Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Mustapha]

Visited Ryerson recently and was amazed by the HUGE campus!

I suppose we'll never know the purpose of that tower on the OKeefe brewery...

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for December 12, 2012. 12/12/2012.



Then. McCaul and Dundas, SW corner. c1920. Dominion Bank Branch. Who knew such a little gem of a bank sat on this corner; and so close to the street too.

Now July 2012.

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

Then and Now for December 12, 2012. 12/12/2012.



Then. McCaul and Dundas, SW corner. c1920. Dominion Bank Branch. Who knew such a little gem of a bank sat on this corner; and so close to the street too.

Now July 2012.

After seeing how the Spadina and College intersection was mangled over the last 90 years, it's nice to see an improvement.

 

[thecharioteer]

"The congregants must have felt on the Tip Top of the world."
MY QUOTE.

"I'll let JT explain this little bit of obscurity.. "
QUOTE: Mustapha.
+
"The Art Deco block on the NE corner "
QUOTE: junctionist.

The building as noted above - 264/266 College Street contained a main floor store, Tip Top Tailors.

(Which had replaced the Broadview Methodist Church building.)


Regards,
J T

Technical correction, gentlemen: it was the Broadway Methodist Tabernacle, designed by E.J. Lennox, opened in 1899 (same year as his City Hall), demolished in 1930.

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

 

[thecharioteer]

Then and Now for December 12, 2012. 12/12/2012.



Then. McCaul and Dundas, SW corner. c1920. Dominion Bank Branch. Who knew such a little gem of a bank sat on this corner; and so close to the street too.

Now July 2012.

 

[Goldie]

I suppose we'll never know the purpose of that tower on the OKeefe brewery...

Note the advertising on the O'Keefe poster: "Ginger Ale" - this was during prohibition!

 

[Blovertis]

Not Toronto-related, but I just came across a spectacular feature in the Detroit Free Press on that city's derelict Packard Plant. One of the best (and most shocking) Then and Nows I've ever seen: http://www.freep.com/article/20121202/NEWS01/120823062

 

[Goldie]

Not Toronto-related, but I just came across a spectacular feature in the Detroit Free Press on that city's derelict Packard Plant. One of the best (and most shocking) Then and Nows I've ever seen: http://www.freep.com/article/20121202/NEWS01/120823062

That's quite an amazing feature from the Detroit Free Press - thanks Blovertis.
The links to slide shows and videos within the blog are worth viewing too.
Some would use the title: "The End of America!"

 

[Mustapha]

Most of those houses on the right are still there; amazing if you think about it, given the changes over to commercial use along most of the rest of Dundas clear out to Landsdowne.

 

[Mustapha]

Technical correction, gentlemen: it was the Broadway Methodist Tabernacle, designed by E.J. Lennox, opened in 1899 (same year as his City Hall), demolished in 1930.

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

It's almost like a cut rate 4/5ths size City Hall minus some flourishes. Quite the loss.

 

[Mustapha]

Not Toronto-related, but I just came across a spectacular feature in the Detroit Free Press on that city's derelict Packard Plant. One of the best (and most shocking) Then and Nows I've ever seen: http://www.freep.com/article/20121202/NEWS01/120823062

Unfortunately for Detroit; there's a lot more than the former Packard plant... how about Michigan Central Station for another instance.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/06/us/0306_STATION_index.html

Fascinating link Blovertis, thank you.

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for December 13, 2012.



Then. Nothing mysterious about this location... October 16, 1911. Looking N up Bay Street towards Old City Hall. Interesting streetlights. Interesting how backbreaking the labour must have been to lay track.

Now. July 2012.

 

[DSC]

I always enjoy the small details in the "then" photos and this time I wondered about "Mr Robert Mantell". Turns out he was an actor.
"Robert Bruce Mantell (February 7, 1854 – June 27, 1928) was a heralded Shakespearean stage actor who made several silent films. "
He has a Wiki page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_B._Mantell and this quote is from it.

 

[thecharioteer]

I always enjoy the small details in the "then" photos and this time I wondered about "Mr Robert Mantell". Turns out he was an actor.
"Robert Bruce Mantell (February 7, 1854 – June 27, 1928) was a heralded Shakespearean stage actor who made several silent films. "
He has a Wiki page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_B._Mantell and this quote is from it.

Good eye, DSC! According to his bio, he was the uncle of Angela Lansbury. He also performed in Toronto on a regular basis and was at the Grand Opera House in 1895.

Great selection of stage photos ftom the New York Public Library:

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypl...0&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&sort=&imgs=20&pNum=

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

One other detail I've always wondered about: the metal curb on the east side of Bay south from Queen. I have never seen that anywhere else in the city (or in any city save New York).