Mustapha
Senior Member
I'm so pleased that my recently discovered slide of an old safe surrounded by rubble has generated a wonderful history lesson. Thanks to all participants. But, after all, that's what this site is all about!
Here's another angle on the safe:
The graphics on that safe is a work of art. My gramps had a safe, now at my dads, purchased in 1926. The Mustapha family safe was made in Rochester but I wonder if that Rosenthal safe was made here in Toronto:
http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/daviestaylor.htm
A minor factoid; most safes aren't solid steel; they are a steel sandwich - concrete is inside the outer and inner steel panels. This makes them fire resistant.
"I undestand such a camp was located at the bottom of Pottery Rd." QUOTE. Goldie
I didn't find any Pottery Road in my 1918 Might's Directory, but Abraham Rosenthal
was doing business at 125 King West and living at 295 St George St!
Regards,
J T
Would be cool if A Rosenthal descendants could read this thread and provide more info...
I'm not so surprised--it doesn't look like the store wasn't *that* small. Though signs like that on retail that "modest" were more likely to survive until recent times in places like Hamilton or Montreal. (Seems like Toronto was one of the biggest victims of plastic-backlit mainstreet-retail signage tyranny in the 70s.)
I wonder how much of a positive impression todays even worse plastic banner signage has on the purchasing public. Let's say you open a business - remodel, nice fixtures, inventory it up and wait for foot traffic. There is a plastic banner outside - the kind with the grommet holes in the corners - advertising your establishment to all and sundry. To me, it says they aren't in it for the customer long haul; like those roving McGregor sock outlets. Which have nice socks at great prices by the way.
Some of the University avenue hospitals have banner signs up in some sort of permanence - advertising a donor's new wing. When the wind hits them they flap around a bit.
December 29 addition.
Then: St Clair avenue west. More of the sign makers art. Don't know the date of this one. Some sort of English made Ford product parked there I think.
Now: October 2009.