adma
Superstar
And from all those old skyline shots, it's proof of how a modest, matter-of-fact projecting elevator penthouse can do wonders for skyline "presence"...
|
|
|
More Lost Toronto in colour
- Thread starter LowPolygon
- Start date
And from all those old skyline shots, it's proof of how a modest, matter-of-fact projecting elevator penthouse can do wonders for skyline "presence"...
Earlscourt_Lad
Active Member
You may be overstating the effect of hand colouring the postcard, which I would think has provided a uniformity of colour that would not have been ordinarily present. As well as a "standard" red brick, there were cream/buff, oranges, purple, to say nothing of a variety of stone colours. That cacophony of hues would have all been tied together by a nice black sootiness, but I doubt very much Toronto ever had a consistent reddish colour.
egotrippin
Senior Member
Sometimes I really wish that, in the old city, Toronto stopped developing around 1940, and kept the original downtown completely preserved. Geographically there is a lot of room for expansion, so they could've built an entire new core and city around it.
Perhaps unrealistic, and asking too much, but there's just so much that I wish I could've seen. The Victorian streetscapes looked wonderful.
Perhaps unrealistic, and asking too much, but there's just so much that I wish I could've seen. The Victorian streetscapes looked wonderful.
lead82
Senior Member
So many beautiful old buildings were destroyed in the name of progress! I find that is the biggest thing missing in Toronto, is an area of the city with really old buildings from the 1800's. Yes there are some sprinkled here and there, and the Distillery is probably the biggest concentration. I just wished we could have had a bigger area. Distillery is nice but it's only a couple of blocks.
One thing I find strange is that there are not many trees in the street-scape in the old Toronto photos. Was there a reason why trees where never planted along the roads as they are now? Toronto really needs more mature trees along the main thoroughfares downtown. It helps to hide some of the ugly buildings we have along the roads, and generally makes the street-scape more pleasant.
One thing I find strange is that there are not many trees in the street-scape in the old Toronto photos. Was there a reason why trees where never planted along the roads as they are now? Toronto really needs more mature trees along the main thoroughfares downtown. It helps to hide some of the ugly buildings we have along the roads, and generally makes the street-scape more pleasant.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
I think some of the main Toronto boulevards of the late 19th century were actually grander and greener than they are now, though. Look at early photos of University, Jarvis, and Sherebourne for instance - fewer lanes for 'vehicular' traffic ( horse-drawn in those days ), an absence of median(s), and wider sidewalks with mature trees for a stronger pedestrian zone.
And talking of trees, when I was in Little Injure on Gerrard yesterday ( to buy loose tea at Kohinoor ... ) I noticed how the ubiquitous concrete planters ( each with a regulation spindly tree in the middle ) have custom-designed metal grilles fitted to them for people to sit on - an adaptation to a more street-centered culture where people meet, chat, eat snacks bought from storefront vendors and generally pass time delightfully.
And talking of trees, when I was in Little Injure on Gerrard yesterday ( to buy loose tea at Kohinoor ... ) I noticed how the ubiquitous concrete planters ( each with a regulation spindly tree in the middle ) have custom-designed metal grilles fitted to them for people to sit on - an adaptation to a more street-centered culture where people meet, chat, eat snacks bought from storefront vendors and generally pass time delightfully.
Towered
Senior Member
It's not as unrealistic as you think. In Vienna for example, they are building two modern clusters with glass skyscrapers well outside the historic centre, but unlike Toronto, that's a city that is confident in itself, well aware and respectful of its own culture, history and architecture. Here all you get is wholesale apathy.
UserNameToronto
Active Member
Some would say it's the mishmash of new and old that makes Toronto what it is. Concrete 60s modern, 80s Pomo and real Victorians can and do exist on the same block.
thecharioteer
Senior Member
True, but maybe in a "Golden Compass" alternate universe of Toronto, all of the best buildings of the past survived and new buildings were built around them. Imagine a city with all of the Victorian blocks east of Yonge, between Queen and The Esplanade intact (like Old Montreal); a Financial District that still included the Toronto Star Building, the Globe and Mail, the Manning Arcade, the Bank of Toronto, the original Union Station, the Temple Building; trees and mansions still lining Jarvis and Sherbourne; the Odeon Carlton and the University Theatre still showing movies.........
Towered
Senior Member
They could have built the financial core on the derelict rail and industrial lands south of Front street and we would have had an intact and likely glorious historic old town...
LowPolygon
Senior Member
unfortunately, human beings are total creatures of habit. the magic words "Bay Street", and its historic association with money and banking guaranteed that the banks would continue to build over and over on the exact same spot of land. sadly, it would be conceptually inconceivable for them to consider "starting over" in another empty or "less important" location--they needed to hang on to the prestigious "King and Bay" addresses.
short sighted? myopic? timid? small minded? yep.
human, all too human?--ditto.
short sighted? myopic? timid? small minded? yep.
human, all too human?--ditto.
Last edited:
Uncle Teddy
Senior Member
Except those lands weren't derelict at the time the financial core was exploding in the 60's and 70's.
thecharioteer
Senior Member
I think it's also because the banks already owned the lands they built their new buildings upon without having to start over. Having said that, the history of commercial New York is based on continual leap-frogging northwards, from Wall Street to Madison Square, to Murray Hill, to Rockefeller Center, to the Upper East Side. Eaton's College Street was a failed attempt to shift the retail centre of Toronto from Queen & Yonge to College & Yonge, at a time when Bloor Street was still lined with houses.
Those dispiritng photos of the St. Lawrence Market area in the 60's show that the bulk of the buildings demolished were replaced by parking lots, not even new buildings.
adma
Superstar
Though with regard to St Lawrence Centre dreams, certain of said parking lots might have been preparation for new buildings--this could have been Toronto's own Lincoln Centre cultural-nucleus...
thecharioteer
Senior Member
thecharioteer
Senior Member
Some more from trainweb.org (captioning from that website):
"2857 just arrived from Hamilton with the "Buffalo", waits for a carman to uncouple it." :
"Coaled up, on the table and about to enter the house."
"1271 has just cut off from its train after arriving from Owen Sound.":
"Already coaled up, on the table and about to enter the house."
"7021 working the Wharf Job on Toronto Harbour Commission track in center right-of-way along Queens Quay just east of Bathurst Street. November 15, 1951"
The 2465
"Leaving westbound through Bathurst Street with Noon train No.741 bound for Buffalo. July 11, 1955"
"2857 just arrived from Hamilton with the "Buffalo", waits for a carman to uncouple it." :
"Coaled up, on the table and about to enter the house."
"1271 has just cut off from its train after arriving from Owen Sound.":
"Already coaled up, on the table and about to enter the house."
"7021 working the Wharf Job on Toronto Harbour Commission track in center right-of-way along Queens Quay just east of Bathurst Street. November 15, 1951"
The 2465
"Leaving westbound through Bathurst Street with Noon train No.741 bound for Buffalo. July 11, 1955"