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Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

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Doesn't quite match the south view in these pics:

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s0372_ss0010_it0077.jpg

After quite some time scratching my head as to why none of the houses in the car accident image, the 1913 south-facing image and its companion north-facing image matched up, I finally realized that the image is of what was turned into the Glen Road footbridge, and not the current Glen Road Bridge.

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I figured if it was looking south on the Glen Road Bridge you would see the Hillcrest/Deancroft Estate (demo'd 1933) on the right, while if it was facing north you would see the distinctive old Rosedale Golf Club building that still exists
 
Took a quick look at the Archives and searched "Glen Road" and it's pretty clear that those last two photo posted by the Charioteer are of what was called the South Glen Bridge (now replaced by a footbridge), which spanned Rosedale Valley and and led to Howard Street. In the foreground was an apartment building that was raised to make way for the Bloor Street Extension (heading east to the Viaduct) and in the background are houses which still stand, derelict and awaiting the Lanterra redevelopment.

But I don't think the electric car crash was on the South Glen Bridge. The image doesn't correspond with the south view, nor does it correspond with the north side of the bridge, where Glen meets Dale (there is a grand house on a hill, still standing, which predates 1912).

The North Glen Bridge is also out because, as Goad's indicates, neither side had been developed much by 1910-12, save for the Gooderham Estate, which was on the SW intersection of Glen and South Drive (this was the house knocked down to make way for those bungalows mentioned by AlexCorey).

So my best guess, and I'm not sure, is that the photo was mislabelled, and the car crash actually occurred on the old Huntley Street Bridge, which also spanned Rosedale Valley and was later replaced when Mount Pleasant Road was pushed south under Bloor. I suspect the view is looking north and those houses in the background face Bloor.

Edit: Didn't see AlexCorey's latest post until after I posted mine; I see that we came to some of the same conclusions.
 
Took a quick look at the Archives and searched "Glen Road" and it's pretty clear that those last two photo posted by the Charioteer are of what was called the South Glen Bridge (now replaced by a footbridge), which spanned Rosedale Valley and and led to Howard Street. In the foreground was an apartment building that was raised to make way for the Bloor Street Extension (heading east to the Viaduct) and in the background are houses which still stand, derelict and awaiting the Lanterra redevelopment.

But I don't think the electric car crash was on the South Glen Bridge. The image doesn't correspond with the south view, nor does it correspond with the north side of the bridge, where Glen meets Dale (there is a grand house on a hill, still standing, which predates 1912).

The North Glen Bridge is also out because, as Goad's indicates, neither side had been developed much by 1910-12, save for the Gooderham Estate, which was on the SW intersection of Glen and South Drive (this was the house knocked down to make way for those bungalows mentioned by AlexCorey).

So my best guess, and I'm not sure, is that the photo was mislabelled, and the car crash actually occurred on the old Huntley Street Bridge, which also spanned Rosedale Valley and was later replaced when Mount Pleasant Road was pushed south under Bloor. I suspect the view is looking north and those houses in the background face Bloor.

Edit: Didn't see AlexCorey's latest post until after I posted mine; I see that we came to some of the same conclusions.

By George, I think you've got it, Blovertis! This next pic makes it clear that what we are seeing is the rear of the old houses on Bloor which backed onto the ravine. (Search for "Huntley Street bridge" on the Archives and they all come up.) Interestingly, I believe that the apartment building on the left was the home of Toronto's first "soul food" restaurant "The Underground Railroad" and was replaced by the condo at 400 Bloor East, just west of Sherbourne:

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And in 1937:

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Great detective work, gang!
I didn't realize I was posting such a mysterious photo.
 
And.....the Huntley Road bridge, of course vanished in 1949 with the construction of the Clifton Road Extension (AKA Mt. Pleasant from St. Clair to Bloor):

From the Toronto Star:

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Caption for first photo:

"Toronto traffic will move more speedily when street extension and widening projects now under way are completed. Route to the northeast from heart of the city is one undertaking which is expected to be finished in a year, including Huntley St. bridge, which will cross Rosedale Valley Rd., and its extension north to connect with South Drive. Photo taken circa May 10, 1949."

Second photo:

"Clifton Road Extension built at a cost of nearly $5,000,000 four times original estimate, was officially opened today in ceremony by Mayor Hiram McCallum. Photo taken circa May 17, 1950."


Which was preceded in 1947 by the widening of Jarvis Street (to link up with the Clifton Road Extension):

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Intriguing photo - please explain the huge and mysterious line-up.

Vey interesting pic! It's looking north on Victoria from Queen and the line appears to be heading towards Massey Hall (not to what was then the Loew's, now Elgin Theatre). If we knew the date we could see who was appearing.....
 
hello,

the pic is from the Toronto Telegram collection up at York University

the caption reads:
"Image taken from roof of building opposite of the crowd lined up along the sidewalk to attend a rally at Massey Hall for MP candidate, George Drew, Progressive Conservative."

(somehow i knew the line up wasn't for Miles Davis...)

and the date is June 24,1949

From the Wiki:

1948 Election

While the Tories won a majority in the legislature in the 1948 election, Drew himself was defeated in his High Park electoral district, in west-end Toronto, by CCFer and temperance crusader William "Temperance Willie" Templewho had targeted Drew over his softening of Ontario's liquor laws by legalizing cocktail bars in Ontario.[SUP][20][/SUP][SUP][19][/SUP] Whereupon Drew blamed a supposed, future Communist takeover of Ontario on the failure of Ontarians to re-elect him.[SUP][21]
[/SUP]

Federal politics


While it would have been easy enough for Drew to re-enter the legislature by running in a by-election, Drew decided to enter federal politics. "Colonel Drew" (as he liked to be called) won the 1948 federal Progressive Conservative leadership convention, defeating John Diefenbaker on the first ballot.
 
hello,

the pic is from the Toronto Telegram collection up at York University

the caption reads:
"Image taken from roof of building opposite of the crowd lined up along the sidewalk to attend a rally at Massey Hall for MP candidate, George Drew, Progressive Conservative."

(somehow i knew the line up wasn't for Miles Davis...)

and the date is June 24,1949

From the Wiki:

1948 Election

While the Tories won a majority in the legislature in the 1948 election, Drew himself was defeated in his High Park electoral district, in west-end Toronto, by CCFer and temperance crusader William "Temperance Willie" Templewho had targeted Drew over his softening of Ontario's liquor laws by legalizing cocktail bars in Ontario.[SUP][20][/SUP][SUP][19][/SUP] Whereupon Drew blamed a supposed, future Communist takeover of Ontario on the failure of Ontarians to re-elect him.[SUP][21]
[/SUP]

Federal politics


While it would have been easy enough for Drew to re-enter the legislature by running in a by-election, Drew decided to enter federal politics. "Colonel Drew" (as he liked to be called) won the 1948 federal Progressive Conservative leadership convention, defeating John Diefenbaker on the first ballot.

That's pretty thorough, thanks thedeepend.
 

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