Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).
Jackie’s Door, De Gaspé Ave, Montréal
First a quick shout-out and a hearty Happy Independence Day to all our Doorthusiasts in the U.S.A.
I hope you have a safe and fun-filled July 4th celebration and still find time to share your favorite doors with us 😉
For those of you wondering where I was going with my little quiz at the end of last week’s post perhaps this mural that I came across at the top of the lane-way will help.
The fellow depicted here is American hall of fame baseball player Jackie Robinson.
Robinson is best known as the star player for the Brooklyn Dodgers for a decade or so starting in 1947.
As the first African-American to play in the major leagues he is credited with helping to break down racial barriers that existed not only in professional sport, but in society in general.
The ground-breaking general manager of the Dodgers at the time, Branch Rickey had signed Robinson out of the Negro League in the winter of 1946 to a professional major league contract. Weeks later all but one of the league’s team owners voted at their winter meetings to continue NOT to allow African American players into the league.
Knowing he had a can’t miss all-star player under contract, Rickey refused to give up and decided to give the league some time to get itself ready for the racially integrated reality that was going to be it’s future. Rickey did this by easing Robinson into professional baseball through the Dodger’s International League AAA farm team, the Montreal Royals, where there’d be less press and less racism.
Though the decision wasn’t met with unanimous acceptance by baseball insiders who ran the team in Montreal, baseball fans in the city fell in love with their star 2nd baseman who helped lead the team to a league championship that season.
That year Robinson and his wife Rachel lived in an upstairs duplex apartment in the primarily French-speaking working class Villeray district. They didn’t speak French and most of their neighbours didn’t speak much English, yet somehow everyone got along and respected each other as they were.
But before settling into a peaceful home life on de Gaspé Ave, Jackie and Rachel endured a month of spring training in Florida which included being bumped off of flights, trains and buses, and being put up in different hotel accommodations, and at times not being allowed to eat in the same restaurants as the rest of the team.
By the time the regular season started in April, settling into a relatively normal life on a quiet residential street where everyone was friendly, helpful, and accepting must have been a welcome change.
After Jackie’s death in 1972 Rachel often mentioned how their time in Montreal was instrumental in preparing them both for the groundbreaking events that were still to come, and she spoke fondly of the mutual love affair they both shared with their first major league home.
Today if you take a walk out front of 8232 de Gaspé Ave
you’d never guess at the historical significance of the place,
except for door painted the same Dodger blue as the uniform Jackie wore
and a gold plaque to commemorate the simple apartment from which Jackie and Rachel made history.
As always I thank you for stopping in 🙂
Want to join in on the fun and share your own Thursday Doors post with other door lovers? Then please add the link to your Thursday Doors post in the comments section below.
Don’t forget that if you share your blog posts on social media, use the #ThursdayDoors hashtag to help others find you, and please do take a few minutes to visit some of the Thursday Door posts shared by others.
Cool. I didn’t know he lived up there. Cool mural of him.
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Hi Norm, I like your Christmas door. Here is mine for this week https://travel-with-tech.blog/2019/07/06/blue-bath-house-doors/
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Thank you Norm, for sharing Jackie and Rachel’e story!
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Thank you 🙂
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Love the the story. It makes me a little sad as well. Great doors!
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As usual, I’m late to the party. =) But, here’s my post … https://brendasrandomthoughts.wordpress.com/2019/07/06/thursday-doors-heunginjimum-gate/
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I think understand what you mean Brenda and I agree 🙂
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Pingback: Norm’s Thursday Doors – that little voice
I didn’t know Jackie Robinson got his start in Montreal! Even back then, Canadians seem to have been more civilized and forward-thinking than their southern neighbors. Thanks for the history lesson!
Here’s mine, a day late: https://klallendoerfer.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/thursday-doors-on-friday-flag-on-the-lfl/
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Thanks Karen 🙂
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I saw the movie “42” when it came out, but I’d since forgotten about his start in Montreal (mostly because I’m not a huge baseball fan and watched it because of its historical standpoint). I think it’s so wonderful they’ve left the door blue and commemorated it with a plaque. That’s a great mural too and a lovely collection of other doors. I love that green winding staircase. 🙂
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Thanks Amy. I’m glad you brought up the movie because I had been wanting to see it for quite some time and I keep forgetting to look it up. Gonna try to fix that in the next few days.
Cheers 🙂
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Didn’t know this part of history. Thanks for sharing. Love that blue.
Pat
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Thank you Pat 🙂
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Forgot to add my link to another lot of Nepali doors.
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I knew much about Jackie Robinson, but not your story. How wonderful! Hats off to Montreal. Love their blue door and the mural.
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Thanks Jennie 🙂
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You’re welcome, Norm.
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What to say – he was a great athlete and citizen but certainly endured things most of us will never understand. Thank you for shining the light on he and his wife and providing this teaching moment along with some interesting doors and a wonderful mural. This is why you are the ‘Door King.’ 🙂
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Thanks Judy. So sorry for the late reply this week. I hope you’ve been enjoying a festive long weekend 🙂
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What a great story! Canadians never fail to impress me. And what a lovely thing they kept the door blue and paid homage to him with that plaque. The other doors in the neighborhoods are very charming, if less famous. Here’s my entry for this week: https://angelafurtadophotography.com/2019/07/04/thursday-doors-july-4-2019/
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Thanks Angela. I thought it was pretty cool too.
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Here is mine: https://chava61.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/thursday-doors-july-4-2019/
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Thank you 🙂
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These are great doors and this is a wonder but if history, John. I love that the door is still painted Dodger blue.
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Thanks Dan 🙂
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Well that is just super neat and I had no idea, so thanks for that! Beautifully done mural is a great addition.
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Thank Joey 🙂
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That is one All American ball player!! Proud to have a #42 jersey of his. Wonderful tribute Norm!!
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Thank you!
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A great tribute to a great baseball player! Love the first brown door and what surrounds it!
You had your Canada Day last week and wished I had realized it- hope you had a lovely celebration!
https://wp.me/p9EWyp-10d
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Thank you 🙂
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So happy the Canadians were welcoming to this great athlete. Thank you. Here’s my entry though as usual I’m stretching: https://jttwissel.com/2019/07/04/ode-to-an-old-gas-guzzler/ Will have some pics of our small town parade hopefully tomorrow. Cheers!
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Thanks Jan 🙂
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“…a relatively normal life on a quiet residential street where everyone was friendly, helpful, and accepting” In this day and age, this sounds like something to aspire to and not nearly sure you will get it. Great post. Canada on!
My post is from Trieste where last year was just as hot as it still is around here. I owe you all the second part of its doors:
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Thanks Manja. Though I enjoy variety and quirkiness at times, there’s still a lot to be said for ‘relatively normal’ 😉
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😀 I wouldn’t know…
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I loved this story. Thanks for the peep behind these doors.
Here’s my contribution for the week: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/visiting-an-oracle/
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Thanks 🙂
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Interesting, as always – and in rather better nick than some of these http://theonlyd800inthehameau.com/2019/07/04/thursday-doors-le-dorat-revisited/
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Thank you 🙂
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So many different doors!
Here is my entry: https://nowathome.wordpress.com/2019/07/04/thursday-doors-franschhoek/
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Yes indeed. Thank you!
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Good doors. This my effort…
https://apetcher.wordpress.com/2019/07/04/thursday-doors/
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Thanks Andrew 🙂
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Wonderful doors and story! And that curving stairway does my heart good. I tried to share this post on Facebook, but they said it violated their community standards. I requested they review that, and figured out a way to share it anyway. Don’t mess with a geek, FB, don’t MESS with a GEEK. Here’s my post today: http://marianallen.com/2019/07/around-aladdins-thursdaydoors/
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Thanks Marian. Not sure what the FB problem would be but: Screw you Mark Zuckerberg! There I said it and it felt good 😉
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Great collection with an interesting story!
Here are my Thursday Doors:https://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2019/07/04/doors-of-hainburg-austria/
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Thank you 🙂
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Wonderful post, Norm, very enlightening and some great doors. I love the murals, too. Here’s my post for this week; https://jeanreinhardt.wordpress.com/2019/07/04/thursday-doors-128/
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Thank you Jean 🙂
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Good story, never knew this
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Thanks Alice 🙂
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good morning, couldn’t wait this week for Thursday…. my find https://dymoonblog.com/2019/07/04/thursday-doors-23/
thanks for hosting this great blog event!!
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Thank you!
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I didn’t know this, but it worked perfectly with your doors and that great mural. It’s good to be back with the a-door-able bloggers and as always, thanks for being the host.
janet
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Thanks and welcome back Janet. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Thanks for sharing this story, Norm! Nice to read about people being decent to each other, in this country.
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Thank you! Indeed Deb, we need more stories like this and I love sharing them whenever I can. Helps to offset the literal and proverbial train wrecks that seem to get the bulk of the headlines these days 😉
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Great story, Norm. It’s interesting to read about the back story of your doors.
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Thank you Ian 🙂
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Interesting bit of history there. I spent a hot day at the Planting Fields Arboretum https://port4u.net/2019/07/04/planting-fields-doors/
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Thanks Sherry 🙂
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I like that first door #193, but it is the mural door that really grabs my attention for obvious reasons.
This week I offer the same door in different guises: https://scooj.org/2019/07/04/thursday-doors-4-july-2019/
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Thank you my friend 🙂
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That is such a cool story. I had no idea … but then again I’m not exactly a baseball fan.
I’m curious. Was this something you discovered by accident on one of your walkabouts or did you know of its existence and went looking for it?
btw – I love those Canadian Heritage Minutes. I know they are often spoofed on comedy shows but I think they’re great.
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Thanks Joanne. I was a huge baseball fan growing up so I was already aware that he had played here first, and that the apartment was a few blocks from Louise’s office. When I was in town picking her up after work a few weeks ago we had some time to explore, so I looked up the address and we made a doorscursion out of it.
Yes the Heritage Minutes are great but Rick Mercer’s spoofs are better 😉
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Yeah – but we’re talking Rick Mercer. Of course they will be fun 🙂
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Norm, what a wonderful story you’ve woven around your doors today.
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Thanks Sheree, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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