Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[thecharioteer]

Speaking of Elm Street, I think we've seen these pics before, but not in this hi-res format from the TPL collection.

Elm Street Methodist Church (between Yonge and Bay; home church of Timothy Eaton), designed by Henry Langley:

1867:

1954:

1880:

 

[Goldie]

Thanks to thecharioteer for that photo showing The Dell - I've wanted to see the old place again ever since I went there as a youngster in 1951. I clearly remember it as a 'spaghetti house' where I could get a plateful (with butter sauce) for $.99

 

[thecharioteer]

A rather bizarre Then and Now: the Alexandra Apartments converted to an office building:

1952:

1954:

 

[Mustapha]

McCaul.

Thank you! Amazing that the internet's sum total of information on this school amounts to the picture at the TPL website... at least for my Google search.

 

[adma]

I would suggest that it was for a combination of financial and aesthetic reasons. The fire was in 1928, and after the 1929 crash it would have been difficult to raise the funds to recreate the 1872 Langley design (notwithstanding the role of the Massey family in rebuilding the church). On an aesthetic level, it could be that the exuberance of the High Victorian design was out of favour with the design sensibilities of the Twenties.

From my recall of Bill Dendy's "Lost Toronto", there may also have been a shift in liturgical focus--from the auditorium style barnburner Methodism of the 1870s to more of an Anglo/Catholic nave'n'aisles cosmopolitanism in tandem w/the creation of the United Church of Canada in the 1920s...

 

[thecharioteer]

From my recall of Bill Dendy's "Lost Toronto", there may also have been a shift in liturgical focus--from the auditorium style barnburner Methodism of the 1870s to more of an Anglo/Catholic nave'n'aisles cosmopolitanism in tandem w/the creation of the United Church of Canada in the 1920s...

Interesting. It puts the interior of the Elm Street Methodist Church, posted above, in a different light.

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for January 22, 2013.




The NW corner of Elm and University down through the years; inspired by thecharioteer's recent post.




NW corner of University and Elm.

On the left: Erskine Presbyterian Church [Built 1878, architect E. J. Lennox. Demolished?]. Lennox was only 24 when he received the commission to do this. On the right: McCaul Public School. Note the traffic control bollards - to funnel the traffic into one lane.

It's 1958 now. You'll have to look at the right side of the picture for the location of our now gone church and school. Mount Sinai Hospital's Emergency Department can be glimpsed.

January 21, 2013. It's still Mount Sinai Hospital, but has been modernized.

 

[thecharioteer]

From my recall of Bill Dendy's "Lost Toronto", there may also have been a shift in liturgical focus--from the auditorium style barnburner Methodism of the 1870s to more of an Anglo/Catholic nave'n'aisles cosmopolitanism in tandem w/the creation of the United Church of Canada in the 1920s...

Original (what a loss!):

Rebuilt:

A survivor of this type of interior can be seen in Trinity-St.Paul's United Church at Bloor and Robert (originally Trinity Methodist Church). Not quite sure about the modern colour scheme though....

 

[Mustapha]

A rather bizarre Then and Now: the Alexandra Apartments converted to an office building:

1952:

1954:

thecharioteer, everyone: go back to page 248 of this thread to revisit some pictures of the Alexandra Apartments.

 

[FAW]

thecharioteer, everyone: go back to page 248 of this thread to revisit some pictures of the Alexandra Apartments.

Just got to love that Nash Metropolitan sitting in front of the Bank of Montreal. It would make a great companion cruiser for that Sprite Frogeye from a couple of pages back. Not that they share anything other than very unique and endearing looks.

Paul

 

[Mustapha]

Just got to love that Nash Metropolitan sitting in front of the Bank of Montreal. It would make a great companion cruiser for that Sprite Frogeye from a couple of pages back. Not that they share anything other than very unique and endearing looks.

Paul

"What did Steve Jobs, Paul Newman, and Elvis Presley have in common? They were all owners of a Nash Metropolitan..."

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/autos/2012/09/13/classic-cars-revival.fortune/2.html

 

[Mustapha]

I came across these ancient fixtures in the Mensroom at Union Station today. This whole area is being renovated so I doubt they will be in use for much longer.

 

[EVCco]

^Wow, great find!
Were there any period urinal cakes as well?

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"Were there any period urinal cakes as well? "
QUOTE: EVCco.

RULE No 1:
Do NOT eat the Yellow Snow.*
RULE No 2:
Do NOT eat the Urinal Cakes.

*http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/frank+zappa/dont+eat+the+yellow+snow_20056563.html

(Thanks Frank, I knew it would come in handy one day. RIP.)


Regards,
J T

 

[FAW]

Billy the Mountain, Tata's and Beer, Joes Garage, Live at Fillmores, Mudshark, Dynamo Hum... oh the memories, thank you J T. Saw him at M.L.G. on his Tour '80, he was playing from Sheik Yerbouti. Whatever happened to all the fun in the world? Life is just not the same without him.
Paul