Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Goldie]

That's a fascinating murder story, Mustapha. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.H._Holmes)

Seems to me that it would make an excellent (and frightening) movie - even better than "In Cold Blood."
Was a movie ever attempted?

 

[adma]

Technically, you're correct--traditionally, the Queensway *was* regarded as a de facto westward transcription of Queen, even before they were connected in the 1950s.

So may I offer an alternate argument: that as an "extension", the QEW was regarded as a bypass of the existing Queensway alignment--and that the name "Queensway" (another question: when did that come about? I'd like to suspect it was post-QEW) was a modish way of avoiding a name like "Old Queen Street".

Certainly at the time the 1940 map was made, the QEW was a far more important artery--the present-day Queensway was but a local concession road on the verge of suburbia, and nothing to depict as a red line on the map...

And to add: the obvious comparison point is in the opposite end of Toronto: Highway 2A/401 as a de facto "Kingston Road Extension" (even if the "real" Kingston Road, after its "Old Kingston" interregnum across Highland Creek, maintained its name rather than rename itself "Kingstonway", or something)

 

[Lone Primate]

That's a fascinating murder story, Mustapha. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.H._Holmes)

Seems to me that it would make an excellent (and frightening) movie - even better than "In Cold Blood."
Was a movie ever attempted?

I've never seen a "movie" of it in the "In Cold Blood" sense, but I actually found a documentary of it a few years ago that does a half-hearted job of hinting at re-enacting things. You know the type... History Television filler fare. Still, it's reasonably interesting. I understand that because of the Pitezel murders, the courts here were waiting with a pending extradition request that would have seen Holmes face British justice on the off chance he managed to wriggle out of the charges in the States. He didn't.

The Pitezel girls are buried in unmarked graves in St. James Cemetery. I've always thought it might be a nice project for the city to put up some kind of headstone, at least.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"And to add: the obvious comparison point is in the opposite end of Toronto:"
QUOTE adma.


But it couldn't go through "Hollywwod" as does The Queensway!


Regards,
J T

 

[Mustapha]

It was when I was there in January 2008. We didn't get any hassle about being out on the balcony that I can remember, though.

[video=youtube;M8KScMvue1M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8KScMvue1M[/video]

Great video! And, I see a house, an actual house, on Bloor street at 1:08 - just to the east of the Colonnade.

 

[Mustapha]

Further to the Queen's Park Band Stand photos, another side to the building (and life in the city):

I've seen this picture at the online Archives... couldn't determine the place; now we know.

 

[Mustapha]

That's a fascinating murder story, Mustapha. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.H._Holmes)

Seems to me that it would make an excellent (and frightening) movie - even better than "In Cold Blood."
Was a movie ever attempted?

"In Cold Blood" the book made such an impression on me. Just a fantastic piece of journalism. Never seen the movie.

 

[Mustapha]

Thanks for this one. I've read the Erik Larson book (one of his best) and knew about the Toronto connection, but had never realized quite where the house was.

(wonder if a "then and now" for the Chicago "Castle" where he did most of his dastardness could be conjured? the Wiki article mentions there's now a post office on the site.)

You're welcome. It's a wwwebster grab from the backend of another obscure webpage.. so, credit to the webster.

 

[Mustapha]

The Pitezel girls are buried in unmarked graves in St. James Cemetery. I've always thought it might be a nice project for the city to put up some kind of headstone, at least.

I'm surprised the cemetery themselves haven't done this.. some cemetery authorities elsewhere place a brick sized stone with only the last name at the foot of the grave in these instances. These children deserve better.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

After having read the book and seen the movie,

I found that Truman Capote's own manner of DD was frightening!


Regards,
J T

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for Jan 31.


Then. 488 Wellington W. c1919. 'Warehouse of M. Granatstein & Sons". Hynes, Feldman and Watson, Architects.

Now. June 2011.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"488 Wellington W. c1919."
QUOTE Mustapha.


THERE is another building to the east of the above property along with one behind as well

which make -up this NOW development.


Regards,
J T

 

[NomoreaTorontonian]

BTW, the picture is titled 16 St Vincent, not 6. But it does tell me how come my recently widowed great-grandmother could afford to rent 5 St Vincent shortly after she came down from Barrie with her six teenage kids in the mid-1890s.

The east side of the street were a full two storeys, if not three, and have also appeared on Then & Now in the past.

 

[Mustapha]

BTW, the picture is titled 16 St Vincent, not 6.

Fixed, thanks! This doesn't alter the location of the Now picture; which was researched by wwwebster..

 

[wwwebster]

It's a wwwebster grab from...

The Holmes – Pitezel Case, by Detective Frank P. Geyer, 1896:

http://www.archive.org/stream/holmespitezelcas00geye#page/n5/mode/2up