Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[thecharioteer]

A short trip to a nearby US city Auburn, NY, makes one appreciate the vitality of our downtown as well as understanding the basis for Jane Jacob's classic Death and Life of Great American Cities. Disastrous planning decisions resulted in the demolition of one side of Auburn's main street in order to widen the street for traffic. The replacement building speaks for itself. Very sad...

South Street 1950:

Today:

Another "lobotomy" of any sense of history and urbanism, State Street:

Today:

East Genesee Street:

Now:

West Genesee Street:

West Genesee Street now:

 

[Mustapha]

A breathtaking walkthrough. Thank you thecharioteer.

 

[thecharioteer]

A breathtaking walkthrough. Thank you thecharioteer.

You're welcome, Mustapha. More depressing than breathtaking! Trying to match some of the old photos of Auburn with today is almost impossible, given the massive demolitions, street widenings, creation of the "Loop Road" and elimination of old streets. One of the saddest examples is the site of their old City Hall on North Street, in which not only have the buildings vanished, so have their streets:

Now:

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now. Then. 1987 capture from film 'Adventures In Babysitting'. Now was last night.

 

[Mustapha]

Then (1970-ish?) and Now - a couple days ago.

Looking E along Dundas. Spadina is L to R in the foreground.

Happy Weekend everyone.

 

[Mustapha]

http://torontoist.com/tag/reel-toronto/

 

[Mustapha]

I was walking over the Queen Don bridge the other night when I saw and read that our beloved icon originated in 'England'. I was bit surprised; I must say I would have thought the maker would be Dominion Bridge or something like that...

Link to the history of Frodingham...

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Frodingham_Iron_Co

Does anyone here remember the Dominion Bridge works at Jane and Trethewey? It's all housing now.

 

[lrookies]

Then (1970-ish?) and Now - a couple days ago.

Looking E along Dundas. Spadina is L to R in the foreground.

Happy Weekend everyone.


View attachment 79710 View attachment 79711

The absolutely stunning contrast is NOT the buildings, the cars, the PCC streetcar vs the newer (I forgot the name of it)....its the congestion of people!

 

[DSC]

The absolutely stunning contrast is NOT the buildings, the cars, the PCC streetcar vs the newer (I forgot the name of it)....its the congestion of people!

True, but the photos may have been taken (in fact, undoubtedly were taken) at different times and different days.

 

[thecharioteer]

From the TD Centre:

Early 1970's:

Now:

 

[adma]

Probably much more squarely 1970ish re the first shot: the new north St Lawrence Market is there, but Commerce Court West has yet to obstruct the scenery, and Gooderham lacks its original Daniel Solomon wall mural (later replaced by Derek Besant's trompe d'oeil)

 

[DSC]

Built Heritage News is looking for a (better) photo of the original condition of the Oculus in South Humber Park. Their article reads:
From: http://www.builtheritagenews.ca/newsletter.cfm?id= 285.0


Etobicoke's Oculus
Catherine Nasmith

Original condition, photo from Panda Fonds, published in Concrete Toronto, page 181

Current condition, photo Catherine Nasmith

ACO Toronto along with the Etobicoke Preservation Panel Robert Ruggiero have been raising concerns about Toronto's Parks departments plans to alter, partially demolish the Oculus, located in South Humber Park next to the cycling pedestrian path.

Concerns about nefarious uses of the public washrooms have led to their closing, along with plans to demolish the washrooms and then face the columns with stone. As well patterned concrete paving will replace the slab below. The Occulus canopy will be restored. Many have described the structure as an "architectural gem".

July 7, we learned that the Parks Department has been in touch with Heritage Preservation Services and we hope that those discussions will yield a more respectful treatment of this unprotected, but clearly valuable public gesture to the most ordinary of activities. While they are at it, lets hope they can find and re-install the lost sculpture.

Let Councillor DiCiano know this is a structure worth treating with respect. change.org

Editor's Note:
Does anyone know what happened to the sculpture, one viewer says it was a fountain?

 

[Mustapha]

http://mashable.com/2016/07/03/otto...m_cid=mash-com-fb-retronaut-link#jo127.8Yskq5

 

[DSC]

http://mashable.com/2016/07/03/otto...m_cid=mash-com-fb-retronaut-link#jo127.8Yskq5

Interesting photos but not really "Toronto" or "Then and Now".....

 

[Mustapha]

Interesting photos but not really "Toronto" or "Then and Now".....

Yes, I'm been doing this for awhile now, perhaps a year or so. I'll add a description so people don't click through and see non-Toronto material.

One reason I add these links is that in my opinion only, the really compelling pictures at the online Toronto Archives have already been used in Then and Now comparisons on various websites. So, I was just expanding horizons so to speak. Thanks DSC.