Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Long Island Mike]

Is adma around? Can he confirm that that overhang on the right was part of the - I think - Loblaws store that was here at one time?

Also, the 'Checker' cab on the left in Diamond livery; that has to be the first image I've seen of this combination. These cars were plentiful in New York City up until 1990 or so. There was a spacious back seat area that sat up to five; two on fold down jump seats that folded up into the back of the front seat.

Mustafa: The Checker Motors Corporation has a very interesting history...They built their last cab-type vehicles in 1982 and yes-they
were once plentiful as a large group of NYC's more then 11,000 Medallion Taxi fleet...After a law was passed during the 90s regulating
the maximum age of NYC Taxi vehicles the last Checker Cabs were retired in 1999...

Did Toronto have a significant group of Checker vehicles like the one in this picture?
Any idea when the last ones were retired?

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Motors_Corporation

LI MIKE

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Mustafa: The Checker Motors Corporation has a very interesting history...They built their last cab-type vehicles in 1982 and yes-they
were once plentiful as a large group of NYC's more then 11,000 Medallion Taxi fleet...After a law was passed during the 90s regulating
the maximum age of NYC Taxi vehicles the last Checker Cabs were retired in 1999...

Did Toronto have a significant group of Checker vehicles like the one in this picture?
Any idea when the last ones were retired?

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Motors_Corporation

LI MIKE

Toronto had a handful of Checkers over the years, they were kind of a novelty. From the 1970s to the late 1980s, the taxi fleet pretty much mirrored the police fleet, and many taxis were actually decommissioned police cruisers, which was obvious when a cab door opened and you could see the yellow paint in the door frames where the taxi company paint didn't get applied. It was mostly Plymouth Furies (different versions), Gran Furies, Volares and Caravelles/Dodge Diplomats.

 

[Mustapha]

Well, it was *originally* Pickering Farms--though at what point did Loblaws take over, and how long did the former branding last? Judging from the mailboxes, the photo seems early 70s-ish--and that's pretty au courant sans-serif in the PF signage. (I don't really remember the place before it became a Ziggy's superstore later in the 70s.)

That photo's from 1975 - April 22 specifically

And this says it was converted to Ziggys in Nov 1975.
http://torontoist.com/2008/06/vintage_toronto_70/

Thank you adma and Anna. The red Volkswagen reminds me of the dealership located a few blocks north at the SW corner of Yonge and Farnham. Lots of Karmann Ghia eye candy there in the 60s for this kid.

 

[Mustapha]

That photo's from 1975 - April 22 specifically

And this says it was converted to Ziggys in Nov 1975.
http://torontoist.com/2008/06/vintage_toronto_70/

I wonder if Jamie Bradburn and Kevin Plummer ever look in here at UT. They are both prolific writers and researchers. Their writing is engaging stuff and the sheer volume they output boggles my mind.

 

[Mustapha]

First IBM building in the city is still there too, on Campbell Ave.

http://sysrun.haifa.il.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/vintage/vintage_4506VV2030.html

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.665...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sfAOPw41BMTl-pxjLwIOXIQ!2e0

Interesting IBM history... The article refers to time clocks manufactured there. I wonder if the very old electro-mechanical IBM master clock on the main floor of Victoria College (it hangs on the north wall, beside the staircase) was made on Campbell Avenue.

 

[Mustapha]

QUOTE=Long Island Mike;916965]Mustafa: The Checker Motors Corporation has a very interesting history...They built their last cab-type vehicles in 1982 and yes-they
were once plentiful as a large group of NYC's more then 11,000 Medallion Taxi fleet...After a law was passed during the 90s regulating
the maximum age of NYC Taxi vehicles the last Checker Cabs were retired in 1999...

Did Toronto have a significant group of Checker vehicles like the one in this picture?
Any idea when the last ones were retired?

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Motors_Corporation

LI MIKE[/QUOTE]

Toronto had a handful of Checkers over the years, they were kind of a novelty. From the 1970s to the late 1980s, the taxi fleet pretty much mirrored the police fleet, and many taxis were actually decommissioned police cruisers, which was obvious when a cab door opened and you could see the yellow paint in the door frames where the taxi company paint didn't get applied. It was mostly Plymouth Furies (different versions), Gran Furies, Volares and Caravelles/Dodge Diplomats.

Checker Cars had a very small distributor in Toronto in the early 80s. It was located at 15 Main Street just above Kingston Road. The building itself (now gone) housed a car repair; a rent-your-own-hoist-for-do-it-yourself-car-repairs; and the mentioned dealership. There were usually 3 or 4 new Checkers parked outside. A few were sold to private owners; they could be seen very occasionally on Toronto streets of the time. Handsome and distinctive cars they were and are.

 

[Mustapha]

Enough of my jawing. Here's a Then and Now.


50 Sullivan Street. 2012. My wife grew up here in the 60s. They eventually decamped for sylvan North Toronto in the 80s.

2013.

The National Film Board's 1951 'Royal Journey'. Go to minute 13:48 for about 2 minutes worth of the Toronto segment. Some Bay Street, Danforth Avenue, CNE and Riverdale Park footage.

https://www.nfb.ca/film/royal_journey


.

 

[the lemur]

This photo was featured here in 2009, however the caption may have been misleading (http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/6947-Miscellany-Toronto-Photographs-Then-and-Now/page105).
Rather than, "Morning shift leaving Russell Motor Car Co. Ltd., plant at King and Duncan Streets.", it appears to be a posed group of Russell's employees (mostly women) who were producing munitions for WWI in 1917. The Russell company ceased producing cars in 1916.
I was particularly surprised to find those two buildings still existing today.

If you're right about the year of the photo, that would make sense with respect to the ad on the wall for 'Automobile Skates': http://www.vintageccm.com/content/ccm-tacks-part-1-3

 

[Goldie]

Interesting IBM history... The article refers to time clocks manufactured there. I wonder if the very old electro-mechanical IBM master clock on the main floor of Victoria College (it hangs on the north wall, beside the staircase) was made on Campbell Avenue.

Don't know about the Victoria College clock however .......

IBM continued to manufacture 'Time Systems' for a few years after the move from Campbell Ave. to Don Mills in 1951.

IBM Clocks were installed in the towers at Upper Canada College and Mississauga's City Hall.

 

[DSC]

Here is George Street South in, probably, spring 1981 (the condo building - MTCC 573, New Town of York - in rear was occupied in late fall that year). Photo from Canadian Architect.

Here is the same view today (Google)

 

[Anna]

Thank you adma and Anna. The red Volkswagen reminds me of the dealership located a few blocks north at the SW corner of Yonge and Farnham. Lots of Karmann Ghia eye candy there in the 60s for this kid.

Our neighbours in the 60s in Scarborough were an all-Volkswagen family - the lady of the house drove a Karmann Ghia. Very exotic.

I can't see any Karmann Ghias from here

 

[Goldie]

Nice photo of the early skyline, Anna.

Not often do we see the two tallest structures in Toronto (1950's) in the same photo.
The CBC-TV tower (far left) was the tallest at 491 metres.

 

[Anna]

Nice photo of the early skyline, Anna.

Not often do we see the two tallest structures in Toronto (1950's) in the same photo.
The CBC-TV tower (far left) was the tallest at 491 metres.

It was taken in 1958 from the Post Office building on St Clair - it shows the first covered portion of the open cut subway (I think).
- see also http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showth...rom-the-1940-s-and-1950-s?p=917269#post917269

 

[Mustapha]

Here is George Street South in, probably, spring 1981 (the condo building - MTCC 573, New Town of York - in rear was occupied in late fall that year). Photo from Canadian Architect.

View attachment 32455

Here is the same view today (Google)

View attachment 32464

Interesting about those disappeared balconies. I thought they struck a jarring note but it would have been nicer if they had been retained. Just a personal opinion.

 

[Mustapha]

Our neighbours in the 60s in Scarborough were an all-Volkswagen family - the lady of the house drove a Karmann Ghia. Very exotic.

I can't see any Karmann Ghias from here

No I don't see any either; if they are there they're too tiny. But I see some vaguely 'Beetle' shapes. Thanks Anna, this view of that place brings back old memories.



Here is a 'Buyers Guide' to the 1958 Karmann Ghia.


"As befits a luxury product, the workmanship was exquisite. The entire front nose and fenders were one solid piece, to minimize those pesky cutlines. Body panels were welded, not bolted on. No more than five small, individual panels made up the nose, and each was hand-shaped and leaded with English pewter, much like a custom car. Doors were lightweight, but also complicated by their free-standing frameless design. The interior was "flawless and chastely classic," as Motor Trend said in 1956."



Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/classic/f...e_1958_volkswagen_karmann_ghia/#ixzz3CUd9OUnX