Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[lightarchitect]

these pictures are going to make me cry.

 

[Goldie]

Seeing so many of Toronto's grand old buildings at one time is a real shocker!

 

[thecharioteer]

deepend, you have excelled yourself with this set! Are they also from the TPL?

 

[LowPolygon]

deepend, you have excelled yourself with this set! Are they also from the TPL?

these were taken from the 1984 reprint of this book, which was originally published in 1898....

the 1984 reprint (w forward by George Baird) is itself an extraordinary book. it is a completely faithful facsimile reprint of the 1898 book, bound in heavy maroon canvas with stamped gilt lettering and decorations on the front and stamped gilt lettering on the spine. It contains 101 full-page duotone plates, mainly of building exteriors. it is also a very large scale book, approx. 11''x15"

i notice Abebooks.co.uk has a few copies...its absolutely worth picking up....

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

David Mason Books in Toronto is the retailer of the above copy. Too bad he had to move from the Queen Street W location,

second floor, large windows etc, but the new digs are rather nice, once you get in.

Regards,
J T

 

[Mustapha]

deepend, you have excelled yourself with this set! Are they also from the TPL?

+1. Breathtaking stuff.

 

[DSC]

Though I think the stock listed is the same at all the various Abe sites you might be better to go to their main site at www.abebooks.com Abe is a wonderful site and though it is now a subsidiary of Amazon it was actually founded in Victoria BC. (See: http://www.abebooks.com/books/CompanyInformation/)

 

[thecharioteer]

From The Grange:

 

[LowPolygon]

I am wondering about the location of some of these. Does anyone have any idea where they were located?

Canadian Bank Of Commerce:

Freehold Loan Building:

Canada Life Building:

Albany CLub:

North American Life Building:

 

[adma]

I am wondering about the location of some of these. Does anyone have any idea where they were located?

Canadian Bank Of Commerce:

The old HQ, replaced by the new HQ in 1930 (present-day Commerce Court North)

Freehold Loan Building:

NW corner Adelaide and Victoria (demolished after Sun Life moved to 200 University in 1961)

Canada Life Building:

...and if you notice, the old Cawthra House is in the foreground at King & Bay. Both replaced in unison by the Bank of Nova Scotia after WWII.

Albany CLub:

Where the Albany Club is now: on King W of Church (it, or at least the frontage thereof, was rebuilt around 1930)

North American Life Building:

In the middle of the present FCP blockfront along King--replaced in early 30s by new NA Life, in its turn demolished for FCP...

 

[thecharioteer]

And this is a view of Wellington West, showing the Ontario Club on the right (which could have been retained within the Commerce Court ensemble) and the Commercial Bank of the Midland District on the left, whose facade is now within the Galleria of BCE Place:

The Ontario Club prior to demolition for Commerce Court:

And another view of the North American Life Building on April 30, 1914:

From Canadian Architect and Builder:

A last view before its demolition in the 1930's:

 

[LowPolygon]

The old HQ, replaced by the new HQ in 1930 (present-day Commerce Court North)



NW corner Adelaide and Victoria (demolished after Sun Life moved to 200 University in 1961)



...and if you notice, the old Cawthra House is in the foreground at King & Bay. Both replaced in unison by the Bank of Nova Scotia after WWII.



Where the Albany Club is now: on King W of Church (it, or at least the frontage thereof, was rebuilt around 1930)



In the middle of the present FCP blockfront along King--replaced in early 30s by new NA Life, in its turn demolished for FCP...

Thank you Adma!

 

[LowPolygon]

And another view of the North American Life Building on April 30, 1914:

thank you for that--i find this building quite unusual in the Toronto context...something vaguely Moorish Revival about it almost! especially in the 1898 photo...

i think its those tapered or wedge-shaped blocks that make the arch above the 2nd story windows, as well as that tight arrangement of windows on the 3rd...

 

[W. K. Lis]

Came across this rarity. The Three Candidates, I mean Stooges, at Toronto Airport:

[video=youtube;mjJfn3tq16o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjJfn3tq16o[/video]

 

[thecharioteer]

As a followup to your Bank of Commerce pic, deepend, here's a view from King, showing McConkey's Restaurant with its Palm Court, the most fashionable restaurant in Gay Nineties Toronto, site of the first electric lightbulbs (cue "Hello Dolly"?):