ganjavih
Senior Member
What happened to all that awesome neon and bright lights of Yonge St? It seems all we have now is cheap backlit crap.
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More Lost Toronto in colour
- Thread starter LowPolygon
- Start date
adma
Superstar
Neon went out of fashion by the 1970s; lack/difficulty of maintenance did the rest. Though arguably on that front, one (the only?) place that's actually improved is the Zanzibar.
What intrigues me here (beneath the canopy on the right) is the hint of a triangle'n'crossbar City Parking sign--forgot about those...
What intrigues me here (beneath the canopy on the right) is the hint of a triangle'n'crossbar City Parking sign--forgot about those...
Tewder
Senior Member
I agree.... and the signs that hang perpendicular to the street? I think the Canon's is just about the only one left?
adma
Superstar
Except that the Canon's a weak historical/retro gesture. I so much prefer the old Imperial pylon...
Tewder
Senior Member
Couldn't agree more. I wonder why they have all gone? It seems to me they made great sense in announcing the building/business from far away when you're actually walking in the street. The theatre district in NYC still seems to have lots of them...
Also, I don't know the name of them but I wonder why these 'lettering only"-type signs that are seen on roof tops in the Times Square area are not seen in Toronto at all:
From the New York Architecture web site.
Also, I don't know the name of them but I wonder why these 'lettering only"-type signs that are seen on roof tops in the Times Square area are not seen in Toronto at all:
From the New York Architecture web site.
LowPolygon
Senior Member
i came across one of the greatest examples of this type of sign in Philadelphia a few months back....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Lorraine_Hotel
thecharioteer
Senior Member
Yonge and Queen 1910:
1913 Yonge north of King):
1930's (Yonge and Adelaide):
1913 Yonge north of King):
1930's (Yonge and Adelaide):
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junctionist
Senior Member
They're not common today, but if you like them, Tip Top Lofts preserved a big one, and the Regal Constellation has a prominent one as well. Unfortunately, the Regal is destined to be demolished.
I think that once you see one, you've seen them all.
kool maudit
Active Member
the regal constellation was big shit in the '80s. my father worked for a while at the similar-but-lesser "skyline," and was then transferred to the regal (to the delight of all).
it's so campy and corny now, but at the time, he leveraged that into a position at the d.c. ritz.
it's so campy and corny now, but at the time, he leveraged that into a position at the d.c. ritz.
Patriot
Active Member
It's a shame we lost a lot of the Yonge Street restaurants / taverns too.
thecharioteer
Senior Member
A few more of Bright Lights Big City:
And of early building lighting:
And of early building lighting:
G
gabe
Guest
Awesome pics! i sure miss the vibrant bight neon colours lighting up the streets. Times Sq and even Las Vegas has lost it's neon streetscapes over the years 
LowPolygon
Senior Member
And of early building lighting:
this one is so surreal and fantastical looking! like something from a Tim Burton movie....
junctionist
Senior Member
I have a feeling there was a fair bit of editing to those images. They had their ways of doing it; no Photoshop was required.
LowPolygon
Senior Member
Up until 1939 virtually all color postcards were actually heavily retouched black and white photographs. So the earliest ones, especially one as heavily doctored as the Temple Building is pretty much hand painted....