# What city is this?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 16, 2013, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447 "2013-12-16T07:18:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Picaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@Picaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picaro)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447/1 "2013-12-16T07:18:10Z")

</div>

This photo is from an old family album. It was taken by my grandfather on a trip to Scotland, in July, 1920, but I don’t know where.

[![](https://i.imgur.com/7HuX8SJ.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/7HuX8SJ.jpg)

It could be Canada (Montreal or points east), or England, or Scotland. Being the waterfront, it may have been bombed flat in WWII, so the buildings here may be long gone.

The hills in the background are right by the harbor and should make it recognizable, but I haven’t a clue. Also, there’s a distinctive building off to the right. The ship in the middle distance looks to me like a ferry, but I’m sure no expert.

Any ideas? Many thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447/2 "2013-12-16T07:36:04Z")

</div>

It looks a bit like Quebec City.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Picaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@Picaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picaro)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447/3 "2013-12-16T08:26:00Z")

</div>

Thanks Giles-- I think you’re correct! The hill overlooking the waterfront is the Quebec Citadelle. I should have known that-- I was last there in the summer.

I wondered why I couldn’t see the Chateau Frontenac, which dominates the Quebec skyline, but a brief googlage shows the big central tower of the Frontenac went up around 1924. I think you can just make out the old part of the hotel to the right of the Citadelle. The ferry would be to Levis, across the river. I don’t know what the big buildings are to the right.

Quebec makes sense. In the pre-air travel pre-Seaway days, he would have taken the train to Montreal or Quebec to catch an Atlantic passenger ship.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447/4 "2013-12-16T18:10:29Z")

</div>

I looked at the photo and immediately thought “Quebec City” too. The distinctive spire on the right of the photo appears to be the [Camille-Roy building at the Séminaire de Québec,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9minaire_de_Qu%C3%A9bec) built in 1855.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Picaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@Picaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picaro)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-city-is-this/676447/5 "2013-12-18T07:14:34Z")

</div>

Thanks all! I’m chastened-- I really should have recognized this-- I’ve been to Quebec City half a dozen times, most recently in July 2013.

I’ll bring a print with me next time I’m there. I bet many of the other buildings in the photo are still standing.