Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[lenaitch]

I see a pole in the corner to operate the windows, but what is the device extending above, and attached to, the radiator? I grew up with radiators, but never did we have attachments.

It looks like a boiler return line heading for the ceiling and a wall-mounted gas lamp aligned directly in front of it.

Is that asbestos wrapped around what I'm assuming to be a heating pipe on the wall in the upper left of the image? A lot of asbestos was used for decades as a fire barrier.

Carcinogen or white asbestos was used as artificial snow in theatres and movie & television sets before they stopped using it. Remember that when you see Jimmy Stewart running through the artificial snow (foamite and asbestos) in "It's A Wonderful Life".

It probably is asbestos. It was the wonder mineral right up until the the 1960s.

 

[Goldie]

High Park Sanitarium, Gothic Ave., west side, west of Quebec Ave.; looking north from Bloor St. W. 1920 TPL

 

[Geogblog]

These mineral baths were based on a pre-glacial underground river known at the Laurentian Stream. It bubbles up in High Park and can still be seen oozing mineralised water into Soring Creek in High Park.

 

[W. K. Lis]

These mineral baths were based on a pre-glacial underground river known at the Laurentian Stream. It bubbles up in High Park and can still be seen oozing mineralised water into Soring Creek in High Park.

Don't think the "modern" replacement (High Park Swimming Pool) uses the "mineral spring" water. Likely just regular Lake Ontario drinking water.

 

[Goldie]

University College under construction 1858 U.ofT. Archives

 

[Goldie]

Few will remember when films & projectors were available for loan at the Public Libraries.
This image is dated 1984.

 

[junctionman]

Few will remember when films & projectors were available for loan at the Public Libraries.
This image is dated 1984.
View attachment 219725

My mum and dad would borrow films from the library, as well as the projector and screen, for my birthday parties when I was a kid. It was mostly cartoons like Goofy and Daffy Duck, and was around the same time period when this picture was taken. Thanks for stirring such great memories!

 

[AP01]

Parade of Troops leaving for World War I, 1915

Source

 

[Goldie]

Wonderful image APO1..........The Yonge St. Mission is still there.

 

[Goldie]

Between Yonge and Bay Sts., looking S. from the Foy Building on Front St. 1929 CTA

 

[LPCI]

Between Yonge and Bay Sts., looking S. from the Foy Building on Front St. 1929 CTA
View attachment 220072

You can see how the rail lines were raised by 20 feet, and subways created for the roads.

 

[DSC]

You can see how the rail lines were raised by 20 feet, and subways created for the roads.

The Foy Building was at 32-34 Front St West, a bit west of what is now Hockey Hall of Fame.

 

[AlbertC]

Lansdowne Ave, north of Dupont and the rail line from around 2011:

 

[AlbertC]

The former Hungarian House at St. Clair West & Winona:

 

[Goldie]

Lansdowne Ave, north of Dupont and the rail line from around 2011:


View attachment 220602

Thanks AlbertC, for reminding me of that area of Toronto.
General Electric had a large concentration of manufacturing plants on both sides of Lansdowne, from Dupont to Davenport. It's where I had my first job.
Here's an aerial photo of the GE complex in 1953.

Those former GE lands now contain dozens of town homes (called Davenport Village) and some lofts in refurbished GE factory buildings.
I was particularly surprised to find that the huge, former foundry building is now called The Foundry Lofts……here's a current photo of that structure (near Davenport Rd.).

I made this photo inside that foundry c.1952.