Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[DTowner]

This is an interesting corner: the red building may be ugly (and isn't it being sold off by TCHC?), but Studio Restaurant has been around for ages, and serves an unpretentious cheap breakfast. Just a little further along you have the Sandwich shop, who's owners trimmed that poor maple tree to a sad little tuft to better expose their tasteful signage. And of course, the fancy-boot ladies hang out on this strip of sidewalk when the sun goes down.

Exactly: tear it down. Studio won't be missed and the ladies of the night can huff it over to Jarvis or Sherbourne — or, better yet, work from home. x

 

[adma]

I know the "before" photo paints the "after" in an unflattering light: but, honestly, I don't altogether mind that red brick building--at least it has an architectural point of view, in a 60s/70s Aalto-esque "assisted housing" way.

And better the brick than EIFS (just thinking of the hack job performed lately at King + Cowan)

 

[Blovertis]

I don't altogether mind that red brick building--at least it has an architectural point of view...

"Say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, but at least it was an ethos."

 

[DavidJamesTO]

Comparisons to Hitler: the last refuge of the arguer with no argument.

 

[Mustapha]

February 25 addition.





Then. "Glengrove Avenue West looking west from Yonge Street ca1906."

Now. February 2011.

 

[NomoreaTorontonian]

Funny, I never saw turtles on Glengrove when I lived in the neighbourhood.

The 1906 picture is asking for sound effects: the schlop schlop shlop of rubber boots in slush.

 

[adma]

Comparisons to Hitler: the last refuge of the arguer with no argument.

And architecturally speaking, I'll take that 60s/70s angled red brick over the 80s horizontal-concrete banality in front of it...

 

[Mustapha]

February 26 addition.




Then Oct. 10, 1901. "Concrete gutter NW Sussex and Brunswick." sez the Toronto Archival citation. Obviously a drainage problem here unless that is fixed.

Now. February 2011. Ok then, yes, the concrete gutter is under the snow. I realize you can't see it. I have a quota of pictures to do. I can't do them all between April and November when it's nice out [I tried ]. There is no implied warranty of Then and Now fitness here. Isn't the corner store - now a dwelling - more interesting? It even has the original stained glass - mostly.

By the by, look at the old style storm drain in the curb in the 1901 picture. They still have that style in Los Angeles. Don't know where else but I've noticed them there. And, they are so large in width and height that you could roll a skinny person into them. Just sayin'.

 

[Browning Avenue]

Funny, I never saw turtles on Glengrove when I lived in the neighbourhood.

The 1906 picture is asking for sound effects: the schlop schlop shlop of rubber boots in slush.

You want animals on road signs? Go to North Vancouver

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MYevpNJm295zg2QiXZlrng

http://www.chrisd.ca/blog/15372/google-street-view-vancouver

They have "Deer Crossing" signs with elephant, rhino, ostrich, camel and kangaroo on them. It gets your attention a little better than just another sign with a deer on it.

Someone there has a good sense of humour. They also have bilingual dog signs.

http://www.mopo.ca/2005/12/district-of-north-vancouver-bylaw-5981.html

 

[adma]

By the by, look at the old style storm drain in the curb in the 1901 picture. They still have that style in Los Angeles. Don't know where else but I've noticed them there. And, they are so large in width and height that you could roll a skinny person into them. Just sayin'.

Isn't that one of those "1889"'s? Y'know, the kind you find here and there in the downtown core...

 

[Mustapha]

Isn't that one of those "1889"'s? Y'know, the kind you find here and there in the downtown core...

I've never seen any. I'll look more closely in future.

 

[Mustapha]

February 27 addition.




Then. "Sep. 20, 1922." NE corner of Yonge and Queen." The 1895 building across the street was built by a Seymour Knox as a "five and dime" store. In 1912 it was taken over by Woolworth and operated up until 1979. The store sign can just be made out: "[5, 10 and 1]5 ¢. store". This is a great old picture - an example of early "street photography" - that captures an ordinary moment long ago. It is infused with historical atmosphere. The man with the cane seems young; perhaps a Great War veteran? He's wearing a badge on his lapel; some sort of service badge?

Now. February 2011. The old store is still there under the cladding - the cladding doesn't cover the old girl entirely, the old brick is outside the frame of my photograph. You can see just a tidge of old brick in the upper left of the Now picture.

The paper boy's successors still work at this intersection. This picture was taken on a Saturday, but on weekdays cheerful students working part-time hand out free papers here.

I love this intersection. With Heritage buildings on 3 of the 4 corners (you can't win them all); the very essence of Toronto of Old envelopes me here.

 

[adma]

The man with the cane seems young; perhaps a Great War veteran?

Either that, or it's a walking stick, i.e. he's a dandy.

 

[DSC]

I've never seen any. I'll look more closely in future.

I changed my Avatar so you can see what they look like! (There are quite a few of these downtown and one wonders whether some former Gravy Train resulted in a huge supply being ordered in 1889 or did they simply recast them using the 1889 mold for years?)

 

[Mustapha]

Either that, or it's a walking stick, i.e. he's a dandy.

You're right. His hand seems to be gripping something small - like those ornamental balls on a walking stick. The picture is clear enough - there isn't much substance to that "cane". He's very small framed - small shoulders. I look at the infants in some of the pictures from those days - undernourished. I suppose canned formula and pablum came later, and the pickaxe width shoulders we see on many today.