Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Mustapha]

Only we if we can do it concurrently with ascots. Honestly, some fashions of the past would now be costume - unless you really really have the gravitas to carry it off...



Worth a walk I think; I'll check it out before the snow flies. Thanks Anna. There's something about an abandoned road that appeals to something longing in all of us.



Keerect. However, they've overshot King... must be a good reason for that.




November 2 addition.



Birkbeck building. 10 Adelaide E.

I couldn't locate an online 'Then' picture, sorry about that.

http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_8812_1.html



Very beautiful inside. The elevator is original and must be operated by a specially trained attendant.

Hope no one minds. This is a 2 1/2 year old thread that I've revived because wwwebster found another Then photo of our subject.

For those that want to relive the original conversation in this Birkbeck Building thread, go back to page 133.

 

[adma]

Hope no one minds. This is a 2 1/2 year old thread that I've revived because wwwebster found another Then photo of our subject.

Aw, sure. It's really an alibi to return to the foreground scenery in that second photo, grrrrowl

 

[thecharioteer]

And I'll throw this one in again for the mix:

 

[Mustapha]

Aw, sure. It's really an alibi to return to the foreground scenery in that second photo, grrrrowl

The man and the lady walking into the picture... almost as good as paid models. Priceless.

 

[Mustapha]

And I'll throw this one in again for the mix:

I never tire of ruminating the loss of the buildings to the east...

 

[Mustapha]

Then. "October 16, 1911. Queen st. viaduct. Looking E from River st."



This is the second and still extant bridge at this location. Our 1916 picture charms us in its details. I can pick out the commuters going home (it's late afternoon judging from the shadows) on the back of the streetcar - it must have been fun to stand there as the car sped you home. One has to go to San Francisco for a similar experience today. Queen was unpaved at this time; it must have been very dusty. Shoes only came in one version in those days - black leather and they had to be polished - a seemingly pointless labour given the short life of a shine.

Looking at the street car tracks I am half expecting Buster Keaton to come along in a "railway track speeder". What grade schooler hasn't seen this National Film Board short? Please take the time to view it if you haven't seen it. You will be surprised and delighted.

http://www.nfb.ca/film/railrodder/?ec=en20100324




Anyways, once again I verge on boring you (too late you say?). Here is Queen street in it's dusty glory, complete with police constable making sure "nothing is going on 'ere then."

Now. May 2011.

 

[Doyle]

Well it is a good comparison of old and new photos as well as time and culture. Old pictures show that the means of transportation was mainly train in Toronto at that time. Thanks for sharing such a nice photos.

 

[donoreo]

The man and the lady walking into the picture... almost as good as paid models. Priceless.

But is she actually as good looking as we are all imagining her to be?

 

[donoreo]

Then. "October 16, 1911. Queen st. viaduct. Looking E from River st."



This is the second and still extant bridge at this location. Our 1916 picture charms us in its details. I can pick out the commuters going home (it's late afternoon judging from the shadows) on the back of the streetcar - it must have been fun to stand there as the car sped you home. One has to go to San Francisco for a similar experience today. Queen was unpaved at this time; it must have been very dusty. Shoes only came in one version in those days - black leather and they had to be polished - a seemingly pointless labour given the short life of a shine.

Looking at the street car tracks I am half expecting Buster Keaton to come along in a "railway track speeder". What grade schooler hasn't seen this National Film Board short? Please take the time to view it if you haven't seen it. You will be surprised and delighted.

http://www.nfb.ca/film/railrodder/?ec=en20100324




Anyways, once again I verge on boring you (too late you say?). Here is Queen street in it's dusty glory, complete with police constable making sure "nothing is going on 'ere then."

Now. May 2011.

Comment on the second picture (the now). Is it not safer to stand in the middle of the road on a red light?

 

[Mustapha]

March 14 addition.




In commemoration of TKWizard's 1st Then and Now, here is another "nabe".



Then. Landsdowne Theatre. 685 Landsdowne, E side, just N of Bloor street. Someone is going to look up the date of the film and let us know what year this picture, as well as TKWizards's picture, was taken.

Now. February 2011.

Interesting. wwwebster has provided me a 1914 picture of the "Park" theatre at 685 Landsdowne. This predates the "Landsdowne" picture above. Looks like they built a new facade.

 

[Mustapha]

Comment on the second picture (the now). Is it not safer to stand in the middle of the road on a red light?

It just turned green. Good eye, thanks for noticing - and your concern.

 

[ambleDexterous]

Wasn't Georg Jensen at the corner of Bloor and Balmutto? I seem to recall Zumburger was also located close by.

As the huge condos go up along Balmuto, I seem to recall earlier days of little shops on the east side of the street. I think there was a shop called the Gold Shoppe (can anyone confirm this?). Having said that, here's the THEN picture of the South East corner of Bloor & Balmuto on June 13 1927.

And here is the NOW

 

[thecharioteer]

Wasn't Georg Jensen at the corner of Bloor and Balmutto? I seem to recall Zumburger was also located close by.

Georg Jenson was at the corner of Bloor and St. Thomas. Zumburger was at Bloor and Yonge.

 

[Mustapha]

Georg Jenson was at the corner of Bloor and St. Thomas. Zumburger was at Bloor and Yonge.

Interesting. Checked Georg Jensens website, they don't even have a store in Canada anymore. Closest one is in New York City.

 

[Mustapha]

June 9 addition.




Then. "Nov 20, 1914. Queen st bridge approach." Queen and River streets again today. Yesterday we were looking E at the bridge over the Don River - today it's 3 years later and in this scene the bridge is behind us and we are looking W. It appears that the unpaved Queen st. of 1911 is in the progress of being paved in 1914.

Now. May 2011. Not many changes over the intervening 97 years. The building in the right distance has had a floor added to it. The complex on the right is gone - replaced by the Toronto Humane Society. I believe but can't be sure that it may have been a part of the Don Brewery complex that existed here. One of the brewery buildings survives as the "Brewery Lofts" condo - out of sight to our right.