Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[hogdust]

Given the buildings in the background, it'd be more likely late 80s--esp. if it looks like the Spadina bridge is in mid-rebuilding (are those new railings on the left?)

Also the Ford Aerostar Minivan in the picture is a clue.

 

[thecharioteer]

Front and Portland 1910 (TPL):





Front, between Bathurst and Portland 1912 (TPL):







1947:

 

[thecharioteer]

Front Street West, east of Draper, the Coulson House, 1912:



1923:






1889:



1924:



Front Street between Bathurst and Spadina, late 1940's:



From:



http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/CPR_Toronto/aerial_Toronto.jpg

 

[Goldie]

That's a wonderful series of the Front/Spadina area, thecharrioteer.

Whenever I see an old photo showing the foot of Spadina, I'm immediately reminded of the warships that were build and launched there (1941 to 1945).

Launch of HMS Goderich (minesweeper) 1941

 

[Red October]

Front Street West, east of Draper, the Coulson House, 1912:



1923:

/ragevomit

 

[Uncle Teddy]

The street was widened I suppose?

 

[the lemur]

Also the Ford Aerostar Minivan in the picture is a clue.

Well spotted. That would make it 1985-86 at the earliest. There's also the 2nd-gen Jetta on the left (1984 onwards) and what looks like two 3rd-gen Honda Accords (1986 and after).

 

[plink]

Front Street West, east of Draper, the Coulson House, 1912:

Minor tangent: the Coulson house was inhabited at the time of this photo by Patrick Burns, a wood/coal merchant whose name graced the busy coal yard just down the street at Front and Bathurst (east side).

 

[thecharioteer]

Minor tangent: the Coulson house was inhabited at the time of this photo by Patrick Burns, a wood/coal merchant whose name graced the busy coal yard just down the street at Front and Bathurst (east side).

Thanks, Plink. I wonder if that was later. The 1912 pic is from the TPL and labelled Coulson house; the 1923 is from the Toronto Archives and labelled home of Mrs. Burns.

 

[plink]

Thanks, Plink. I wonder if that was later. The 1912 pic is from the TPL and labelled Coulson house; the 1923 is from the Toronto Archives and labelled home of Mrs. Burns.

The 1912 TPL pic has a corresponding catalogue entry, which indicates "House occupied by Coulson in late 1840's. At time of photograph, occupied by Patrick Burns."

Interestingly, the TPL also has a cropped version of the CTA 1923 pic. Its catalogue entry reads:

"A half-tone block after the print is in The Globe, Toronto, 19 February 1923, p. 9, with letterpress t.: ONE OF CITY'S EARLY HOMES; b.: Residence of the Late Mrs. P. Burns, 478 Front Street West. / This is One of the Few Remaining Houes in a District That Once / Included Many of the Fine Dwellings of Toronto. TEC 196A. See also TORONTO/HOUSES/BURNS, PATRICK, house, Front St. W. Date Created year accurate; month and day unknown for 1923
Inscribed in pencil, vso c.: Residence of the / late Mrs P. Burns, 478 Front St. W. / one of the oldest buildings in / the city; vso u.c.: 2 col"

Now at one point I do seem to recall looking in the Globe for that date but I don't think there was anything more than above in the actual clipping.

Bonus photo, from ca. 1908, from a marginally different angle. (CTA). The house was also numbered 412 Front at one point earlier on.

Last note: allegedly there is another view of the house 'in sad decline', found in AO C 57-4-0-2.2 - Eric Arthur misc. photos, but I rarely venture so far north to the archives (perhaps one day when the subway to York is complete), so I've never seen it.

 

[Goldie]

Ellesmere Post Office 1910 - near 1421 Kennedy Rd.

 

[Mustapha]

The 1912 TPL pic has a corresponding catalogue entry, which indicates "House occupied by Coulson in late 1840's. At time of photograph, occupied by Patrick Burns."

Interestingly, the TPL also has a cropped version of the CTA 1923 pic. Its catalogue entry reads:

"A half-tone block after the print is in The Globe, Toronto, 19 February 1923, p. 9, with letterpress t.: ONE OF CITY'S EARLY HOMES; b.: Residence of the Late Mrs. P. Burns, 478 Front Street West. / This is One of the Few Remaining Houes in a District That Once / Included Many of the Fine Dwellings of Toronto. TEC 196A. See also TORONTO/HOUSES/BURNS, PATRICK, house, Front St. W. Date Created year accurate; month and day unknown for 1923
Inscribed in pencil, vso c.: Residence of the / late Mrs P. Burns, 478 Front St. W. / one of the oldest buildings in / the city; vso u.c.: 2 col"

Now at one point I do seem to recall looking in the Globe for that date but I don't think there was anything more than above in the actual clipping.

Bonus photo, from ca. 1908, from a marginally different angle. (CTA). The house was also numbered 412 Front at one point earlier on.

Last note: allegedly there is another view of the house 'in sad decline', found in AO C 57-4-0-2.2 - Eric Arthur misc. photos, but I rarely venture so far north to the archives (perhaps one day when the subway to York is complete), so I've never seen it.

What a wonderful and atmospheric picture, plink. The clarity of the picture, late summer afternoon shadows; groomed gravel drive [not dirt] ivy, awnings and porch furniture make for a great house portrait. Thank you the charioteer for raising the subject of this house, I didn't know it even existed.

 

[Mustapha]

Ellesmere Post Office 1910 - near 1421 Kennedy Rd.

The first thing that comes to mind is what the photographer climbed up to get that Then picture. Thanks Goldie.

 

[Mustapha]

Some non-Toronto links for the weekend:



If any of you have been to Philadelphia you may have seen the more or less derelict SS United States moored there. As someone interested in maritime matters, I hope this ship can sail again someday, but it's been gutted and the sheer scale of a restoration in terms of capital, possible return on investment and work seem insurmountable.

http://maritimematters.com/2012/09/ss-united-states-pilgrimage-part-one-a-look-inside/




'A Look Back at Montreal's Contentious, First Attempt at Slum Clearance.':

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/ho...ontentious-first-attempt-slum-clearance/7242/




'6 of LA's Most Famous Streets, 100 Years Ago and Today.':

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/...st_famous_streets_100_years_ago_and_today.php



'Classic photographs recreated in Lego.' Quite fun.

http://www.mikestimpson.com/photography/

 

[Goldie]

The first thing that comes to mind is what the photographer climbed up to get that Then picture. Thanks Goldie.

Thanks for that keen observation, Mustapha. I hadn't noticed.
Now that you mentioned it, I believe there was an obvious slope on the land where I stood to shoot the 'Now.'
There was probably a much larger hill in the old days before Kennedy was widened/graded.