More Lost Toronto in colour

[Urban Shocker]

These photos certainly reaffirm how much more succesful the International Style was when it came to commercial rather than residential design. Those banks were exquisite!

Yes, and they're so similar - do you know if they were both by Parkin? The Bank of Nova Scotia is. And how refreshing that similarity seems, given the current obsession with novelty forms, loud signage, corporate branding and standing out rather than expanding existing forms and fitting in.

The dialogue between these functional, handsomely proportioned mid-1950s commercial buildings, designed by leading local architects of the day, and contemporary condo towers such as Casa couldn't be more eloquent - residential design successfully embracing International Style.

 

[thecharioteer]

Where were (are) they? They remind me of some buildings near Don Mills Plaza on Lawrence.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The Panda site says Don Mills:

http://contentdm.ucalgary.ca/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/pan&CISOPTR=8167&CISOBOX=1&REC=9

 

[Long Island Mike]

Everyone: More neat Lost Toronto pics here!

ColbyB: 2/6 and after - Nice pics posted here! The group of Yonge Street vicinity pics are definitely the late 70s/early 80s era-like the one with both A&A and Sam's in the background with the rare Citroen SM in it(Thanks, Deepend for IDing it) - I believe it has a personalized plate on it GEO*451 - the only personalized plates that Ontario allowed on the 1973 base plates until the mid 80s were three number three letter plates that looked like the standard series...but if you knew about them you could spot them. One of my favorites from the early 80s era was a Corvette I spotted in the Bloor/Yorkville area with plate SPY*001 long before the series was actually issued. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo or Buick Regal - brown with cream rag top looks like a 1979-with a brand-new M series plate. Again unless you had personalized plates they stayed with the vehicle until Plate to Owner began about 1982-83.

That Front/Market street pic looks late 70s to me-lots of neat vehicles in that lot-like the copper-colored Buick Riviera near the lower right by itself near a light fixture. I don't remember the year-mid 70s-but I recall a neighbor of mine had one-with that interesting back window design...

Those fire vehicles from those 1975 pics had regular series Ontario plates on them-J series passenger car plates on the station wagon and quarterly truck plates on the emergency vehicles-that van/ambulance with that lousy yellow color stands out...

Deepend: 2/17 - Those mostly 60s era suburban pics are quite interesting in that first group-I do like the bank styles pictured-and the housing and other pics look late 50s(or maybe early 60s)to me. The pics of places like A&P Real Estate on down look 50s to me-like the last one with a 1959 Ontario plate
H-42759 on what I believe is an Edsel...

LI MIKE

 

[Stumack]

H-42759 is a 1957 Monarch, Mike, another unique Canadian Ford product. For reference: http://www.mercuryarchive.com/1957to1960/1957MonarchAdBlkRd.jpg
I think you're right that the plate is 1959, although it could be 1957 since the format was identical.

 

[adma]

Where were (are) they? They remind me of some buildings near Don Mills Plaza on Lawrence.

Well, they're definitely those buildings if they're the one's I think you're referring to. (Unfortunately, the BMO got a stuffy transformation in the 90s, but Scotia's still basically pristine...)

 

[Long Island Mike]

Stumack: Thanks for that correction and the link...As I will note here I seem to learn something new practically each day at UT...this is a prime example!
LI MIKE

 

[LowPolygon]

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[thecharioteer]

Nice trip down memory lane, deepend, and of summer nights dropping into Sam's, driving the strip with friends, late meals at Fran's. But looking at these pics objectively, almost like an outsider, not too attractive (but it was home, eh?)

Here are two slightly earlier pics:

 

[Edward Skira]

I loved Yonge Street in those days. Grabbing my monthly pay and heading down there on a Friday night. Playing pinball at the arcade, doing fast food and blowing all my money at Sam's, A&A's and The Vinyl Museum. No doubt I'm looking back with rose covered glasses at those youthful days. Well I still have the vinyl and the memories.

 

[Towered]

Man, talk about fugly. Grey concrete dominates those pics, along with tacky signs (not that that isn't still the case).

 

[Long Island Mike]

Deepend: Good group of early 80s era pics of the Yonge and Dundas vicinity - these bring back memories of my 80s trips remembering the "Yonge Street is Fun Street" sign above Funland-one of the video arcades in that area-and noting the canopies with the men playing chess - I recall that the only truly homeless people I encountered back then were in and around that area. I like the drawing that begins the post and its detail and I even noted Ontario license plates in some of the other pics that can further date these for me...LI MIKE P.S. E7-I agree with you there-I still have much of the vinyl I bought on my Toronto trips and the memories...plenty!

 

[LowPolygon]

Nice trip down memory lane, deepend, and of summer nights dropping into Sam's, driving the strip with friends, late meals at Fran's. But looking at these pics objectively, almost like an outsider, not too attractive (but it was home, eh?)

Here are two slightly earlier pics:

thank you! The postcards have a much more romantic look of course, 'magic hour' skies, the neon beckoning etc. They definitely do a better job selling what Yonge St was all about than the more banal reality of the archive shots.

you make a good point--it was home. seeing them i am reminded that in its own way, Yonge St functioned the way downtown streets always functioned: they made life seem more exciting--especially if you grew up in the suburbs or a smaller place. it wasn't London, Paris or New York, but it didn't have to be. it was kind of ugly, hardscrabble and rough, but it did have fantastic record stores, massive department stores, night clubs, exploitation cinemas, cheap restaurants, sex for sale, arcades, night clubs, and tons of divey bars and restaurants...

When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown

etc...

 

[ganjavih]

Man, talk about fugly. Grey concrete dominates those pics, along with tacky signs (not that that isn't still the case).

Yeah, downtown TO really was ugly... I remember thinking so when I used to visit as a kid in the 80s. So grey and bleak. I much prefer it now... although we lost some nice neon along the way.

 

[adma]

That little fur store at 330 Yonge opposite Gould must have been something like the very first retro-20s-Corbusier thing in town...