Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Traynor]

Redroom Studios' magnificent senset photo of the Flatiron Building goes well with this oldie:

Hmmmmm... Another weird question.... When did Toronto or Ontario or Canada, for that matter, switch which side of the road we drive on? Clearly in the older picture Goldie posted of Front and Church, the carriages are going west in the left lanes.

 

[Mustapha]

Nice find Mustapha…i hadn't seen this before. i would have thought that the west side of Bay would have also been built up--i'm surprised to see such a big vacant lot there. in any case, it allowed the photographer to get a nice big wide shot of that building….

Thanks, but I can't take too much credit. There are other Toronto Archive shots of this corner with the usual dab and wattle mid 1800 buildings.

Here's another view (1918) of the vacant space near Old City Hall - west side of Bay.
Cars are on Albert St.

Note the Sheas Hippodrome. Lets walk down to the Sheas parking lot shall we?

Goldie, did you ever take in a movie there?




December 31 addition.

Then: I wonder what year this was?

Now: October 2009.

Kerrect answer wins a pint and half of the meat pie or scotch egg I can never finish at the next UT get together. Assuming it takes place at a pub.


--

 

[Mustapha]

hippy crossdresser

Hey, I wear whatever the wife has picked out for me ok?

 

[Urban Shocker]

1921. Tom Mix in Trailin'.

 

[Goldie]

Shea's days

Yes, I certainly remember attending a movie at Shea's many years ago.
Although, not as far back as the 'Tom Mix' days!
A big feature of Shea's was the "Mighty Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ" which is now in Casa Loma. - attached photo (lifted from a web site)

 

[Anna]

Hmmmmm... Another weird question.... When did Toronto or Ontario or Canada, for that matter, switch which side of the road we drive on? Clearly in the older picture Goldie posted of Front and Church, the carriages are going west in the left lanes.

Are you sure there isn't an eastbound lane there between the carriage and the curb?
http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/

 

[LowPolygon]

hippy crossdresser

"great" post. this thread has been improved immeasurably by your thoughtful contribution.

 

[thecharioteer]

December 30 addition.


Bay street looking SE from the NW corner of Louisa. A rather grand old girl; that Eatons Annex building in the center of the photo.

Prior to the construction of that "grand old girl" existed a row of stucco cottages which characterized "The Ward" at that time. North of City Hall, the Eatons warehouses and annexes gradually replaced all the housing up to Trinity Square.

Though the Ward was viewed as a slum by many Torontonians and social reformers, it also attracted the attention of some of Toronto's "modern" painters such as Lawren Harris, who admired the geometry of the forms in many of the buildings and the play of light on their facades.

Map of the area 1910:

NE corner of Terauley (later Bay) and Albert November 1, 1916:

NE corner of Terauley (later Bay) and Louisa, 1910:

North of Louisa Street, 1930:

61 to 65 Terauley Street 1912:

Paintings by Lawren Harris:

"Toronto Houses" 1919:

"In the Ward"

"Houses: St. Patrick Street"

 

[Traynor]

Are you sure there isn't an eastbound lane there between the carriage and the curb?
http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/

Well, I did magnify the pic and adjusted the brightness/contrast and their appears to be a carriage "parked" on the south side of Front and the horse is facing west behind the carriage to the camera's viewpoint.

Also, behind the the closest carriage in the photo going west, there is a horse emerging behind it, going east but passing on the left of the oncoming carriage.

However, upon closer examination, the carriages in this photo are all hodgepodge and obeying any rule they wish. Behind that southside "parked" carriage, there are two more facing east, also "parked" on the south curbside. As well, the carriages joining Front from Wellington in front of the Coffin Block, appear to be on the right side of the road as well.

So I resign myself to just being confused.



P.S. Thanks for the link Anna. It helped clear up some confusion.

 

[Mustapha]

Happy New year everyone.






January 1 addition.



College street S side, just W of McCaul.

Then: I call this one "Brush cuts and pipes".

College of Pharmacy opening. "ca 1965" according to the Toronto Archive photo notes.

Now: October 2009.

I hope everyone has prosperity, good health and good relationships with family, work and friends this year. And, to borrow a phrase from a TV commercial: "stay hungry my friends".

Sincerely,

-Moose

 

[Zeiss]

Happy New Year from me as well, for me most important is health and second is prosperity, let all your wishes be fulfilled in 2010.
Cheers

 

[barrytron3030]

BBQ duck on rice and shrimp wonton soup. my god. i'm hungry.

 

[LowPolygon]

Happy New year everyone.






January 1 addition.



College street S side, just W of McCaul.

Then: I call this one "Brush cuts and pipes".

College of Pharmacy opening. "ca 1965" according to the Toronto Archive photo notes.

here are a few of the interior of the College of Pharmacy building, from just after it opened. nice 60's mainstream modernism

ALSO:

 

[Urban Shocker]

Kerrect answer wins a pint and half of the meat pie or scotch egg I can never finish at the next UT get together. Assuming it takes place at a pub.--

So did I win?

 

[Mustapha]

BBQ duck on rice and shrimp wonton soup. my god. i'm hungry.

Here's the address then: House Of Gourmet. 484 Dundas west just a few steps east of Spadina.

Very "Mad Men". Looks like she harbours secrets too..

So did I win?

We have a winner. Now we need the powers to declare a UT meetup.