1969: Once Upon a Time in Montreal

In 1969 Richard Austin, a 22 year old artist, lived in Montréal. The city was in turmoil that year, experiencing often-violent strikes, civil unrest and terrorist bombings of the Stock Exchange and Canada Post mailboxes. During the year Sir George Williams University, situated in the city's downtown core, experienced the largest student occupation in Canadian history, which soon turned into a riot when over 400 students occupied the computer lab. Also at that time, The Record Cave, a store selling LPs and 45 RPM vinyl records was 'where it was at' for music lovers, attracting an eclectic mix of people looking for their favorite discs or to just hang out. The author photographed it all with his first camera; Montreal street scenes, the friendly and the strange and interesting events. This book presents black and white images, reminiscences and notes from that pivotal year for the artist. These eclectic images take the reader back to another time, when drugs were readily available, youthful rebellion was in the air, and Montréal underwent cultural and political seismic shifts. Richard Austin went on to become a designer, photographer and artist, drawn to contemporary portraiture and landscape imagery and has exhibited in Montréal and Ottawa galleries.