[Goldie]

Percy A. Belbin at the N/E corner of Yonge-Eglinton c.1900

 

[Mustapha]

Percy A. Belbin at the N/E corner of Yonge-Eglinton c.1900

A handsome young Toronto flâneur and his camera. Some things never change. Thanks Goldie.

 

[Mustapha]

Ut-er 'OldCamera' was inspired enough by the walk-around-St. Clements-church post back on page 827 of this thread that he sent me some old family pictures.

His grandmother and her son - Oldcamera's dad - lived on St. Clements Ave. back in the day, #35 specifically.

Oldcamera, like I, would take the time to walk the streets of our childhoods years later to remember and reflect. Happily, Oldcamera carried a camera as part of his everyday kit. Providentially, so did his grandfather.

So, lets have a another Then and Now of this area from his perspective, illustrated with some of his own and his grandparents never before seen pictures.



Below: Here's #35 posing for its debut portrait in 1923. I am guessing that his grandparents purchased the house that year - it would have been new or close to it. Many houses in this area were built in the 1920s - I know my old place - a few blocks north of Lawrence off of Yonge - was built in 1928. It was always fun to cut the power by pulling the main knife switch instead of hunting for the right glass fuse. And having push button light switches and the ka-thunk noise they made. The charm of all this was missed after I re-wired; but I digress.

Below: Here's Oldcamera's dad in 1932-ish in front of #35. Parents certainly were indulgent in those days. I wonder if the lad got a real six-shooter.

Below: Here's Oldcamera's grandmother in front of #35 in the early 1940s.

Below: And,.. in the backyard of #35. Wartime. Oldcamera's dad - the young boy on the horse - is now a strapping man of about 18. I wonder what regiment he was in.

Below: #35 in 1979 [where the yellow car is]. Picture recorded by Oldcamera peering into his Pentax Spotmatic.

Below: #35 in 2005 poses for it's last portrait before it's demolition for the extension of St. Clements girls school.

Below: Today.

Below: Bonus material. On the SW corner of St. Clements and Yonge is the still extant Consumers Gas Showroom. The pictures below show the Consumer's Gas Showroom and its opening day in 1931 - the pair of Then pics are TPL archive pics. The 2005 picture is by Oldcamera. There is a home furnishings store there at this time of writing. In the window is a 1950s vintage bicycle for sale; wonderfully and nicely patinaed; 'Hero' brand, for about $400.

Below: And,... even more bonus material... a block north of St. Clements is Briar Hill Ave. Here we have a scene of the SW corner of Briar Hill and Yonge taken after the great snow storm of December 1944.

Below: Today: The Lululemon store anchors this group of shops. The gas station came down around 1975.

This neighbourhood today has some living throwbacks to the past that can be experienced rather than just looked at. The Goodbite restaurant on Yonge across from Castlefield is an authentic old-school place; probably about 35 years old. You would think a group of local retired folks would congregate here - as they do at the Dufferin mall food court or certain of those places along the Danforth - but that isn't the case here. Go in and check out - as our American cousins might put it - the 'chow.' Let me know what you think.



Thank you Oldcamera for making these images and your story available.

I hope others will think your family story and images as cool as I think they are.



Sincerely,

-Moose

 

[Mustapha]

http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2014/12/then-and-now-spadina-college-toronto-history.html

http://www.boredpanda.com/1969-hippie-high-school-fashion-photography/

 

[mattelderca]

The pony pic reminds me of door to door photographers. I recall them walking the streets with their pony and camera. If you wanted your child's portrait taken they would stop and take it. Payment up front at time of "sitting" and get the portrait mailed to you in a few weeks. Does anyone else remember this?
I specifically recall this when we lived on Woodbine at Corley circa 1970, give or take a year or two each way.

 

[Goldie]

The pony pic reminds me of door to door photographers. I recall them walking the streets with their pony and camera. If you wanted your child's portrait taken they would stop and take it. Payment up front at time of "sitting" and get the portrait mailed to you in a few weeks. Does anyone else remember this?
I specifically recall this when we lived on Woodbine at Corley circa 1970, give or take a year or two each way.

This pony and his assistant were still active in the suburbs in 1996 ..............

 

[reetdoontoon]

The pony pic reminds me of door to door photographers. I recall them walking the streets with their pony and camera. If you wanted your child's portrait taken they would stop and take it. Payment up front at time of "sitting" and get the portrait mailed to you in a few weeks. Does anyone else remember this?
I specifically recall this when we lived on Woodbine at Corley circa 1970, give or take a year or two each way.

I absolutely remember the pony man. My dad had my photo taken on Montrose sitting on a pony when i was about four years old. Kids would always come running to see the pony man and the knife sharpening man and the ice cream man and the chicken man.

 

[railmus]

I absolutely remember the pony man. My dad had my photo taken on Montrose sitting on a pony when i was about four years old. Kids would always come running to see the pony man and the knife sharpening man and the ice cream man and the chicken man.

Don't forget the "rag" or junk man! "Junk, a junk a ho!"

 

[Hudson8]

Here's my contribution to pony pic memories....Me on Broadway Ave 1946......(I'll pass on a "now" pic)

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

the knife sharpening man

We had one of those here (Dufferin/Rogers) up until a year or two ago. Ancient fellow, who came around with his treadle powered grinding wheel, ringing a bell, and charging a buck a knife. So-so sharpening, but I usually went for it out of sheer nostalgia.

 

[Anna]

I absolutely remember the pony man. My dad had my photo taken on Montrose sitting on a pony when i was about four years old. Kids would always come running to see the pony man and the knife sharpening man and the ice cream man and the chicken man.

The popcorn man. He drove a tiny little car and it seemed as if he used the engine to pop the popcorn. Might have been a Fiat 5000.

Here's my contribution to pony pic memories....Me on Broadway Ave 1946......(I'll pass on a "now" pic)

Is the house still standing?

 

[Hudson8]

The popcorn man. He drove a tiny little car and it seemed as if he used the engine to pop the popcorn. Might have been a Fiat 5000.




Is the house still standing?

Sadly, no, the house on Broadway (246) was built in 1945 and was torn down (with a few adjoining houses) in the late 70's for a townhouse project.
My parents were the only owners of the house for its life, and where I spent the first 18 yrs of my life.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

From what I recall, both the dairies and the bread companies had switched to motorized delivery before WWII, but due to

gasoline rationing during that war, retreated back to actual horsepower and waggon; they also included The Ice Man and

The Bread Man. Then there were "Travelers"; the encyclopedia salesmen; the vacuum (Kirby) salesmen; the Fuller Brush

salesmen; et al.


Regards,
J T

 

[adma]

Not to mention the jokes about parentage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkman_joke

 

[Koolgreen]

what was that yellow car....
my era, and yet, I do not recognize it.....
closest guess would be Pontiac of some sort? astra?


Below: #35 in 1979 [where the yellow car is]. Picture recorded by Oldcamera peering into his Pentax Spotmatic.