Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Mustapha]

Hadn't thought of that. It's going to be a hassle to carry around on the subway.

York looks so lifeless now compared to its former bustling commercialism.

I don't why, but I find it moving to see that huge tree near the Osgoode fence as a sapling.

It was a good decision to keep that beautiful fence intact. There must have been pressure to tear it down in the 1960s.

It is a nice and handsome ornate bit of ironwork isn't it?

I think that's my favourite one yet, Mustapha. Thank you!
I wish we lived as long as trees.

You're welcome! I am glad that UTers can see the trees for the forest [of buildings].

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

From the air, January 20th, 1950, (Globe and Mail Archives), looking north on Yonge at Heath. Illustrates why one always felt and heard the subway in the old Hollywood Theatre:

I remember subways were a problem for so many cinemas that dotted Yonge Street and along Bloor/Danforth in the 70's, 80's & 90's. There's a certain romanticism to it today but it was a little annoying back then.

There was a kind of funny noise reversal in the mid 1970's. When Earthquake in Sensurround opened at the beautiful old Odeon Fairlawn on Yonge n. of Lawrence a neighbouring home owner kept calling the TTC complaining about the unusually loud subway noise. She came to eventually learn that it was the sound system in the nearby Fairlawn cinema which was causing her so much grief.

 

[Goldie]

Osgoode Hall fence

It was a good decision to keep that beautiful fence intact. There must have been pressure to tear it down in the 1960s.

As I recall, the pressure to tear down the Osgoode Hall fence was generated during the first two World Wars (1914 & 1939) when it was thought that the metal could aid the war effort.

 

[adma]

January 9 addition:



Then: Looking S down York street from the grounds of Osgoode Hall. "1927?"

What's that tall building behind Rossin House? Almost has a Beard Building-ish "WTF did that come from?!?" effect...

 

[Mustapha]

What's that tall building behind Rossin House? Almost has a Beard Building-ish "WTF did that come from?!?" effect...

It's an 8 story building to the south of Rossin House, on the NE corner of Adelaide and York. I entered "Front and York" into the Toronto archives search field and there is a distant picture of it. If anyones search abilities are more finely tuned than mine and can help adma and I, that would sure be appreciated...

 

[Mustapha]

As I recall, the pressure to tear down the Osgoode Hall fence was generated during the first two World Wars (1914 & 1939) when it was thought that the metal could aid the war effort.

And the lawyers won this case too.

 

[thecharioteer]

It's an 8 story building to the south of Rossin House, on the NE corner of Adelaide and York. I entered "Front and York" into the Toronto archives search field and there is a distant picture of it. If anyones search abilities are more finely tuned than mine and can help adma and I, that would sure be appreciated...

I'll try! It would appear to be the building at the NE corner of York and Wellington with the sign "Ontario Silknit" on it (when googled, this company was one of Ontario's leading knitting mills and even owned at one point the building now housing the University of Waterloo's School of Architecture in Cambridge (i.e. Galt), Ontario):

Here's a view from the south:

And an aerial (centre of picture):

 

[Anna]

It's an 8 story building to the south of Rossin House, on the NE corner of Adelaide and York. I entered "Front and York" into the Toronto archives search field and there is a distant picture of it. If anyones search abilities are more finely tuned than mine and can help adma and I, that would sure be appreciated...

Wouldn't it be the building on the corner here - in a picture previously posted by thecharioteer?
Possibly known as the Ansley-Dineen building after the Ansley-Dineen Hat and Fur Co., Ltd.

 

[Anna]

I'll try!

You beat me by that much

 

[thecharioteer]

We must be on the same wavelength!

 

[thecharioteer]

When checking out the York Street pics, ran across these two views of the NE corner of Front and York, before all those billboards wrapped around the corner. Note the traffic cop. Now, of course, the site of the Royal York. Real mementos of Old Toronto:

 

[Traynor]

^ And people today complain about too much advertising signage! How quickly we forget the way the first half of the 20th century looked. After WWII municipal laws must have changed for signage, because the second half of that century the streets were not as inundated with advertising. Only now the trend is reversing and it comes as a shock to those who don't study history.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The little building at the corner was no great shakes to begin with, but it is astonishing how completely it was subsumed by those billboards. There's a real sense of kicking someone when they're down about it all.

 

[Goldie]

wartime at the waterfront

I may have shown this earlier.
Forgiveness, please, if I've forgotten.
It's where my father built ships during WWII.

 

[JRichardson2150]

Mine was a 65 Chev. Impala SS. Beat ya.




June 6 addition.

Something from Mimico today; a little off the beaten path.

I live around the corner from The Blue Goose Tavern and have lived in Mimico for about 27 years. The pub is directly across from the Mimico Go Station.
I'd also suggest that Mimico is no more "off the beaten path" from downtown Toronto than The Beach.

The original hotel was called the Windsor Hotel and was built in 1912.

I'm not sure when the name was changed to The Blue Goose (named after a train that regularly came through) but the pub has been in the Chemij family for over fifty years. There are nineteen rooms which are still rented out.

It's one of the best independently owned pubs in the city and has strong connections to the community. Brendan Shanahan (Red Wings), David Bolland (Black Hawks) and David Clarkson (NJ Devils) of the NHL all grew up in the neighbourhood. Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds grew up down the street.

As a matter of fact, I just got back from watching the Leafs/Penguins game there. Leafs lost of course.