Historic photos from Toronto on this day

[seemsartless]

November 27th: Two photos today, from more recent history, although the photographer, @Collations, might be amazed to realize they are 27 years old now. Starting with a view of The Queen Mother Cafe, before it expanded westward at 206-208 Queen St West at the south end of Grange Park taking over the space that was once Oxford Printing, back in 1983:

From there we head farther west to the corner of King and Dufferin Streets in Liberty Village to the Metallic Roofing Co. of Canada showroom at 1192 King St West:

Collations has two other photos of the building in his Flickr stream, and describes the building there:

Built in 1897-98, Henry Simpson, Architect. This was the showroom for the Metallic Roofing Co of Canada, manufacturers of pressed metal ceilings and other decorative metalwork. The company's offices and workshop were adjacent, at 1194-96 King St W. The complex was added to the City of Toronto's list of heritage structures in 1976. However, the offices and workshop were demolished in 1979. The remaining showroom was then designated a National Historic Site in 1984 and physically removed to a site at nearby Allan Lamport Stadium, on Jefferson Ave. However, it was subsequently dismantled and put into storage and it's fate rermains unclear.​

All these brave munition workers in line for their last pay in 1918 have blocked all but the view of the roof of the showroom, on the right, but you can see the offices and workshop building on the left this photo:

Here's a letter from the company, dated Aug 1st, 1905, in the Pickering Ajax Digital Library:

(Details on the two Collation photos and their locations available in the November 27th Historic Photos page which I've updated to try and make the source of the photos clearer.)

 

[seemsartless]

Some more research into the Metallic Roofing Co. showroom... The Parks Canada website has a page devoted to the building, and apparently part of it is on display now, at the headquarters of the Ontario Heritage Trust (Birkbeck Building National Historic Site) on Adelaide Street, where the main piece of the building is on display. They have this photo of the building in even worse decay:

And the TO built entry for the building has this photo:

 

[Goldie]

November 27th

the Metallic Roofing Co. of Canada showroom at 1192 King St West:

This was the showroom for the Metallic Roofing Co of Canada, manufacturers of pressed metal ceilings and other decorative metalwork.

For those who have never seen a "pressed metal ceiling", herewith: an example that is found in this 128-year-old Green River building.

 

[seemsartless]

Thanks Goldie, that's a great example. They have such character.

November 28th: In 1912 we're looking north up Keele Street (the section now called Parkside Drive) at Indian Road - I assume that's High Park to our left:

Then an action shot in The Junction of track construction on Dundas Street, looking west from Pacific in 1923 - it looks like the record store on the left of the photo has an ad for the Internet!

(The Historic Toronto photos on November 28th web page has all the details.)

 

[seemsartless]

November 29th: One photo from 77 years ago of the completed Capitol Theatre on Yonge Street at Castlefield in North Toronto in 1933:

Details on this photo and its location, here, along with other photos nearby, including the initial, partially complete building in 1921.

 

[seemsartless]

November 30th: A variety of photos from today, starting off back in 1916 in the Distillery District, of the original staff of British Acetones -: (from left to right) Mr. McLaughlin, Assistant Construction Engineer; Captain A. E. Gooderham, Assistant General Manager; Mr. J. Leys Gooderham, Assistant Chemist; Mr. E. Metcalfe Shaw, Chief Engineer; Mr. H. B. Speakman, Bacteriologist; Col. A. E. Gooderham, General Manager; Mr. J. W. Hayward, Constructing Engineer; Mr. D. Alliston Legg, Chemist. :

Then in 1921, 89 years ago, we have W. J. Lawrence Real Estate at 1974-1982 Yonge Street, the corner of Imperial Street just north of Davisville, in Chaplin Estates:

Also in 1921 we have a rather bleak looking Rosedale Golf Course clubhouse in Teddington Park

Details on all these photos on the Nov 30th Historic Toronto photos page.

 

[seemsartless]

December 1st: Some destruction today, but not until we get some fun and games in 1916 out of the way, at the Moss Park Recreation Centre 96 years ago:

Boys learning an important life skill in the Billiard Room:

While the girls listen to Story Hour:

Now time for the first bit of destruction....

We start in North Toronto, of the old Town Hall / Fire station / Public Library, as it appeared in about 1916, with its distinctive windows:

Then 79 years ago today, in 1931, it was in the process of being torn down:

Then in 1933 we have a set of buildings that managed to avoid destruction, the N.W. barracks of 'old fort' York:

But then back to the destruction... it is already three years ago since the Bata International Building in Don Mills looking over Eglinton was torn down in 2007...

Here's my photo of the building that I posted to my photoblog on Nov 21st 2005:

The Architectural Conservatory of Ontario has a collection of photos online, like:

Here's a YouTube video:

[video=youtube;YBKSwxS7Ko0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBKSwxS7Ko0[/video]

(Details on these items is available on the December 1st Historic Toronto photos page.)

 

[seemsartless]

December 2nd: Not sure how old this 'wood block pavement' would have been, seen here 99 years ago at Wellington and Bay, in front of Elliott, Sherring & Co. in the Financial District in 1911. http://forgottenchicago.com/features/chicago-infrastructure/wood-block-alleys/ discusses its use in Chicago, and says that by the "1890s, wood pavement was considered by many to be an anachronistic failure".

Apparently it took a while for that message to reach Toronto, as here's a shot from 1915 along Ossington:

 

[seemsartless]

December 3rd: An interesting collections of photos from December 3rd, starting back 109 years ago, in 1901, of Sully Crescent looking west to Shaw Street, near College Street, before the area was filled in. The four houses on the hill are so cinematic:

More recently in 1926 we have the northwest corner Broadview and Chester Hill in Playter Estates, 84 years ago:

Then to Clinton St. School in 1934 and a broken iron fence in 1930's Bickford Park. The house across the street in the second picture is still there, and the boy, if he was about 6 in the photo, would have lived a full life and be 82 years old now...

(Details and map locations for these historical photos.)

 

[seemsartless]

December 4th: Going WAY back now, to 1837 for a sketch of

The first casualty of the 1837 Rebellion - the shooting of Colonel Robert Moodie outside Montgomery's Tavern on December 4, 1837, from a pen and ink drawing by C.W. Jefferys.y

This image is from the Richmond Hill public library, and there are lots of newer photos from Montgomery and Yonge Street here.

 

[seemsartless]

December 5th: Two photos, 98 years old today, from 1912, just south of the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, of the Clarence Avenue bridge (Heath Street over the Belt Line):

Details and location of these photos available on the Dec 5th Historic Toronto photos page.

 

[seemsartless]

December 6th: One photo, from 86 years ago today, looking north up Bay Street to (old) City Hall in 1924, with construction just started for the Northern Ontario building at the corner of Adelaide, and the Laura Secord on the east corner:

 

[thecharioteer]

NW corner of Bay & Adelaide 1827:

1910:

1925:

The Northern Ontario Building; architects Chapman & Oxley

 

[seemsartless]

NW corner of Bay & Adelaide 1827...

Amazing to see how much of the original house on the corner remained until at least 1910.

December 7th: No photo today, but we can go way back to 1837 for the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern, as described on Wikipedia:

On December 7, Colonel James Fitzgibbon marched an estimated 1,000 regulars and militiamen up Yonge Street and attacked Mackenzie's force at Montgomery's Tavern, putting the building under artillery fire. When Fitzgibbon advanced his infantry, both parties of rebels abandoned their posts and retreated in disarray to the tavern, causing those assembled there to panic and flee. Within 20 minutes, the rebels were gone. Loyalist forces then looted the tavern and burned it to the ground, before marching back to York.​

 

[donoreo]

Amazing to see how much of the original house on the corner remained until at least 1910.

December 7th: No photo today, but we can go way back to 1837 for the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern, as described on Wikipedia:

On December 7, Colonel James Fitzgibbon marched an estimated 1,000 regulars and militiamen up Yonge Street and attacked Mackenzie's force at Montgomery's Tavern, putting the building under artillery fire. When Fitzgibbon advanced his infantry, both parties of rebels abandoned their posts and retreated in disarray to the tavern, causing those assembled there to panic and flee. Within 20 minutes, the rebels were gone. Loyalist forces then looted the tavern and burned it to the ground, before marching back to York.​

We can also note that on the location today is Postal Station "K". It is unique in that it is believed to be the only building in Toronto with ER on it meaning Edward VIII.