Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[Mustapha]

I agree about the sad and inexorable degradation of the concept of "semi-public" space. In most residential neighbourhoods this space takes the form of the front garden. Often it is actually city-owned property that residents landscape and plant themselves - the homeowners' property line doesn't usually begin until some distance beyond the sidewalk. In my neighbourhood, over the past few years, there's been a trend towards putting up fences to define what the homeowners ( usually people who've recently moved in ) incorrectly assume is the limit to their property - where the sidewalk begins. Six foot wooden fences are the worst because they block off the semi-public realm completely, but twee "Victorian" cast metal railings are almost as irritating in their own way. Hedges are another form. The results are similar.

My house was kept secure from the public laneway behind our house by a six foot plus board fence until said fence fell down from old age. It was replaced by a row of cedar trees that I planted (much to the admiration of a retired forester neighbour) which will take some time to thicken and provide privacy and security. In the meantime, we have already had a bike stolen. This is offset by the delight of being able to see into the back lane and have strollers stop and admire our garden as well as having off leash dogs come tearing through the sparse young cedars to run in circles on my back lawn thinking they have arrived at the park. It has made me reconnect with a part of city life and I think I will keep the cedars trimmed so I can at least see over them. There is only one other home on our street that has a backyard that is not fenced; another gardener showing off a much nicer setup than mine.

 

[Mustapha]

^^ The Knox College gates and fence are still there, just barely. They are behind Knox College on St. George in a very picturesque garden. Access is between the two buildings. See Google map link below.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=43.661505,-79.397375&spn=0.000462,0.001363&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=43.661626,-79.397424&panoid=UqeVEU2-Z8NyZGNRDmYbrA&cbp=12,86.65,,0,3.41

Wow. This is a great bit of ironwork.

 

[thecharioteer]

One of the best were the entrance gates to Benvenuto, on the Avenue Road hill, now relocated to a property on Burton Road, east of Bathurst, in Forest Hill:

 

[thecharioteer]

Summer in the city:

 

[collations]

One of the best were the entrance gates to Benvenuto, on the Avenue Road hill, now relocated to a property on Burton Road, east of Bathurst, in Forest Hill:

I don't know who created these spectacular gates, but for those interested, here is a link to some info on Toronto metalworker Emile Wenger at the City Archives site. His collection at the archives is astounding in the breadth and range of his work. A typical unsung tradesman who worked for significant architectural firms from the 20s through the 50s, with most of his work going unseen and unacknowledged inside private homes in Forest Hill and Rosedale.

http://www.toronto.ca/archives/workinprogress_wenger.htm

 

[thecharioteer]

Looking through the archival pictures of the Yonge subway construction, it's interesting to look at them from a purely aesthetic point-of-view, almost as an "intervention" into the normal state of affairs, like an art installation that went on too long. The disruption it must have caused on Yonge in those days makes our complaints about the St. Clair LRT and Bloor Street revitaliztion pale in comparison. One can see why the decision was made to shift the construction east of Yonge, north of College instead of continuing up the middle of the street:

Yonge at Adelaide (note the original Holt Renfrew on the left):

 

[adma]

(1) I think some of the Moderne edge tiling of the Disney/May facade north of the Lumsden Bldg is still extant--take a look.

(2) Momentarily or not, the Elgin had no marquee or projecting frontage or sign, at all.

(3) That "Guns" row actoss from Eatons College Street (where College View Apartments now stands?) was truly a high/late Victorian tour de force, the equal to that at Queen & Tecumseh, among others...

 

[thecharioteer]

(1) I think some of the Moderne edge tiling of the Disney/May facade north of the Lumsden Bldg is still extant--take a look.

(2) Momentarily or not, the Elgin had no marquee or projecting frontage or sign, at all.

(3) That "Guns" row actoss from Eatons College Street (where College View Apartments now stands?) was truly a high/late Victorian tour de force, the equal to that at Queen & Tecumseh, among others...

I agree the block between Granby and McGill was quite beautiful. One would think the signage was American:

 

[LowPolygon]

Looking through the archival pictures of the Yonge subway construction, it's interesting to look at them from a purely aesthetic point-of-view, almost as an "intervention" into the normal state of affairs, like an art installation that went on too long. The disruption it must have caused on Yonge in those days makes our complaints about the St. Clair LRT and Bloor Street revitaliztion pale in comparison.

i suppose the "Big Dig" in Boston is the ultimate in civic megaprojects gone wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig

"The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the U.S. Although the project was estimated in 1985 at $2.8 billion (in 1982 dollars, US$6.0 billion adjusted for inflation as of 2006), over $14.6 billion ($8.08 billion in 1982 dollars) had been spent in federal and state tax dollars as of 2006. A July 17, 2008 article in The Boston Globe stated, "In all, the project will cost an additional $7 billion in interest, bringing the total to a staggering $22 billion, according to a Globe review of hundreds of pages of state documents. It will not be paid off until 2038."

yikes--i guess its good we didn't try to bury the Gardiner.

speaking of art installations and digging. Urs Fischer is a Swiss artist best known for digging up the floors of the galleries that show his work. his installations are quite striking....

 

[adma]

I agree the block between Granby and McGill was quite beautiful. One would think the signage was American:

I've seen this elsewhere in old shots--what was the cross-in-shield on the corner pole meant to signify?

 

[thecharioteer]

The mysterious photographer:

 

[thecharioteer]

I've seen this elsewhere in old shots--what was the cross-in-shield on the corner pole meant to signify?

This may be a stretch, but perhaps it signified am ambulance route to Toronto General on College St. or Women's College on Grenville?

 

[LowPolygon]

The mysterious photographer:

this one looks like a book jacket for an unwritten early 20th century "Toronto noir" à la Caleb Carr's The Alienist....

 

[thecharioteer]

Love it! Urban Shocker, are you up to the task?

 

[Goldie]

this one looks like a book jacket for an unwritten early 20th century "Toronto noir" à la Caleb Carr's The Alienist....

thedeepend - Loved your idea for a book jacket!
Allow me to offer another version: