Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

A great photo from the archives looking south down Yonge from Elm in 1950 as the subway construction works it's way north.(Note the crane in the background and Steele's Tavern on the left.)2010 and we can see the collapsed wall of the old Edison Hotel at the corner of Gould.

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

This shot (probably from the mid 80's) shows how vibrant this intersection used to be for music shoppers. The Thriffty's store occupies the former site of Steele's Tavern. The silver car in the foreground is a fairly rare Citroen SM (Maserati) built between 1979-1975.

Now a desolate pit.

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

Looking east on Elm towards Yonge in 1952.
The sane view in 2010. Barberian's Steak House on the right has been here since 1958.
The entire block from A & A's south is now just a construction pit.

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

This time looking east down Elm towards Yonge in 1952. A small A&A Records can be seen in the distance.
A little further back from the mid 80's.2010.

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

Another photo from December 1950 showcasing the front of Allen's, "Clothing for the Entire Family".December 2010.

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

Looking west again at the north side of Elm in the mid 80's. The Millwheel was a guitar shop that, as I recall dealt in mostly acoustic instruments, guitars and mandolins etc.

2010 and Mr. Submarine is now Aden's Camera. This photo was taken with a camera purchased there a few years ago.

Yonge and Elm/Then and Now

Looking west along Elm from Yonge in 1952. Note the two story arcade entrance of Allen's where merchandise could be prominently displayed.By 2010 Allen's is long gone and replaced by a Pizza Pizza.

This shot appears to be from the mid 80's when it was a Papaya Hut. The double story entrance relatively intact.

2010

Sam the Record Man/Then and Now

Yonge Street in the 1960's. Postcard courtesy of Chuckman's.

There was a time not that long ago, when buying records (vinyl) at Sam's was a Saturday ritual.

You'd take the subway downtown and walk the strip up to Yonge and Gould.

This is of course before the young shoe shine boy, Emanuel Jaques was cruelly tortured and murdered prompting a sweeping "clean-up" of the Yonge Street strip.

But that's another story.......

Back then a record cost anywhere between $1.98-$4.98 and were visually very impressive.

There was a big wall display with new releases and sale items covered in hand made signs.

Riding home on the subway, you'd review your purchases and be tempted to unseal the albums in search of the extras inside (posters, lyric sheets,booklets, stickers etc) or just to look at the

gatefold inner cover. Over time the actual records were getting so thin that even the new ones were warped and would skip when you finally got them home.

An early shot of the Sam's facade.

Looking south on Yonge with A&A Records as well as Sam's. The Empress Hotel is also visible.

Sadly it's all gone in 2010 and the Empress Hotel faces demolition as well.

Before Sam's in 1949.

This is all that's left and soon to be demolished as well.

Here's link to a vintage Sam's commercial on Youtube.

Here's another former customer's reflections on the store.

Does anyone remember the short lived "Sam the Chinese Food Man" restaurant that was located a few doors north in the early 1970's?
 Sadly Sam (the Record Man) Sniderman passed away yesterday at the age of 92.
Funeral held for Toronto’s Sam Sniderman | CTV Toronto News

Yonge and Dundas/The Brown Derby

A vintage postcard of the long gone Brown Derby from the Chuckman Collection.

The Brown Derby, located on the N/E corner of Yonge and Dundas was open from 1949 until 1974.

The 1960's, Photo by R. Hill

Sometime in the late 1950's

In the 1970's the exterior had a "mod" face lift.

Another good shot from the 1970's. This is by Surfheart.

By the 1980's it's become a Mr. Submarine.
A Brown Derby matchbook from Chuckman's Collection.

The Toronto Arcade/Then and Now

The Toronto Arcade , the first in Canada was built in 1883 on the east side of Yonge Street at the intersection of Temperence Street. As seen in the 1920's.By the 1950's it was no longer fashionable and was demolished in 1955.The same view in 2010, and now this building's coming down.An interior view from 1888.

A collection of period ads.

This is the Manning Arcade, designed by E.J. Lennox and built in 1882 on the north side of King just west of Yonge Street.

Yonge and Dundas/ Then and Now

Looking west along Dundas across Yonge Street in the 1930's

2010
Another angle looking north up Yonge St. across Dundas in 1927.
The United Cigar store is on the right.
A similar view in 2010.