MONTRÉAL, CANADA.- The McCord Museum’s new outdoor exhibition, Configurations, is on view through October 15, 2007. Ideally situated in the heart of downtown Montréal, Configurations is displayed along McGill College Avenue, between de Maisonneuve Boulevard West and Sainte-Catherine Street West. Be sure to visit this free exhibition of large-format photographs selected from the Notman Photographic Archives and from contemporary artists’ collections.

Montréal in the spotlight — Twenty-nine pairs of exceptional black-and-white photographs provide a glimpse into Quebec society from the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the late 20th century. Photographs from William Notman’s 19th-century studio are juxtaposed with more recent images representing the photographic documentary tradition of the 1970s and 80s. These contemporary, politically engaged photographs witness the social changes and upheavals of those decades, especially in the city of Montréal. Some of these photographs were exhibited by the McCord in response to an invitation by the Museum and curator Stanley Triggs.

If you visit the exhibition heading north along McGill College Avenue, you will see these images that document everyday life in the 1970s and 80s. Heading south, you will discover the photographs of William Notman and his contemporaries.

Configurations explores the vitality and diversity of social relations in Montréal and measures how the city’s architecture has changed; it is an expression of Quebecois life. “If the contrast between the Notman Studio photographs and those from a more recent past shows how the city has changed over the course of the last 100 years, it also illustrates a certain continuity surrounding questions of identity,” explains the curator of the Notman Photographic Archives, Dr. Hélène Samson. A link is made between two seemingly disparate eras.

The McCord’s first outdoor exhibition Transactions, presented in 2006, was an inspiring success. In addition to the numerous awards won by the exhibition - including an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Canadian Museums Association - more than 650,000 people visited McGill College Avenue to view Transactions. “These exhibitions are a unique opportunity for the McCord to present its collections to a much greater audience, on a much larger scale,” states Dr. Victoria Dickenson, the Museum’s Executive Director.

The photographs selected for this year’s outdoor exhibition will transport you to another time in Montréal society, and another era of life in Quebec. Configurations will stimulate your imagination and will re-configure your image of Quebec society. Those who are passionate about photography or curious about Montréal and its history won’t want to miss this engaging exhibition.