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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

October 7th addition.


Now: October 6, 2009.

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This was a live music venue for a few years around 1993-1995. It was called The Palladium. Smashing Pumpkins played here for one. I remember seeing Suede and Frente there as well.
 
Rosedale Valley bridge

Too bad that bridge wasn't built so that subway patrons could have a view of the valley.
I always enjoy the view from the Bloor Viaduct.
 

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These recent photos of the area around Rosedale valley put me in mind of the oft overlooked covered bridge between Sherbourne and Castle Frank subway: probably the most beautiful brutalist structure in the city…


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Reminscent of the work of the brilliant Swiss engineer Robert Maillart:
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Those are marvelous images of the Sherbourne-Parliament area.
Here's some more.

i once read that the reason Bloor jogs east of Sherbourne on its way to meet the Viaduct was because of neighbourhood pressure put on the route by Rosedale residents. I think it's clear from WWWebster's map below and Goldie's photos, that the route was chosen because it was cheaper to follow the tableland south of the Rosedale ravine and avoid a longer bridge going easterly:

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It's funny you should say that. I've recently been digging into the history of the house below, identified by the Toronto Archives as "Sherbourne opposite Bloor." From the front, 1913:

http://gencat4.eloquent-systems.com...esource/ser372/ss0010/s0372_ss0010_it0172.jpg

From the rear (1908?):

http://gencat4.eloquent-systems.com/webcat/systems/toronto.arch/resource/fo1244/f1244_it7244.jpg

In fact, it's 631 Sherbourne, Registered Plan 44, Lot 1, and Sherbourne Station stands there now:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Sherbourne_Station_-_TTC.jpg

Prof. Jacob M. Hirschfelder lived on the lot, in an older structure, from the 1850s until about 1888, when he moved to Maple Ave. The older structure was replaced with this one around 1890, and sometime after 1894 Lady Anne Thompson moved in, apparently dubbing it "Derwent Lodge":

http://www.archive.org/stream/cihm_00769#page/n47/mode/2up

http://www.archive.org/stream/bluebook190200tyrruoft#page/n93/mode/2up

http://www.archive.org/stream/torontodirec190500midiuoft#page/240/mode/2up

More on Lady Thompson:

http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7168

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

Around 1905 Lady Thompson moved out and Dr. Horace E. Eaton moved in, commissioning Burke & Horwood to redesign the front room and windows to accommodate his practice (see Fig. 7):

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2329857

The house stood until around 1918, when it had to make way for the Bloor Viaduct:

http://gencat4.eloquent-systems.com...esource/ser372/ss0010/s0372_ss0010_it0180.jpg

Brilliant analysis of that site, wwwebster! Well-done!
 
Annnnnd Google Streetview

I really enjoy your efforts, Mustapha!
I think it's neat that we can ALSO see a Google Streetview version, but are you worried that may make your 'job' obsolete!? hahaha
I hope not b/c I actually look forward to these daily updates every day!

DC83, Thank you! Amazing stuff, this Google Streetview, isn't it?

I don't see it as competition; I see it as 'Urban Toronto consumers' now have a choice of product options: The impersonal :(Streetview or :):)Mustapha's ChoiceTM .:):) Tell me, what would you rather take home to mom?:eek:



October 15 addition.


Tell borrow a line from urbandreamer, where are we?


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Ah, those of you who had to look at the second picture; that's cheating.




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i once read that the reason Bloor jogs east of Sherbourne on its way to meet the Viaduct was because of neighbourhood pressure put on the route by Rosedale residents. I think it's clear from WWWebster's map below and Goldie's photos, that the route was chosen because it was cheaper to follow the tableland south of the Rosedale ravine and avoid a longer bridge going easterly:

I read recently (in "Unbuilt Toronto" I think) that someone (a politician?) thought that as a major thoroughfare, it was important the Bloor be straight - with one long viaduct - but someone else (an engineer?) figured out it was easier to fill in the south slope of the valley and put the road there.

The Rosedale valley portion of viaduct was also built with room for the subway underneath, but the curve was too sharp for the trains so they had to build the separate bridge, with no view.
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Poor Howard Street. Its north side once sported a row of handsome houses (one or two are left) that looked onto Rosedale Valley. I suppose that Bloor East cut through their backyards and seriously harmed property values, leaving them vulnerable to neglect and eventually demolition. The south side of Howard, as everyone can see, was torn down for St. James Town.

Poor Castle Frank Road. Many grand houses were demolished to accommodate the Bloor Street extension. The residents on the south stump (now Castle Frank Crescent) are still trying to figure out whether they actually live in Rosedale or not.
 
Poor Castle Frank Road. Many grand houses were demolished to accommodate the Bloor Street extension. The residents on the south stump (now Castle Frank Crescent) are still trying to figure out whether they actually live in Rosedale or not.

That's what I used to think, but after looking at the 1910 Goad's Atlas - I'm not so sure. It looks like Castle Frank Crescent was always a separate street - but now lots 29-31 face onto Bloor.
castlefrank.jpg


CastleFrankAve.jpg
 
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subway between Sherbourne and Bloor Viaduct

There certainly does appear to be a rail platform under the Bloor/Rosedale Valley Bridge.
Millions could have been saved if it was used!
 

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There certainly does appear to be a rail platform under the Bloor/Rosedale Valley Bridge.
Millions could have been saved if it was used!

I can't remember what it was, but there was a reason it wasn't used. I think it had to do with lining it up at each end.
 

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