[Mustapha]

That's Lympstone Ave, looking east from Yonge.

Mustapha can explain to all you youngsters what carbon & ribbon was.

Amazing timing to bring this up Anna; I just dropped a camera off for repair, filled out a carbon paper form; I got the yellow copy underneath.

Ribbons ... for typewriters, the horror of those things. Worked in an office with a typing pool. For certain kinds of letters and contracts, not a single error was allowed in the document.

You could not use "white out" to correct the error and type over it.

 

[Mustapha]

Only after he explains to the kids about corsets and hosiery:

My own practical experience is limited I'm afraid, and in any event it was a few years ago.

A Google for "Toronto corsets" results in a number of makers. I hadn't imagined them being an item for brides. What do I know.

 

[chriskayTO]

Now. January 2011. This is 374 and 376 Yonge. W side, just below Gerrard.

Wow - that masonry looks like it's in a sad state. I hope we don't have another Empress Hotel on our hands, here.

 

[Mustapha]

February 2 addition.






Then. 1949- 1952.

thecharioteer, I was saving this up . As good a time as any to post it. More Yonge street scenes in the next few days.


Toronto Archive picture series notes:

"Series consists of photographs taken by Brigdens Limited for the TTC documenting construction of the Yonge Street subway. Activities above and below ground are shown. Many of the photographs document the pre-construction facades of retail and commercial establishments on both sides of Yonge street, from Queen to Alexander streets. Hence, this series was loosely referred to as the "insurance photos" by the Toronto Transit Commission's Engineering and Construction Library, their previous custodian."

Now. January 2011. This is 374 and 376 Yonge. W side, just below Gerrard.

Another in my irregular series of "thumbs ups" to the Toronto Archives:

The Toronto Then and Now genre here at UT and elsewhere on the internet would have never gained such traction if the quality of the Toronto Archives' Then pictures hadn't been of a useful, indeed more than useful resolution.

I say this only because some publicly funded internet resources have seen fit to make available only small images.

 

[Mustapha]

Wow - that masonry looks like it's in a sad state. I hope we don't have another Empress Hotel on our hands, here.

There are a lot more cracks in the brick in the intervening years. Good eye, I hadn't noticed. I was busy lining up the Now pic with the Then pic.

I wonder if the tunneling for the subway caused it.

 

[Goldie]

February 2 addition.

Then. 1949- 1952.

Now. January 2011. This is 374 and 376 Yonge. W side, just below Gerrard.

It's interesting to note that, in the older photo, the two stores have the same street number, 274.

 

[Mustapha]

It's interesting to note that, in the older photo, the two stores have the same street number, 274.

374, Goldie...

Observant of you. I guess the letter carrier had to be familiar with this quirk on his route.

 

[seemsartless]

February 1 addition.



Then. "Lawrence Park district ca 1920".

Now. January 31, 2011. The homes are still there. The one on the right distance quite prominent in both photos.

Wow, I was just earlier tonight looking through the Archives of Ontario site, and found a photo from between 1911 and 1913 of that very same house being built:

What are the chances!? As an aside, someone from the Archives responded to an online question of mine with the format that we can use to link directly to the archives. The above record is at http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mw...CT/FACTSIMAG/IMAGEFILE+I0009512?SESSIONSEARCH

 

[Mustapha]

Wow, I was just earlier tonight I was looking through the Archives of Ontario site, and found a photo from between 1911 and 1913 of that very same house being built:

What are the chances!? As an aside, someone from the Archives responded to an online question o mine with the format that we can use to link directly to the archives. The above record is at http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mw...CT/FACTSIMAG/IMAGEFILE+I0009512?SESSIONSEARCH

seemsartless, it's a beautiful neighbourhood that has aged well.

It's amazing how homogeneous it is. Every single home in it; bounded by Yonge, Lawrence, Bayview and Blythwood is maintained to the same high standard.

 

[seemsartless]

It's a beautiful neighbourhood that has aged well.

Indeed! I guess if you can afford the property taxes, you can afford to take care of those huge homes!

I'm more familiar with the ravine that runs through Alexander Muir gardens, under Mount Pleasant, through Blythwood Ravine Park, through Sherwood Park and Sunnydene park to Bayview (for about 18 months I had the excellent fortune to commute, on my mountain bike, through those ravines, then through Sunnybrook Hospital and down the Don River to work at IBM where Celestica is now).

But back almost to Yonge St. - I posted this photo of the Lawrence Park Appartments to my photoblog:

And got a fascinating e-mail, from 'Art':

Almost 20 years years ago I purchased a rather dilapidated cottage on the shores of Lake Erie, during my refurbishing of the old place, I found, (in the rafters) a rather peculiar little black book containing, what seems to be, the initial sketches of the [Lawrence Park Apartments]. As a retired draughtsman, it piqued my interest and I set about trying to find if the drawings were ever realized. Lo and behold after lots of searching the web, there is [the SeemsArtless] photo, exactly as shown in my little artefact. The drawings were executed by one C.L.Coates [or Coon] and dated 1925.

He sent me a couple of scans from the notebook, but then we lost touch:

That would be Stephen B. Coon & Sons who designed other Toronto apartment buildings, as well as Stollery's at Yonge and Bloor, and the Dominion Trust Company Building...


So many fascinating connections just waiting to be made...

 

[Mustapha]

Indeed! I guess if you can afford the property taxes, you can afford to take care of those huge homes!

I'm more familiar with the ravine that runs through Alexander Muir gardens, under Mount Pleasant, through Blythwood Ravine Park, through Sherwood Park and Sunnydene park to Bayview (for about 18 months I had the excellent fortune to commute, on my mountain bike, through those ravines, then through Sunnybrook Hospital and down the Don River to work at IBM where Celestica is now).

But back almost to Yonge St. - I posted this photo of the Lawrence Park Appartments to my photoblog:

And got a fascinating e-mail, from 'Art':



He sent me a couple of scans from the notebook, but then we lost touch:

So many fascinating connections just waiting to be made...

What a fascinating correspondence!

The Lawrence Park Apartments to me represent the best - perhaps a simplistic, romantic, idealized "best" - of the old way of apartment living in pre-highrise, pre-condo Toronto.

I envision "Flappers" as tenants in the 1920s adjusting their bob hair-doos, hats and dresses as they run out the front door to catch the Peter Witt streetcar to work downtown.

 

[Goldie]

I love to hear about such discoveries "in the rafters" or behind the walls of old buildings.
Just like the opening of 'Time Capsules'!
BTW, I also worked at that IBM location (Don Mills & Eglinton) and attended the opening of their Time Capsule in 2004.
Not very exciting because the capsule had been placed in a corner-stone only 50 years earlier.
Those things should never be opened in less than 200 years!

 

[Aladone]

There was talk awhile back about the North York Cemetery (behind the North York Centre) and it going all the way up to Yonge street. I found this Arial - 1947. My apologies if it has been posted already.

1947

2010

 

[thecharioteer]

What a fascinating correspondence!

The Lawrence Park Apartments to me represent the best - perhaps a simplistic, romantic, idealized "best" - of the old way of apartment living in pre-highrise, pre-condo Toronto.

I envision "Flappers" as tenants in the 1920s adjusting their bob hair-doos, hats and dresses as they run out the front door to catch the Peter Witt streetcar to work downtown.

That early "pre-war" period of residential apartment architecture is very interesting, in many cases produced units unfathomable today in our 500 SF one-bedroom universe:

Montreal 1905:

 

[DSCToronto]

The Marlborough Apartments in Montreal (by Taylor-Gordon) - where I lived for a decade or more - are very similar to Bishop's Court but the Units were much smaller - though still very spacious. (It also has a picture/plan in the Canadian Builder, 13:1 plate 6)
Apparently, when the building was constructed (1900 or so) the units had no kitchens and all food was prepared in the basement and brought to the Units by dumb waiter (there was one, they still worked in 1970, for each of the four stairwells.) When we were first taken around the building by the concierge - it was then rental - she referred to it as "the crazy butler" and I must say I now think of dumb waiters as such :-> It still exists but is now a condo building.