26 LOMBARD STREET MURAL

A TRIBUTE TO TORONTO’S PRINTING LEGACY

Project Overview:

Located on the side of a historic Romanesque Revival brick building in downtown Toronto, this mural was commissioned to pay homage to the city’s printing industry heritage. The building once housed the lithographic printing facilities of Barclay, Clark & Co., which adjoined the R.G. McLean Printers Building. The mural serves as a visual nod to the era when every visible surface of a building was used for advertisements, blending modern artistic techniques with a vintage aesthetic.

Concept & Execution:

The artwork was designed as an abstract interpretation of historical commercial signage, inspired by the ghost signs that once covered Toronto’s downtown blocks. The final design incorporates layers of typography referencing printing history, including terms like “ADS,” “LITHOGRAPHY,” and “PRESS.” This selection of fonts reflects the evolution of the print industry from the 19th to the 20th century.

Technical Challenges & Process:

• The mural was executed using precision-cut vinyl stencils, ensuring crisp lettering and sharp details. The stencils were meticulously designed from an Illustrator file, organized to fit the large-scale wall space.
• The team used an outdoor skyjack with outriggers, as the height of the building pushed the lift to its operational limits.
• Since some sections of the wall had exposed substrate, bleeding the stencil was not an option, requiring extra care in applying the paint to maintain clean edges.
• The grid transfer method was used to scale the artwork accurately onto the wall, similar to traditional hand-painted advertisements.

Project Duration & Impact:

A two-person crew completed the mural in one week, working at high elevations in a busy urban environment. The mural not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the building but also connects the site’s history to its modern redevelopment, ensuring that the legacy of Toronto’s print industry remains visible for future generations.