Abstract

The Dominion Express Building, situated in the heart of Old Montreal's business district, was commissioned by the Dominion Express Company and designed by the architects Edward and William Sutherland Maxwell in 1912. The building was, in its conservative styling and modest size, a fine example of what has been called the Edwardian Commercial Style. Though traditional architectural history would minimize the importance of the Dominion Express Building, this study intends to reassert, through method developed by Cultural Studies, the building's significance in Canadian history. By extending the focus of architectural historical method to include a variety of cultural readings a rich understanding of the role that commercial architecture played in Canadian history during this period can be achieved. Additionally, this study broadens understanding of the culture of the "Square Mile" in the first decades of this century.