Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[k10ery]

Very cool, thecharioteer. The bill for the Games gives us a great look at the rogues' gallery of Tories who built our province The only Reform name I recognize is J. H. Dunn. By 1840, Receiver-General Dunn had already antagonized the Tories by transferring the province's debt placement business away from Allan's Bank of Upper Canada (and other things). Allan and Arthur then officially accused Dunn of incompetence and embezzlement. When Dunn defeated Munro in the 1841 election, it precipitated the Coleraine Tavern riot in which one of Dunn's supporters was killed.

I wonder if they all showed up for the "Ordinary" at the 1840 Games. An uncomfortable party if so.

 

[thecharioteer]

Very cool, thecharioteer. The bill for the Games gives us a great look at the rogues' gallery of Tories who built our province The only Reform name I recognize is J. H. Dunn. By 1840, Receiver-General Dunn had already antagonized the Tories by transferring the province's debt placement business away from Allan's Bank of Upper Canada (and other things). Allan and Arthur then officially accused Dunn of incompetence and embezzlement. When Dunn defeated Munro in the 1841 election, it precipitated the Coleraine Tavern riot in which one of Dunn's supporters was killed.

I wonder if they all showed up for the "Ordinary" at the 1840 Games. An uncomfortable party if so.

Great glimpse into the dark side of our supposedly "boring" history, k10ery! My fantasy is that one day, a big-budget Canadian film is made about 19thC Toronto (Cronenberg, Egoyan?) that becomes our version of "Gangs of New York" or "Age of Innocence" (sorry, "Murdoch Mysteries" don't cut it). Why has Michael Redhill's Consolation not been made (that would be worthy of a Joseph Losey or a Karel Reisz).

 

[the lemur]

The joy of this old hardware was/is the sound they made. I wonder if modern replicas are manufactured?

The link I posted is to a site that does replica Bakelite hardware. I remember some older light switches in some of my relatives' homes that seemed inordinately hard to flip, as if they were spring-loaded, and would make an awesome snap sound when you finally did pull them over.

 

[gary133]

That one (a 55) is a "tribute" to the old TV series "Highway Patrol" starring Broderick Crawford. I remember it well... The Buicks were always the real stars in that series. (in my eyes)...

[Insert hack Broderick Crawford impression here] "10-4, 10-4..."

 

[Mustapha]

The link I posted is to a site that does replica Bakelite hardware. I remember some older light switches in some of my relatives' homes that seemed inordinately hard to flip, as if they were spring-loaded, and would make an awesome snap sound when you finally did pull them over.

The link took me to only a picture but I edited the url and it took me to the main page. Fascinating stuff. The 'awesome snap' sound as you put it will remain forever a part of the past and yet... Hollywood special effects will make sure audiences never forget the long superceded sounds of:

-knife switches being thrown in some mad scientists laboratory.
-the high pitched sound of a camera flash recycling.
-ticking time bombs.
-spinning revolver cylinder.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1314872/The-hidden-wonders-British-landmark.html

 

[Mustapha]

From the TPL website:

1900's:

Showoff.


[Thank you! ]

 

[Mustapha]

[Insert hack Broderick Crawford impression here] "10-4, 10-4..."

Welcome gary133. I'll have to admit I was a Dragnet fan.

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for October 5, 2012.



Then. University E side between College and Christopher. 1907. Pre-MARS, in fact pre-TGH buildings of 1910s vintage...

Now. May 2012.

 

[Mustapha]

Old Dundas street bridge crossing the Humber - the old piers might remain. Let's go have a look.

Here's what it looked like waa-ay back in the day. From the west bank, just north of the long gone bridge, looking SSE. The mill is on the east bank, naturally. There is a - just guessing - 50s vintage apartment building there now.

Here is a shot showing the old pier again and the new higher level bridge in the distance. Looking NNE.

!

I'm resurrecting a four year old post of mine to add a couple of pictures of the long gone Dundas Street Humber River bridge I found at the Toronto Public Library website. These pictures are dated 24 Oct 1954 a few days after Hurricane Hazel (which struck 15 Oct). By some funny coincidence these TPL pics somewhat match my Now pics of 4 years ago.

 

[Mustapha]

I was browsing Wikipedia's main page today. In their 'On This Day' section there was an article about the crash 82 years ago of the British R101 dirigible.

I remembered that there are a number of pictures in the Toronto Archives of R101's sister ship - R100 - which crossed the Atlantic and visited Toronto in 1930.

The picture below - showing her serenely drifting above approx. Yonge and King - may or may not show the actual R100 - there were many retouched - we would say Photoshopped now - versions.

So, on to the picture.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=2fA...wBw#v=onepage&q=r100 visit to toronto&f=false

 

[Goldie]

I was browsing Wikipedia's main page today. In their 'On This Day' section there was an article about the crash 82 years ago of the British R101 dirigible.

I remembered that there are a number of pictures in the Toronto Archives of R101's sister ship - R100 - which crossed the Atlantic and visited Toronto in 1930.

The picture below - showing her serenely drifting above approx. Yonge and King - may or may not show the actual R100 - there were many retouched - we would say Photoshopped now - versions.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=2fA...wBw#v=onepage&q=r100 visit to toronto&f=false

Thanks, Mustapha. That's an excellent reference page with much additional Canadian aircraft history.
Here are some photos of the R101 - flying and 'crashed.'
And the R100 over the Royal York (this one looks faked - too low) and over Canada Life, under construction.

 

[Goldie]

Then and Now for October 5, 2012.



Then. University E side between College and Christopher. 1907. Pre-MARS, in fact pre-TGH buildings of 1910s vintage...

Could one of these homes be Mary Pickford's birthplace? - see attached

 

[Mustapha]

Could one of these homes be Mary Pickford's birthplace? - see attached

Heya Goldie,

Mary Pickfords birthplace was on the block immediately south of my Then and Now - where Sick Childrens Hospital is now. There is a plaque out front.

 

[Mustapha]

London 1870s and Now.

This is a good one; you won't be disappointed.

http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/pointsofview/london-then-and-now/

 

[DSC]

Matthew Blackett has posted a rather interesting piece on Spacing (http://spacingtoronto.ca/) It is a song whose video is of archival photos of Toronto. "How can you not love this music video? (Local singer Lisa Conway's video for “Oh How Love” uses images from the City of Toronto Archive and the TTC.")