Photography is an effective means to capture the natural and built heritage of Mount Royal, a territory of many faces. With its three summits, the mountain is home to neighbourhoods, founding institutions, cemeteries and many parks including the magnificent Mount Royal Park, a green space spanning 200 hectares of awe-inspiring fauna and flora.

The exhibition draws a clear parallel between the designer’s vision for Mount Royal Park and the way the park’s visitors and users see it. All the photographs clearly show Olmsted’s intent, whether they were taken long ago by famed photographer William Notman or posted more recently on Instagram.

For 30 years, Les amis de la montagne has been protecting and improving Mount Royal through environmental education and community involvement. This exhibition is an ode to the mountain and to the photographers who trained their lenses on it.