Poem Mystery/Discovery

[SHunter]

Every year Toronto has an event called "Doors Open". For a weekend, many places are opened to the public - everything from the subway yards, boardrooms, historic buildings, and even the oldest Jewish Cemetery, which usually has it's doors locked. Among those on the list this year was the Kind Edward Hotel - one of the last old grand hotels remaining. The King Eddy has a long and illustrious history, hosting many celebrities and dignitaries - the Beatles did a bed in here, scandalously Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton shared a suite, though they were not married, etc. The Hotel opened the Crystal Ballroom, on the 17th floor, up to the public. The Hotel is where "I am a Hotel" was filmed, and the Crystal Ballroom was featured as Cohen sang "Memories". The Crystal Ballroom was used from the early 20's to the 50's when it was shut down due to changing fire regulations. It was stripped of it's chandeliers, fixtures and even the hardwood flooring. This will be the last time the room is opened to the public, as it looks now. The Hotel has now been purchased by another investor who plans to revamp the hotel, refurbish rooms and add luxury condos (the cheapest begin at $400,000). I am sending you a link to several of the pictures, incase you are interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingermadd ... 168146900/
As I was perusing other photos of the Hotel, I found this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hyfen/1496 ... otostream/. It was taken in 2006, and unfortunately I did not see this while I was there. It is not signed or initialed, but to me it looked remarkably like Leonard Cohen's handwriting. Tell me what you think.

[Alsiony]

Wow how amazing will this space look when it is all done up!

I would say that the writing is a very convincing copy of - if it isn't Leonard's own hand - I am reading book of Longing again at the moment -looks like a definite match to me! Who knows more?

Thanks for posting this- very interesting

A
x

[MaryB]

Shunter -
Thank you for the photo links and the background info as related to LC. Sure could be his distinctive script.
Best regards,
Mary

[holydove]

Shunter - wow! That really does look like Leonard's writing; do we know what wall, of what room, those words are written on? If it did issue from Leonard's hand, they should really preserve that room, or at least that wall, as it is!! I wish they had preserved the wall from Chez Lou Lou in Montreal, where Leonard wrote the "Marita" poem - I would have loved to see that (or touch it, kiss it, etc.). . .

[DrHGuy]

Shunter - wow! That really does look like Leonard's writing; do we know what wall, of what room, those words are written on? If it did issue from Leonard's hand, they should really preserve that room, or at least that wall, as it is!! I wish they had preserved the wall from Chez Lou Lou in Montreal, where Leonard wrote the "Marita" poem - I would have loved to see that (or touch it, kiss it, etc.). . .

In constructing a post on Sally's visit to the Kind Edward and her discovery of the inscription (http://1heckofaguy.com/2010/06/10/on-lo ... m-a-hotel/), I contacted the photographer, Andrew Louis, who wrote that he recalls that the words were found “on the same floor as the Crystal Ballroom but on the North side of the building.” Also, Andrew took the photo in 2006 and doesn't know if the inscription is visible now.

[holydove]

DrH, thank you for the info - we can always count on you to dig up the hidden treasures!!

The examples of LC's handwriting, on your website, are beautiful, but the first box (in the lineup of photos) was blank & when I clicked on it, it looked like it was starting to open, but it never did - there was a "spinner" type image, that just kept spinning. I'm guessing that's where the "extremely self-serving" example (is it what LC wrote to you when he signed your book or album?) would be, since none of the other examples seemed self-serving at all. So I'm curious. . . any suggestions?

[DrHGuy]

DrH, thank you for the info - we can always count on you to dig up the hidden treasures!!

The examples of LC's handwriting, on your website, are beautiful, but the first box (in the lineup of photos) was blank & when I clicked on it, it looked like it was starting to open, but it never did - there was a "spinner" type image, that just kept spinning. I'm guessing that's where the "extremely self-serving" example (is it what LC wrote to you when he signed your book or album?) would be, since none of the other examples seemed self-serving at all. So I'm curious. . . any suggestions?

Allan

[holydove]

Allan, thank you so much for that BEAUTIFUL photo!! What a wonderful inscription to have in your book, from Leonard's sacred hand to the precious page - & Leonard, as always, speaks the TRUTH, & speaks it so sweetly (from his window in the tower of song. . .etc.) - you certainly do "delight us all"!! And please do not hesitate to indulge any self-serving whims which may arise in the future - clearly, that delights us too!!