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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

The Stanley Barracks is marked by the red coloured rectangle beside the word "New" on the Goads map.
The track loop shown with the "Station" building I believe would be for the TTC Exhibition streetcar stop which existed on this spot until construction of the the Direct Energy conference centre and TTC operations moving to the north of the Coloseum. Odd that they didn't show tracks heading east towards Bathurst. I think the "scenic railway" would have been the dotted line to the left of the yellow coloured building indication.

Thanks. I had a look at maps from different years and I get the impression the layout of the Exhibition grounds changed over time. The 'scenic railway' may have been around the grounds themselves, and at one point there appears to have been a railway-themed ride:

http://data2.archives.ca/e/e431/e010757094-v8.jpg
 
Back to the CNE:

Comparison of the 1924 Goad with a 1919 aerial photo:





http://fortyorkmaps.blogspot.ca/201...ard-company-canadian-national-exhibition.html

CNEgoogleearth.jpg
 

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This is a screenshot of the various routes the TTC has had into the CNE. The amber lines are the former loops and the yellow lines are the current tracks. You will also note a single amber line cutting across the yellow lines near the top of the image. This was the first electric railway ever in Canada. The demonstration line ran from 1885 to 1890.
 

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Here's a "then, now, and later" post.

Ramako posted an interesting link to ERA's blog about the plan to install a concrete-and-fiberglass replica of the facade of the old Holts building at Yonge and Temperance. It will look like this (concrete copy on left, "original" facade on right):

temperence-render.jpg


ERA says "The solution is a “ghost wall,” fabricated from castings of the existing heritage façades, that gestures toward the lost historical architecture of the Elgin Block." But this is all rather bogus. They are in fact replicating a much more modern building, which never had more than 5 bays. They are not replacing bays lost from the building as they are implying.

If I have this right, the 1850s building (was it in fact the Elgin Block? I thought that was further north) was partly demolished and its facade replaced in 1901. That facade was in turn demolished and replaced by the current version dating (according to McHugh) to 1911. So this will be a rather adulterated facade, but the same thing has been going on with this building for more than 100 years. Here's the record form the city archives:

1901 (1850s facade and new construction visible):

f1231_it1634.jpg


1907 (lost facade of Savoy tea room):

f1244_it1371.jpg


1911 (a few bays of the Savoy a perhaps still visible behind the new building):

f1568_it0339.jpg
 
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On the City's website (http://www.toronto.ca/old_cityhall/old_cityhall_tour.htm):

Grotesques and light standards

The wrought iron grotesques and gas lamp standards, now positioned near the base of the Grand Staircase, were removed from the building in 1947 and sold to an antique dealer. They were reclaimed by the city in the 1980s and, following restoration, reinstalled for the centennial anniversary of Old City Hall.


grotes2.jpg


Have they been?
 

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The 1900 photo of Old City Hall instantly reminded me of the Titanic. Awesome!

*edit* Any political undertones in the above message are unintentional. I meant that at face value, that it reminds me of photos I've seen of the Titanic!
 

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