Blovertis
Active Member
It seems like the skyline barely changed from c. 1930 to 1965. Must have been a frustrating 35 years for skyscraper fetishists and urban development geeks (assuming they existed back then).
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- Thread starter LowPolygon
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Edward
Senior Member
I'm sure there were skyscraper geeks back then. Not much for them in Toronto but New York and Chicago sure would have been heaven.
FAC33
Active Member
The one decent-sized building I can think of off the top of my head is the 1951 Scotiabank building (27 stories). Then there was the poor Victory Building, which was finally finished in 1936/7 at a truncated 21 stories (down from the planned 26 stories) after sitting more or less abandoned and unfinished for several years during the Depression.
It's odd to think that as recently as the 50s, areas we consider key to the financial core (e.g. Front and Bay) had warehouses on them.
thecharioteer
Senior Member
Earlscourt_Lad
Active Member
http://www.torontomuseumproject.ca/Ideas/Details.aspx?ID=1439&artId=1439
Show's a bit of the Smith family, of the N. Smith Belting Works Ltd. (Visible on the right hand of the last image).
Show's a bit of the Smith family, of the N. Smith Belting Works Ltd. (Visible on the right hand of the last image).
Kingsway
Active Member
Some of these would be GREAT for the Before and After Thread!!!!
Edward
Senior Member
Amazing how much the downtown has changed in not that long.
thecharioteer
Senior Member
The scariest part is that I remember the "old" downtown!
Lord Simcoe Hotel (King & York):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Simcoe_Hotel
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adma
Superstar
Even as a lamented loss, there's something about the Lord Simcoe that always, to me, seemed to have a hackwork quality--even if (according to Wikipedia) the Dickinson name was attached. It's as if some Deco-era squares decided to get hep with a lot of newfangled curtainwalling (in fashionable 50s green), but got the scale and details all off. (I suppose, it'd be as if Beck & Eadie waited yet another 5 or 10 years to resurrect/modernize John Lyle's Bank of Nova Scotia design down the road.)
thecharioteer
Senior Member
I think I'd have to agree. The H-shaped plan with solid end-walls had potential, but the symmetry weakens the design. The most flattering view was from the west as seen below, which minimized this aspect.
The 1967 north view shows it at its most banal (could that central portion be a subsequent addition?):
LI Mike: This pic is labelled as 1967 but the cars seem much earlier; any comments?
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thecharioteer
Senior Member
As a side-note, that parking lot on the east side of University between Richmond and Adelaide, remained for decades:
1953:
1959:
1953:
1959:
J T CUNNINGHAM
Senior Member
"This pic is labelled as 1967 but the cars seem much earlier; any comments?" QUOTE LI Mike.
The four newest cars that I can see are two '59 Buick's, one '59 Pontiac, one '59 Chev, and one '59 Cadillac.
(How about that '54 something MG - TF!)
Regards,
J T
The four newest cars that I can see are two '59 Buick's, one '59 Pontiac, one '59 Chev, and one '59 Cadillac.
(How about that '54 something MG - TF!)
Regards,
J T
thecharioteer
Senior Member
Thanks, JT.
That parking lot was, of course, the result of the land expropriations south of Queen in the late 20's for the University Avenue extension and the never-to-be-realized Vimy Circle:
(Love to give credit to the artist of the last pic; any help?)
That parking lot was, of course, the result of the land expropriations south of Queen in the late 20's for the University Avenue extension and the never-to-be-realized Vimy Circle:
(Love to give credit to the artist of the last pic; any help?)
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Long Island Mike
Senior Member
I think I'd have to agree. The H-shaped plan with solid end-walls had potential, but the symmetry weakens the design. The most flattering view was from the west as seen below, which minimized this aspect.
The 1967 north view shows it at its most banal (could that central portion be a subsequent addition?):
LI Mike: This pic is labelled as 1967 but the cars seem much earlier; any comments?
Charioteer: With that thought I must answer that this is definitely not 1967 looking over the cars in the lot...
Late 50s/early 60s is the era...Imagine finding a lot of classic cars like this today...(keep dreaming,Mike-commenting to myself)...
LI Mike
Long Island Mike
Senior Member
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Simcoe_Hotel[/QUOTE]
Charioteer: I found this demolition picture interesting thanks to the presence of that blue Ford Pinto in the foreground...
In this case the Hotel and the car brand suffered a similar fate...LI MIKE