Author Description

Loing du Soleil discusses the production of architecture in Quebec City from the 1680s to the 1730s, at a time when Canada was still a French colony. The author examines archival documents such as letters, contracts, account books, drawings, city views and maps in order to assess the contribution of builders and clients to the architectural designs of that period. Each chapter deals with the design process of a specific building or building type, and examines in detail such questions as the ambiguity of the architect's role, the client's preoccupation with prestige as well as his awareness of the city's image as portrayed in city views.