. Foote was commissioned by the Government of Manitoba to document the construction of the building through photographs. Featured here are reproductions of 34 of these photographs, mostly taken between 1915 and 1916.

The Manitoba Legislative Building: photographing a work in progress
Le Palais législatif du Manitoba : photographies des travaux
Photo with aerial view of the east side of the Legislative Building under construction. Some walls are built, while others are just steel frames. There is no roof. Large cranes and construction materials surround the building.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 528
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Photo with aerial view of the front of the Legislative Building under construction. There are other buildings and landmarks behind the Legislative Building and on the horizon.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 529
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Photo of a wall that is under contruction, with layers of brick that are partially completed.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 532
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Photo of the exterior of the southeast part of the building. The walls are almost complete, but there is no roof nor windows. There is scaffolding in between the stone columns.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 533
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Interior photo of walls under constuction. The floors are just large steel beams with wood ladders between them.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 534
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Photo of the construction from the third floor, which is comprised of incomplete wood planks. Large cranes and steel frames are in the middle of the building. There are stacks of bricks in the forground, while masons lay bricks along the back wall.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 538
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Photo of steps and stone columns under contruction. A house, bicycles, and trees are in the foreground adjacent to the construction.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 540
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Photo of a house adjacent to the constuction, with a crane and an almost complete wall in the background.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 541
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Photo of the exterior of an almost complete wall. There are no windows. There is scaffolding between the stone columns. In the background, giant cranes are visible through incomplete portions of the wall.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 542
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Photo of a half completed wall, with a pile of bricks in the foreground and steel pillars and buildings in the background.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 543
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Photo of an interior portion of the building. The area is cluttered with construction materials. Large steel beams are suspended parallel to the floor, while workers build brick walls and push wheel barrows along temporary wood boardwalks.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 550
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Photo of the interior of the building. The walls are complete, but the floors are still wood frames. Steel beams are exposed on the ceiling. Two men carry a large sheet to lay on the floor on top of the wood frames.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 5
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Wide aerial view of the Legislative Building under construction. Some walls are complete, while others are still being created. There are cranes inside the building and no roof.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 559
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Photo of the top of the building under construction. The floors are temporary wood planks with protruding steel frames. Some of the brick walls are only partially complete. Several men stand throughout the area. One man is prominent in the foreground, standing on a plank. Other men sit on steel beams in the middle of the building. Two men stand on top of the wall in the distance. A man in the distance reaches towards a beam suspended by a crane.
"Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 562
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Photo of hundreds of men involved in the construction of the Legislative Building. They are standing or sitting on the steps of the building, which is still under construction.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 567
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Wide shot of the exterior of the building with most of the walls complete.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 570
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Exterior of the building at the ground level with two men standing next to a large pile of gravel.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 571
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Photo of the large exterior columns with scaffolding between them.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 578
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View of the constuction of the top of the building, with wood boardwalks and large steel frames and cranes throughout.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 581
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Photo of two men working on the top of a giant exterior column.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 587
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Photo of the back of the Legislative Building, with the walls only partially complete. Several men unload materials from horse drawn carriages.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 589
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Interior portion of the building from the ground floor, with construction materials and mortar cluttering the area.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 601
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Photo from inside the building, looking down on several masons laying bricks for an exterior wall. A complete exterior wall can be seen through the incomplete brick wall.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 607
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Close up of large slabs of Tyndall stone
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 611
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Exterior of the partially completed building at the ground level with several workers standing on different levels.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 614
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View of the partially completed roof.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 616
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A mason working on large slabs of stone on the exterior base of the building.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 617
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Photo of large cranes reaching up to the sky. Several men stand on the incomplete roof. Three men wave while standing on a beam suspended in mid-air, while another hangs onto the cable above them.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 632
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Interior photo of what will become the Rotunda, with several men laying bricks on the floor.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 653
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Photo of four smiling men.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 659
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Photo of a man standing next to a giant carved sculpture resembling a woman.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 527
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Photo of the completed Grand Staircase in the interior, with two large bison sculptures flanking the stairs.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 660
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Photo of the exterior of the completed legislative building.
Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote fonds, Foote 66
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