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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

adma said:
Was there anything in-between? (i.e. 50s/60s style construction swept away for Palestra House)
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Some uninteresting single floor commercial building built in the 60's I believe. It was an empty lot from when the ring was destroyed and when the 60's building was built.
 
There is an interesting display of historic (mainly waterfront) photos in the Queen's Quay Terminal Building - I think it's there for the next couple of months. They are a bit hard to look at as they are hung above the main passageway but ..
Some are from the Toronto Port Authority and as far as I know their photographic archive is not available online. Others are from the City Archives and I have seen several of these ones on UT. Anyone know if the TPA photos are deposited somewhere or are digitised? I asked them but to date no response.
 
Then and Now for May 28.


Chorley Park. Rosedale, Toronto. Now views from July 2011.

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Nice article and aerial Then and Now here:

http://www.lt.gov.on.ca/en/Visit/chorley_park.asp?nav=8_=2
 
"Prepared for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario by Eugene Berezovsky."
QUOTE From the above link.

Nonsensical sentences, spelling mistakes, nonexisting and/or incorrect punctuation . . .


Regards,
J T
 
Though--again: it isn't like an Eric Arthur would have rallied on behalf of this kind of overstuffed c20 ersatz in 1961. (I repeat: *1961*.)
 
adma said:
Though--again: it isn't like an Eric Arthur would have rallied on behalf of this kind of overstuffed c20 ersatz in 1961. (I repeat: *1961*.)
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It's all very well to contextualize these acts of destruction by waving one's hand and saying, "Well, it was the times", but for once why can't we flatly condemn what was allowed to happen to Government House? This was a magnificent and storied building that was one of many to fall victim to kind of mass delusion that swept the Western world in the 50s and 60s -- that history was disposable and that world was a kind of blank slate that could be remade on a whim.
 
Blovertis said:
It's all very well to contextualize these acts of destruction by waving one's hand and saying, "Well, it was the times", but for once why can't we flatly condemn what was allowed to happen to Government House? This was a magnificent and storied building that was one of many to fall victim to kind of mass delusion that swept the Western world in the 50s and 60s -- that history was disposable and that world was a kind of blank slate that could be remade on a whim.
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Of course, as you're probably aware, nothing replaced Chorley Park. We no longer have a Government House.

It seems that this particular building was never hugely popular, and it was closed in the 30s because it was seen as too ostentatious--and then never reclamied from its utilitarian uses during WWII and after and allowed to decay to the point that it was written off. These days, we tend to see these official residences as belonging as much to the people as to the current occupant, but that seems to be a relatively recent development.

Thanks to Mustapha for doing Chorley Park. When I saw houses on Binscarth being covered, I hoped that was what was up next. I've wandered around that park as well and seen the driveway and little bridge that are its last remnants.
 
Then and Now for May 29.


Then. NW corner. Whitney Ave. and Roxborough Dr. c1921 I hope the original owner got a volume discount on the awnings.

585WhitneyAveRoxboroughNWc1921.jpg



Now. July 2011.

On reflection I should have gotten closer and taken a more flattering picture instead of duplicating the original perspective.

The house is still there and the rightly proud present owner has an emailed copy of the 'Then' jpg.

586.jpg
 
The_Architect said:
Beautiful building that fell victim to mindless demolition by mid-20th century Toronto.
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One of the most preposterous, hideous buildings built in Toronto. In what way was this incredibly late blooming faux French Chateau style supposed to represent the culture and values of Ontario? As revivalist styles go, the British aristocracy toyed with it briefly in the 1840s and 50s for their country homes, before dumping it like a hot potato once the nouveau riche industrialists stole the idea.
 
And now that you've read that, imagine what the "style consensus" would (for better or worse) have been in 1961.

(Though interesting to consider that more years have passed since it was demolished, than the timespan of its own existence...)
 
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