Friday, December 31, 2010

Queen and Ossington/Then and Now

The north side of Queen West just east of Ossington on a summer's day in 1919.
Ninety years later and not too much has changed.

Oakleaf Steam Baths/Then and Then

These run down houses on Bathurst north of Queen were demolished shortly after this picture was taken in September of 1940.
And replaced by the Oakleaf Steam Baths one year later.

King and Bathurst/Then and Now


A good example of Art Moderne or Streamline Moderne design. The International Harvester Building on Bathurst south of King in 1940.
The facade has been retained in this new hotel and condo development.
Now the Thompson Hotel and the former showroom is the Counter diner,open 24 Hours.
Photo courtesy Hogtown Blues.

Vintage Billboards on College Street

Adams Furniture was located at Queen and James more information can be found here.

Bathurst Street Row Houses/Then and Now

These Victorian Row Houses are getting a make over in the summer of 1941.
Two months later.
And still here in 2010.

Ghost Signs Around Town



More Old Signs Around Town



It's good to know a place to get candy, smokes and guns.....

Adelaide and Peter/Then and Now

Looking at the N/W corner of Adelaide and Peter sometime in the 1940's.
2010.

Toronto's Worst House


Toronto's worst house on Richmond west of Bathurst (built in 1859) sold last year (for considerable money) and was knocked down shortly after. The British flag/curtain in front window has been there for at least twenty years.
Update.
The empty lot to the left was the previous site of Toronto's Worst House. The new one on the right is quite tasteful.

Little Old House/Ontario Cottage


This little house on Richmond near Bathurst has been here a very long time and hopefully will
remain. The first photo is by Patrick Cummins from 1998, note the original window above the door. This house is a good example of a house style known as an Ontario Cottage or an Ontario Gothic Revival Cottage. In this case though the decorative wood trim no longer exists.
The house can be seen (circled) in this photo from 1914.
This is a good example located in Simcoe.

King and John/Then and Now

The N/E corner of King and John on a snowy day in the early 60's.

The Eclipse Whitewear Building (1903) is significant as one of the earliest warehouses constructed on the former Upper Canada College campus on Russell Square, where the company produced children's and ladies' underwear for over half a century.

Today and not too much has changed.
Looking east along King across john in the late 1970's.
A current view.



Thursday, December 30, 2010

Queen and MacDonnel/Then and Now

The N/E corner of Queen and MacDonnel in 1935 when it was a Chainway Store.For years it was a furniture store and now a coffee shop.

Bathurst and Bloor/Then

A nice colour photo of Bathurst Station from the mid 1960's.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Trinity Gates/Then and Now

Trinity College north of Queen in today's Trinity Bellwood Park in 1925.
1917 looking north from Queen.
Only the gates remain in 2010.
This from Now and Then Toronto.
"Much of the current park land was originally purchased from a Mrs. Cameron of Gore Vale in 1851 by Scottish-Canadian Bishop John Strachan, an influential Anglican deacon who wanted Toronto to have a private school with strong Anglican ties, partly in opposition to the recently secularized University of Toronto. Buildings were soon constructed and students began attending Trinity College in 1852. After federation with the University of Toronto in 1904 and completion of the downtown Trinity campus in 1925, the school left this location. The original buildings were then sold to the City of Toronto and most were demolished in 1956. Of the college itself, only the stone and iron gates now remain, at the Queen Street park entrance facing south on Strachan Avenue, although the former St. Hilda's College building, (the women's residence of Trinity College) still overlooks the northern half of the park on the western edge. It is now a seniors' residence, John Gibson House."

Richmond and Bathurst Street/Then and Now

1914.
2010.
Despite suffering serious fire damage in 1914, this warehouse on Richmond east of Bathurst was rebuilt (less one storey on the tower) and still stands today.
Looking west past the burned out shell.
A view from the back.

Parliament and Richmond/Then and Now

I'm not positive but I think these houses on Parliament are the same.

Parliament and St. David Street/Then,Then and Now

Looking south on Parliament from Saint David in 1938.One year later some new houses have been built.
2010

Parliament and Shuter/Then and Now

Looking south down Parliament towards Shuter on the east side in 1938.

2010.

Ryerson and Wolseley/Then and Now

Looking south down Ryerson Ave. towards Queen West in 1914 before the street was widened.
A similar view in 2010.
A small cottage on Ryerson in May of 1939 probably under work orders for repairs.
September 1939, four months later.
Before.
After.
Although most of the houses in this area were demolished in the late 1930's/40's
these two managed to survive.