[LowPolygon]

For many, its most memorable element (esp. to Royal Alex/Mirvish-restaurant regulars) was not the street facades, but a humongous retro Canadian Pacific wall ad covering its western party-wall face. These days, that element in itself would probably be a cherished landmark.

Come to think of it, btw/this and the Eaton's warehouses, 77/78 might have been almost the last possible moment when these kinds of industrial hulks could be done away with w/o a fight. An era before 401 Richmond, Liberty Village, etc...

i think that's about right, although there are a few gems that were lost as late as 1981--for instance the Higel building on the NW corner of King and Bathurst. i've always thought that was a particularly brutal loss as it was such a beautiful building.

think how valuable it would be now, given what's happened on King west...

collations has a fantastic collection of the Higel under demolition in 1981:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32175940@N06/sets/72157618862118492/

 

[thecharioteer]

Two more pics of the poles of Bay Street:

1924:

1963:

 

[LowPolygon]

1963:

its kind of mindblowing, but it think those are the very same ones! and they are already showing their age by the 1960's...extraordinary....

 

[thecharioteer]

Another shot from the same 1963 series:

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

Those steel poles throughout the city were, during the '80s, painted by one man using a "bucket truck", for access and an "auto washmitt" for the paint.

The paint was aluminium/silver as were the mitt, the lilft, the truck, and the painter. The first time that I saw him was on Weston Road, then about the city.

Every thing about this scene was covered with the paint! Question: Did he apply a barrier cream prework?

Regards,
J T

 

[Anna]

1912 (I would suspect this was the demolition of the UCC building closer to John, behind the collegiate boarding houses, not the building in deepend's pic)

This photo was taken through the first arch in Deepend's pic

 

[DSC]

I find it interesting that in this (1948?) photo the streetcar "ties" are metal. The TTC moved to wooden 'sleepers' at some point and are now again using metal ones - admittedly much stronger looking and buried in concrete. Plus ca change!

 

[thecharioteer]

Just east of the old UCC block was the block bounded by Simcoe, York, King and Adelaide, bisected by Pearl Street. Before the University Avenue extension ran through the middle of it, Pearl was an interesting mix of old residential houses (dating back to the earliest days of Toronto), and early and late industiral buildings. Though some old buildings remain on the portion of Pearl west of Simcoe, on this block there is nothing, and the pre-1930 pre-University Avenue version evokes the old city that would soon vanish forever:

1910 Goad:

1930:

I would suspect that this terrace is the same one shown in the centre/right of the NW view of the 1856 Rossin House panorama (the one with the four chimneys):

1912: fire at the Allen Manufacturing Co., SE corner of Pearl and Simcoe:

 

[adma]

i think that's about right, although there are a few gems that were lost as late as 1981--for instance the Higel building on the NW corner of King and Bathurst. i've always thought that was a particularly brutal loss as it was such a beautiful building.

think how valuable it would be now, given what's happened on King west...

Well (and it was probably better known as National Furniture, for its latter-day prime tenant), that's an interesting transitional case, because it was already earmarked for demolition for a good decade or so, as part of a multi-staged redevelopment whose first stage-- whose party wall can be seen through the clock face--was already several years old. But in the interim it came to be tenanted by a whole lot of arts and fashion types--already, the tide was turning t/w the 401 Richmond/48 Abell/Toronto Carpet Factory reuse model. But unfortunately, still a little premature to have demolition-stopping political clout...

 

[EVCco]

Amazing pic!

 

[thecharioteer]

John Street:

1909:

1912 (site of Scotiabank Theatre complex south of Richmond):

1938 (site of Umbra store north of Queen):

NW corner of King and John (1900's):

1961:

 

[thecharioteer]

More scenes from King West:

Morrison Street:

Brant Street:

Stewart Street:

Bathurst north of King:

King east of Bathurst:

 

[LowPolygon]

NW corner of King and John (1900's):

wow, didn't know about that hotel, looks almost like an old resort....

It seems as if King west of Bay was quite a busy area for hotels. This shot of the corner of King and York Streets, shows Rossin House, Iroquois, Palmer and Imperial Hotels

a bit more hotel ephemera:

 

[thecharioteer]

a bit more hotel ephemera:

The Elliott House, on the SE corner of Church and Shuter, was one of the most fashionable hotels in Late Victorian Toronto. Like the neighbourhood, the building declined until finally burning down in 1961:

On the left:

1922 (incorrect label as to which corner):

January 16, 1961 (renamed the Carlson Hotel):

 

[Urban Shocker]

The rather handsome American Hotel - built in the 1840s I believe - was torn down to make way for the flamboyant Board of Trade building at Yonge and Front sometime around 1890.

http://maxhost.org/coppermine/displayimage.php?pid=783&fullsize=1