Thursday, May 31, 2012

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Queen and Soho/Then and Now

1913 looking N/E from Peter Street.
Today. That's the Peter Pan restaurant in the foreground.
The Peter Pan is possibly the oldest restaurant in the city...
Queen West looking east from Soho in the 1970's. Back then this strip was occupied
by several used book stores. The Black Bull (1833) is on the left.

Sometime in the early 1980s as seen by P. Cummins.

Queen West Street Fair Poster 1980

Hanging in the Black Bull.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Queen Street Fire

 A fire on Queen east of Spadina sometime in the 1950's. Note the Stem restaurant sign in both photos.
2010 or so.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Canadian Home Journal 1937


The Good Ol' Horseshoe Tavern

 The Horseshoe Tavern on Queen in the late 1970's/early 1980's with the original full facade. Photo by Patrick Cummins.
2010.
Another shot, photographer unknown.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Changing Face of Queen West.

 Photographer Patrick Cummins has been documenting these two storefronts on Queen for the past 25 years. Dencan Books is still in business in the Junction.
Fab's original location was further east.



Old Queen Street West

A used book store at Queen and Portland in the early 1980's. Photo by Patrick Cummins.

St. Lawrence Antique Market

 Another thoughtful display.
A Johnny Toymaker set from Topper Toys.
A vintage commercial can be seen here



Topper Toys also made the well known Johnny Seven.
As well as the Secret Sam...
Let's not forget Johnny Speed.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Cherry and Front/Then and Now

 The old Canary Restaurant and School on Cherry Street (formerly Palace Street)
More on the history of this building here.
 It doesn't look much different now but it will!
An old house on the opposite side of the street circa 1983. It's hard to imagine that not only was this once a residential neighbourhood but that it was also the centre of the town. The Parliament buildings were a block away and Gooderham and Worts a major employer.
B&W photos by Cummins

Fraser Street/Then and Now

 Fraser Street looking north in 1986 before the gentrification of Liberty Village.
2010.
This is the alley where "The Fly" was shot.
B&W photos by Patrick Cummins.
Fly Alley as seen from the front, 2010.

Queen West/Then and Now

 The entrance to a very nice Art Deco Vitrolite storefront on Queen West as seen in the early 1980's by Patrick Cummins. I used to but Christmas trees here.
A current view. Although the original facade has been obliterated, it's spirit lives on withe the un-molested facade of the Swan restaurant next door.

Simcoe and Richmond/Then and Now

 Another of the City's long forgotten diners, the Simcoe Grill.
The N/W corner of Simcoe and Nelson Street.
Sorry, no arugula with a raspberry drizzle here....
Photo by Patrick Cummins circa 1983.
2010.

Bathurst and Stewart Street/Then and Now

 Thank you again to Patrick Cummins for taking the time to document the changing face of the city. 
Stewart Street as seen in 1983 with the the Executive Motor Hotel in the background. Downtown was a lot rougher back then....
 A scrap yard.
 A stitch up.
A view from 2010. The Executive was demolished last year and new condos are going up in it's place.
The Executive in better days.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Queen and Elmgrove/Then and Now

Queen and Elmgrove looking west along Queen in the fall of 1916. The building on the right with the awning (1372 Queen) still stands and is seen below. I've never noticed the bull and ram's heads at the top before. The 1903 City Directory has the store listed as William Small, Butcher. By 1921 it was listed as a grocery Store.
1903 Directory.
 1921
1372 Queen Street West.