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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

Jarndyce said:
Do you, or any other reader, know of any exterior photographs of the 45 Richmond Street West building?
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I'm not sure of photos on-line, but you must be thinking of the Central Building (1928) by Baldwin & Greene--it was "facaded" in preparation for the original Bay-Adelaide project in the late 80s; then when that got nuked by the recession, its remains were demolished in 1993...
 
Mustapha said:
Heya, welcome zanthope.

There is such a connection between Ohio and some of us on this board. My daughter lives in Columbus, having married an American as the result of working for Abercrombie and Fitch as a designer at their New Albany campus.
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In Ohio, I think Columbus most closely resembles Toronto for several reasons. There's a lot of "newness" in the downtown area, a LOT of traffic, a lot of foot traffic and bicycles (especially around OSU) and lots and lots and lots of politicians and bureaucrats and associated toadies... it's the state capital, ya know! Generally speaking, it's a very nice place with plenty of recreation and many quality eateries.
 
zanthope said:
In Ohio, I think Columbus most closely resembles Toronto for several reasons. There's a lot of "newness" in the downtown area, a LOT of traffic, a lot of foot traffic and bicycles (especially around OSU) and lots and lots and lots of politicians and bureaucrats and associated toadies... it's the state capital, ya know! Generally speaking, it's a very nice place with plenty of recreation and many quality eateries.
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I would second this. Columbus was never a heavy manufacturing centre (although there were a few large plants on the west side; the old GM plant site now has a casino) but instead is focused on government, think tanks, education (Ohio State is huge and is only one of several good-sized universities and colleges in town), and finance. It is also a surprisingly diverse place, which is relected in the variety of eateries. It was a good place to grow up. However, I remember the days when it had exactly one skyscraper (the lovely Deco Levesque tower). It has really boomed in the last 20 years.
 
Shoppers' World at Danforth & Victoria Park was recently renovated for the arrival of the TARGET chain of stores. The unmistakable [industrial] roof lines of the original building are evident here. The building was begun in 1921 as a Ford auto assembly plant and remained active until 1953 when Ford moved to Oakville.

TARGETShoppersWorld-formerFordplant_zpscdabb363.jpg
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Another creative and very well done [so well done in fact one of the best of this genre I've come across] Then and Now of the New York City area:

http://www.nyc-grid.com/home/tag/before-after





Then. 1935-ish, I'm guessing. Parker Pen Company. NW corner of University and Pearl. Parker moved here in 1932-ish.

1207154university_zps49f18eb1.jpg





Now. July 2013.

1208_zps251fd735.jpg




"By 1932 Duofold pens were being manufactured in Toronto and anticipating a success of the upcoming Vacumatic Parker decided that the space on Sorauren Avenue was too small. Parker bought and moved the production to a plant on 154-158 University Avenue. In time the factory in Canada would be shipping to 70 countries all over the world.


http://www.parkerpens.net/televisor.html
 
Goldie said:
Shoppers' World at Danforth & Victoria Park was recently renovated for the arrival of the TARGET chain of stores. The unmistakable [industrial] roof lines of the original building are evident here. The building was begun in 1921 as a Ford auto assembly plant and remained active until 1953 when Ford moved to Oakville.

TARGETShoppersWorld-formerFordplant_zpscdabb363.jpg
[/URL]
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The Staples store at Eglinton and Brentcliffe is also in a converted industrial building with a 'saw tooth' roof.

A couple of years ago I was there picking up a Toronto Hydro-sponsored electricity-saving device when I noticed that above the electric light fixtures the sun was streaming in through the peeling parts of the painted-over 'skylights'.

s0065_fl0131_it0019.jpg


You can see the 'unmistakable roof lines' better here on the old Sangamo plant at Laird and Eglinton, where the Canadian Tire is now.

s0065_fl0131_it0021.jpg
 
Great NY series and a fine technique, thanks Mustapha.

One of the obvious differences in some of those old scenes compared to the new is the dress of pedestrians (this applies to our Toronto photos too).

Most men in suits, shirts & ties - now everyone dressed as if on holiday and at the beach!
 
FAC33 said:
The one I know about is slightly beyond the GTA. The Superburger just outside of Shelburne (Hwy 10 and Hwy 89) has one. I'm fond of that place--my husband worked there in its very early days.
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I think there used to be one in Perkinsfield, just outside Midland, Ont. that was reconditioned into a restaurant, but it was gone when we were up there a couple of years ago. I think the only PCC streetcars left in the Toronto area are in the Halton County Radial Railway Museum. We were there a few years ago and they had 4 of them but two were rusting out badly and they had no money to restore them. The rest were scrapped or sold to other cities around the world.
 
BUGEYEDBRIT said:
nope...its RHD, came over with me from the UK, but I have seen an old Austin with a church st address dealer badge on its bootlid...must try and find it.


They didn't do these in BRG, just something called Leaf Green, great if you want to blend in on a field...Over there its a Frogeye (hence the plate), here its a Bugeye, you lot just had to be different !

file.jpg
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I knew I had this photo somewhere...just took a while to find it!



Does anyone have photos of 737 Church St back then?
 
lrookies said:
I think there used to be one in Perkinsfield, just outside Midland, Ont. that was reconditioned into a restaurant, but it was gone when we were up there a couple of years ago. I think the only PCC streetcars left in the Toronto area are in the Halton County Radial Railway Museum. We were there a few years ago and they had 4 of them but two were rusting out badly and they had no money to restore them. The rest were scrapped or sold to other cities around the world.
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There was also a streetcar restaurant on Eglinton East in the Bermondsey area although I can't place it's exact location anymore. They closed the business and hauled it away about 20 years ago.

Don't get me going about the Constellation aircraft that was parked in front of the Constellation hotel on Dixon for a short period about 20 years ago. That was a beautiful aircraft.
 
Mustapha said:
Just the sign... hope that's good for now. I'll keep looking.

photo-toronto-yonge-street-at-church-canadian-tire-austin-cars-sign-1959_zps5b242c37.jpg
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In the late 70s there was a dashing young Brit named Rod Wood selling Austin Minis there. Was the showroom not directly east of the filling station?
 
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