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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

Then and Now for April 16.


Then. Sep 28, 1917. 575 King St. W. A department of health photo. No doubt documenting 'slum conditions' as they occasionally did...

I don't think this wooden house lasted much longer after this picture was taken.

496.jpg



Now. July 2011.

497.jpg
 
thecharioteer said:
Love pictures of survivors, like the one on King. If I may indulged to take the thread temporarily to Manhattan, here's a Then and Now from West End Avenue and 72nd Street:


from: http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.ca/2011/12/remarkabe-hold-out-at-no-249-west-end.html
Click to expand...

Very nice!
Now is it the middle or right hand unit of the centre section?
I'll give it away, look at the top right mouldings.

Also very interesting how the Toronto building remained short. I wonder if there is any of the original house left under there, doubtful.
 
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thecharioteer said:
Love pictures of survivors, like the one on King. If I may be indulged to take the thread temporarily to Manhattan, here's a Then and Now from West End Avenue and 72nd Street:

1892:

westendavenue1892.jpg


Today:

249westendavenuenear71ststreet.jpg


from: http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.ca/2011/12/remarkabe-hold-out-at-no-249-west-end.html
Click to expand...

The original wooden house is under that King street retail facade? :)

'daytoninmanhattan': Indulge yourself more often thecharioteer. A fascinating link. I especially enjoyed the similar story of the St. Nicolas Hotel.

I'm imagining now if a sliver of the Rossin House at York and King had been severed, or if one of the Ford Hotel towers had been saved... :)
 
Then and Now for April 17.


Then. 'Nine Jackes Avenue. c1910. Residence of E.R. Rolph, of the firm of Sproatt & Rolph, Architects.'

4989JackesAvec1910.jpg



Now. July 2011.

499.jpg



'The firm Sproatt and Rolph was responsible for numerous institutional, commercial and residential buildings in Toronto, including Hart House and the Memorial Tower at U of T (American Inst of Architects Gold Medal, 1926); Bishop Strachan School, Manufacturer's Life Building, Ontario Club and National Club.'

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&ArticleId=A0007631
 
The mania for flesh coloured "stucco" needs to stop.

Also, I'd really like to see the expression on any number of current bricklayers' faces if one was to ask for "double stretcher bond with fake vertical joints to give the impression of roman bond".
 
WHEW!!!

I joined in January but have been lurking since then. I have been in the “Then and Now” thread for over three months, sometimes for three to four hours a night to get caught up.

I am amazed at the knowledge, resourcefulness and pure research skills you all demonstrate here.
I am so glad I found this site! Thank you all. It brings back fond memories of growing up in TO

I am a born and bred Torontonian. I was born at East General but my family quickly moved to the Junction area. I went to Annette Public School, then Humberside Collegiate, then U of T.
We lived on Aziel St. from 1950 to 1967 and I have very pleasant memories of walking to school on Annette Street (nice to see the Sunnybar is still there) and then along Humberside Ave. to HCI. We hated the St. Cecelia’s kids with a passion!

We played on the street till the lights came on during the week and Saturdays were usually biking to High Park (making forts) or riding across the city into Scarborough (we called it Scarberia!)
In the winter we took the TTC wherever we wished to go (no fears from our parents, they never knew how far afield we went!!)
We rode across the city on the Bloor line and when the subway opened well.... we were in heaven!
Centre Island was a great place to visit while listening to “Summer in the City’ by the ‘Lovin’ Spoonfull’ at full blast (early boom boxes!)

When we were out for a ride with my Dad, we would always stop at the “Rondun Tavern” on Roncesvalles where he had a beer or two (?) and we got a Tootsie Roll for sitting in the car and being “good” – would surely be frowned upon now!!

Any body got any pics of the Rondun or “Minnies Pool???? This was a private swimming pool open to the public just north of Bloor St, west of High Park Ave. in the Gothic, Quebec, Bloor, Parkview Gardens block (IIRC, it was the early 50's!) The pool was lost when the subway went through. The owner Minnie (?) would throw all the day’s change into the pool at the end of the day and all the kids would dive in for the money – pandemonium followed!!!

Again, “thanks for the memories” (and pics). I will continue to look in faithfully and will add a story once in a while of growing up in the best city in the world.

John Kanakos, now in London Ontario (but my Mom still lives in Etobicoke!))
 
I trust that you will remember the black snake (made from wood) at Colborne Lodge, entwined around one of the roof supports.

Regards,
J T
 
JT
We crawled all over Colborne Lodge and the cannon in those days but I don't recall the snake. I was probably only about 10 or so and I didn't notice. (Next time I'm in TO, for sure!) And here, I thought I knew it all!! (AS IF!)
The gulley behind Colborne Lodge was one of the steepest and scariest in those days!
Also, check out Wardell's Monumental Works, 7 Old Weston Road. Freize (?) up high! I don't think many people know it is still there. Who looks up these days??
 
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railmus said:
WHEW!!!
Any body got any pics of the Rondun or “Minnies Pool???? This was a private swimming pool open to the public just north of Bloor St, west of High Park Ave. in the Gothic, Quebec, Bloor, Parkview Gardens block (IIRC, it was the early 50's!) The pool was lost when the subway went through. The owner Minnie (?) would throw all the day’s change into the pool at the end of the day and all the kids would dive in for the money – pandemonium followed!!!


John Kanakos, now in London Ontario (but my Mom still lives in Etobicoke!))
Click to expand...

Welcome and thanks for these reminiscences. Somebody here will do this far better than me but I was intrigued by "Minnies Pool". Sure enough it seems to be the "Mineral Baths". So Minnie must have been named after the pool, not the other way round. :)

ahipkbathsyoungmenf1244_it2170.jpg


The pool was built on the grounds of Clandeboye, which is still standing:

gothic2.jpg
 
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