I’d lived in Montreal for years before I discovered the annual 18th Century Market. Now I never miss it.
The market takes place in Montreal’s first market square, Place Royale, which is between the St Lawrence River and the Old Customs House (L’Ancienne Douane), built 1836-36.
As the city is on the traditional territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) people, their presence and that of other Indigenous peoples is an important part of the market. This year the birch bark canoe attracted a lot of attention.
The market always makes me wish I wrote historical fiction! It’s the perfect place to research Quebec life of that era. Need to know what kind of shoes, hats, coats, shirts, dresses they wore?
About the life of a spoon maker, cobbler, lace maker, blacksmith?
Want to try your hand at writing with a quill pen or see what it’s like to sit in the stocks? Want to know how they made a wooden bowl?
Not only do the craftspeople and actors dress up, local Montrealers do too! Hard to tell who’s who. Any moment now a thief will be apprehended and dragged off to trial in the market square!
Lots of soldiers in various uniforms – marching, carrying very large guns, drinking…or mending their shoes.
And of course, music everywhere – old Quebec songs, sea shanties, bagpipes, fiddles, pipes (recorder?), and lots of drums.
The photos below shows the back of The Old Custom House which is now part of the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archeology.
Now back to work – writing my futuristic novella!
The photos are a mix of the ones I took at the August 2016 and May 2017 markets – it wasn’t as crowded last year so easier to take photos! Usually the 18th Century market happens at the end of August. It was brought forward this year to coincide with Montreal’s anniversary celebrations.
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Enjoy doors from around the world at Norm 2.0 Thursday Doors – click on the blue frog!
Susi Lovell 
Looks like a great marketplace to explore!
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There’s just such a great time-warp feel. And there’s a terrific patisserie for a grand finale!
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Great post Susi. It reminds me that I have to get back down there again soon 🙂
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Wow, I wasn’t aware of this market. Thank you. Great post.
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Love these captures of the market 🙂 Wonderful clothes and light.
We have a colonial place here, only closes in the winter — acres and acres of the same sort of thing, and I always enjoy going.
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I love these historical markets, your photos are wonderful. We have a medieval festival in our town every year and it’s great to see how people dressed and the tools they used in their trade.
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I had a lot of trouble deciding which photos to use – I take far too many but just can’t resist! I’d love to go to a medieval festival – is there jousting?
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No jousting but lots of sword fighting. There isn’t much room for horses in the grounds where the festival is held.
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oh what a fun and fascinating fair . . love it. Like the door too!
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The front door is impressive – imposing for ceremonial situations! At first I thought the back door was pretty pathetic but the surround looks like the original wood – it’s just the centre glass and the fact they’ve put paper(?) over it that makes it look a bit bleah!
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