Mustapha
Senior Member
I play fast and loose with "downtown core"; sorry.
The owners of 260 may have had visitors to 258 parking there and walking away.
The siding looks like my handiwork if I had undertaken it - a first time job for someone.
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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now
- Thread starter Mustapha
- Start date
I play fast and loose with "downtown core"; sorry.
The owners of 260 may have had visitors to 258 parking there and walking away.
The siding looks like my handiwork if I had undertaken it - a first time job for someone.
Mustapha
Senior Member
TKWizard,
The discovery of that gas pump thing is pretty cool. Nice pair of images and "urban exploration".
The discovery of that gas pump thing is pretty cool. Nice pair of images and "urban exploration".
Mustapha
Senior Member
March 20 addition.
Then. "Home Bank depositors cashing in Queen and Bathurst Dec23, 1923." I wonder what this was about?
Now. March 2011.
Then. "Home Bank depositors cashing in Queen and Bathurst Dec23, 1923." I wonder what this was about?
Now. March 2011.
Cast_Member
Active Member
This has to do with bank failure. The Home Bank doesn't exist anymore.
www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/review/autumn09/review_autumn09.pdf
www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/review/autumn09/review_autumn09.pdf
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ReiwaMagi
Active Member
March 20 addition.
Then. "Home Bank depositors cashing in Queen and Bathurst Dec23, 1923." I wonder what this was about?
Now. March 2011.
I almost walked by that area yesterday when I took an evening stroll, which was the result of those pictures above, and more on Queen.
In fact. I'm going to post a Then and now that I took on Queen, just a few blocks away!
Then. Some ooold furniture building on the Northwest corner of Queen and Euclid. February 26, 1912
Now. March 2011. Yeah... the two houses did not survive, and an eyesore bank is now in its place. This was a little difficult to take as there was a backlog of cars coming through exactly two seconds after this picture was taken.
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Anna
Active Member
March 20 addition.
Then. "Home Bank depositors cashing in Queen and Bathurst Dec23, 1923." I wonder what this was about?
The Home Bank failed earlier in the year - so these people are probably lining up to get their deposits back from the federal government. I wonder what the signs in the window say? - '...END' - Dividend?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Bank
Goldie
Senior Member
Then & Now -- looking forward
Good thoughts, Mustapha.
Let me add some of my own:
The thrill of "Then & Now" images for me is in the amazement I feel upon seeing the vast changes that can take place in our city within relatively short time periods.
An example that immediately comes to mind is in the area surrounding the Toronto Harbour Commission Building (see thumbnail).
Of course, I have a personal attachment to many buildings that have changed or no longer exist. The building where I met my wife (Central YMCA -College St.) has been demolished but the stylish, nearby I.O.O.F Building (corner of Yonge and College) remains and a recently posted photo of that building's original elevator brought back memories of my job there - one summer, 60 years ago.
I'm constantly startled by the short life-span to which so many building are subjected. I watched as the Lord Simcoe Hotel, Bata HQ Building & Inn-On-The-Park (Don Mills) and Bank of Montreal (King/Bay) were built ------ and was amazed when I was also a witness to their destruction. The Bank of Montreal Building lasted only 24 years (1948-1972) until First Canadian Place was built. It puzzles me how such expensive buildings can disappear so quickly.
My only concern for the future of 'Then & Now" projects revolves around the preservation of the photos we are all shooting these days with our digital cameras. Will today's photos be save for the next generation of history enthusiasts so that they can celebrate nostalgia with "Then" photos dated 2011?
The 'Then' photos we use today have fortunately been preserved for us by the good people at the City of Toronto Archives (and other archives). Which archive is preserving the current digital photography of Toronto? I fear most of today's photos will vanish with a "Poof!" as they vaporize into cyberspace.
Does anyone know if the City of Toronto is adding our photo documentation of the city to their collection?
I sometimes wonder what are the determinants that draw us to Then and Now pictures?
The form is cross-cultural as a review of the many Flickr albums dedicated to it attest. So, the determinant is a human emotion.
I myself look at Then and Nows of places I've never been to. The images are still valuable even if the attachment to place isn't there, or is it?
Many here tell us that a picture removes them to a place or event or both, in the past. It might have been as ephemeral as a dinner at a long gone restaurant as nomoreatorontonian tells us recently. It might have been a grand demolished building that we admired. It might have been the site of conflict or national history. It might have been something in between two of these or a kluge of several.
If the picture is earlier than our memories or birth date, it still has emotional attraction and historical relevance. It suggests a place we wish we had been to, or a place our ancestors worked or played in. Or, it lets us be observers of the present day, look into the past. The two pictures now give us points for comparison.
Putting two images - a Then and a Now - together creates - I think - an opportunity for the reader to write their own history. So, we have history presented to us but we don't have a historian having to research, write, edit and present history to us in so many sentences.
We look at the pictures and create our own narrative.
That's fine for the past but what lessons for the future can be derived from studying Then and Now?
Class discussion.
Good thoughts, Mustapha.
Let me add some of my own:
The thrill of "Then & Now" images for me is in the amazement I feel upon seeing the vast changes that can take place in our city within relatively short time periods.
An example that immediately comes to mind is in the area surrounding the Toronto Harbour Commission Building (see thumbnail).
Of course, I have a personal attachment to many buildings that have changed or no longer exist. The building where I met my wife (Central YMCA -College St.) has been demolished but the stylish, nearby I.O.O.F Building (corner of Yonge and College) remains and a recently posted photo of that building's original elevator brought back memories of my job there - one summer, 60 years ago.
I'm constantly startled by the short life-span to which so many building are subjected. I watched as the Lord Simcoe Hotel, Bata HQ Building & Inn-On-The-Park (Don Mills) and Bank of Montreal (King/Bay) were built ------ and was amazed when I was also a witness to their destruction. The Bank of Montreal Building lasted only 24 years (1948-1972) until First Canadian Place was built. It puzzles me how such expensive buildings can disappear so quickly.
My only concern for the future of 'Then & Now" projects revolves around the preservation of the photos we are all shooting these days with our digital cameras. Will today's photos be save for the next generation of history enthusiasts so that they can celebrate nostalgia with "Then" photos dated 2011?
The 'Then' photos we use today have fortunately been preserved for us by the good people at the City of Toronto Archives (and other archives). Which archive is preserving the current digital photography of Toronto? I fear most of today's photos will vanish with a "Poof!" as they vaporize into cyberspace.
Does anyone know if the City of Toronto is adding our photo documentation of the city to their collection?
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DSC
Superstar
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Yes, good thoughts from both Mustapha and Goldie and I agree that seeing thens and nows makes one realise that though much changes much remains the same and, as is often remarked on, the 'human interest' in the photos adds a great deal to them.
I too have wondered if the Toronto Archives are aware of this (and similar) threads and whether they are trying to build up a selection of 2000s pictures that will amuse or amaze our descendents. Any archivists want to respond?
DSC
Superstar
Member Bio
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 19,060
- Reaction score
- 26,619
- Location
- St Lawrence Market Area
Yes, good thoughts from both Mustapha and Goldie and I agree that seeing thens and nows makes one realise that though much changes much remains the same and, as is often remarked on, the 'human interest' in the photos adds a great deal to them.
I too have wondered if the Toronto Archives are aware of this (and similar) threads and whether they are trying to build up a selection of 2000s pictures that will amuse or amaze our descendents. Any archivists want to respond?
Mustapha
Senior Member
Ah, don't tell me that was the same Honey Dew that made it into this memorable recent subway-ad image...
If not--well, close enough...
adma,
Resurrecting your old post to add a new -old - photo that I found.
Mustapha
Senior Member
Goldie,
You've touched on the issue of digital storage. I think the challenge is in keeping digital images, documents or records in a readable format accessible years from now. Your pictures may be safely stored and backed up on multiple usb drives today, but remember floppy drives? How would one possibly read them now?
I have a old Fuji camera in my daily carry bag that uses the "xD" cards, a dying format.
Mustapha
Senior Member
DSC, Goldie,
There are hundreds of us Then and Now enthusiasts "out there" that the Toronto Archives knows about. I don't know anyone there, nor have I even been there, but they did send me a prompt and nice reply to my New Years wishes. Nothing said about adding our photos to their collection.
The Inn On the Park... amazing such a vast complex is gone. The organizations I worked with held many dinners there.
The area around the Harbour Commission building... it's amazing that before the condos went up on the waterfront, the area was so quiet. I remember trudging home from the ferry docks in the 60s on Sundays. Even the cars were scarce.
There are hundreds of us Then and Now enthusiasts "out there" that the Toronto Archives knows about. I don't know anyone there, nor have I even been there, but they did send me a prompt and nice reply to my New Years wishes. Nothing said about adding our photos to their collection.
The Inn On the Park... amazing such a vast complex is gone. The organizations I worked with held many dinners there.
The area around the Harbour Commission building... it's amazing that before the condos went up on the waterfront, the area was so quiet. I remember trudging home from the ferry docks in the 60s on Sundays. Even the cars were scarce.
Mustapha
Senior Member
I almost walked by that area yesterday when I took an evening stroll, which was the result of those pictures above, and more on Queen.
In fact. I'm going to post a Then and now that I took on Queen, just a few blocks away!
Then. Some ooold furniture building on the Northwest corner of Queen and Euclid. February 26, 1912
Now. March 2011. Yeah... the two houses did not survive, and an eyesore bank is now in its place. This was a little difficult to take as there was a backlog of cars coming through exactly two seconds after this picture was taken.
Dodging cars. I know this very well.
seemsartless
Active Member
Wow, that's great, thanks ever so much! What wonderful photos and descriptions of such interesting (mostly) lost buildings. I've added them to my list of theatres to add to my online list of theatres.
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