Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[themarc]

Quote - themark:
"I always thought that was one of the most god-awful buildings in downtown - but with the Awnings it looks very handsome. Maybe that was the original architects intention. It would be cool if they brought it back (we don't use windows for light anymore anyways…)."
_________________________

Since reading that criticism of the Lumsden Building, I've felt the need to reply with my contrarian viewpoint.
Long after the awnings, I admired the Lumsden Building on each and every visit to that neighbourhood of Yonge St. The beautiful and unique architecture has a special place in my concept of design.
When passing-by last weekend, I had the great pleasure of shooting these pics.
There's no doubt that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Point taken.

 

[Mustapha]

"J T Cunningham knows something about this corner before the quite new LCBO store. I'll let him come along and tell us."
QUOTE: Mustapha.

I saw nothing. I heard nothing. I said nothing.

OK, OK. - Just a small amount . . .


FISHER & TAYLOR'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1874:
S/E CORNER - Vacant lots.

FISHER & TAYLOR'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1876:
S/E CORNER - Vacant lots.
S/W CORNER - Hamilton House, J Power, prop.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1881:
S/E CORNER - (The) Power House, J Power, prop.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1905:
401 - 405 King W - Warwick Bros & Rutter.
421 - 423 King W - (The) Power House, J Power, prop.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1917 - 1921?:
401 - 405 King W - Warwick Bros & Rutter.
421 - 423 King W - Vacant.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1921:
401 - 405 King W - Warwick Bros & Rutter.
421 - 423 King W - (The) Prince of Wales Hotel.

Also take note:

The 401 - 405 building still continues to wrap - around the corner to Spadina where WINNERS is now located.


Regards,
J T

That's, it?

Thanks J T.

 

[Mustapha]

Thank you for switching this image from the NW corner to the SE, Mustapha. I wasted hours trying to match it up!

The corner building was known as the Power House Hotel (great name).

1919:



By 1949 it was gone:



Recent proposal:



http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showth...ner-current-LCBO-Terracap-20-37s-Core)/page33

The incorrect NW corner picture was up for a few hours... in the middle of the night - I guess you are a night owl too.

J T caught my mistake and emailed me around 2:00am that night; I read his email at 3:30am and deleted the entire post until I could get a nice pic of the SE corner to repost a couple days later.

Sorry thecharioteer about the confusion. I'm my own quality control here and that worries me sometimes.

 

[Mustapha]

That certainly is a luxurious wide expanse of pre-widening sidewalk there...

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for May 24, 2013. Don't forget 'Doors Open' this weekend, folks.




Then. Royal College of Dental Surgeons. College and Huron, NE corner. c1916.

Now. April 2013.

http://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/

 

[thecharioteer]

The 1905 Canadian Bank of Commerce Building by Darling & Pearson at 197 Yonge (now the Massey Tower Sales Centre) will be part of Doors Open for the first time:

 

[Mustapha]

The 1905 Canadian Bank of Commerce Building by Darling & Pearson at 197 Yonge (now the Massey Tower Sales Centre) will be part of Doors Open for the first time:

View attachment 13160

Look at that floor; I will be there in check-it-out-mode.

 

[Mustapha]

"That's, it?"
QUOTE: Mustapha.

OK, OK, THERE'S MORE!

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1925:
401 - 409 King W - Warwick Bros & Rutter.
421 King W - Prince of Wales Hotel.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1933:
401 - 409 King W - Warwick Bros & Ritter.
No listing to Spadina Ave.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1942:
401 - 409 King W - Warwick Bros & Rutter.
415 King W - George's Service Station.

MIGHT'S TORONTO CITY DIRECTORY - 1950:
401 - 409 King W - Warwick Bros & Rutter.
415 - King W - Simkin & Thorneley, Service Station.

BTW, Warwick Bros & Rutter moved to their then new 1905 building after having been burned-out
during The Great Toronto Fire - 1904.


Regards,
J T

The Power House Hotel seemed like a well situated Public House. I wonder why it didn't survive; a la Wheat Sheaf...

 

[thecharioteer]

"The Power House Hotel seemed like a well situated Public House. I wonder why it didn't survive; a la Wheat Sheaf..."
QUOTE: Mustapha.

Having thought the same thing, I came to the conclusion - FIRE.


Regards,
J T

A little background on the owner of the Power House:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=eEU...v=onepage&q=power house hotel toronto&f=false

 

[thecharioteer]

Look at that floor; I will be there in check-it-out-mode.

A then and now of the interior of 197 Yonge:

 

[moe45673]

From haunted film set to misleadingly preserved convention center (like that building, I forget its name, on the Ex Grounds). When is the "then" pic from?

I should take my wife out for Open Doors

 

[Browning Avenue]

I find the search function here quite infuriating so apologies if somebody has posted this before.

This photo is from the Todmorden Mills collection. The Ice Company at 230 (possibly wrong) Browning c 1970.

View attachment 13112



I took this today. It's at 236 Browning and now for sale for $899K.

ETA: Today I learned that this was originally called the Lake Simcoe ice Company.


View attachment 13113

I think this is pretty nearly across the street from where my father grew up (1920s-30s). But the current usage of the building is beyond what anyone would have imagined of it back then. Interestingly it appears to be laid out upside down: four bedrooms on ground floor, kitchen, dining room etc upstairs?

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Interestingly it appears to be laid out upside down: four bedrooms on ground floor, kitchen, dining room etc upstairs?

Well, it means the principal rooms, where one would spend most of their time, are very bright. So that's good.
But I wouldn't want to haul the groceries up the stairs after every trip to Sobey's.

It also has a ground floor office, with a separate entrance. That makes a lot of sense, I would think.

 

[Goldie]

Before Nathan Phillips Square and cenotaph (1905).

 

[kiki88]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Toronto-Photography/462436620503909