Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Eaton's Car Theft Prevention 1914.

Obviously car theft has always been a concern.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Players Cigarettes 1914

This Players ad from 1914 has a pack of cigarettes at 18 cents a pack.
Today the price is $10.00. That's 55 times MORE! They should be 25-30 times more expensive at $4.50.

Old Parkdale Advertisements


Parkdale House Demolition 1910

An advert from 1910 seeking someone to knock down a few houses in Parkdale for the Grand Trunk Railroad.
Empress and Dunn highlighted.
The demolition of four houses in 1911 was nothing compared to the wholesale destruction of South Parkdale in the late 1950's. The Gardiner Expressway was coming and this community was in the way!!
The red box indicates where my Grandparents' house was.

Dundas and Sterling/Then and Now

The south side of Dundas opposite Sterling Ave. some time in the late 1930's.
A similar viewpoint in 2010.

Bond and Shuter/Then and Now

The S/W corner of Bond and Shuter in 1908. Massy Hall is to the extreme right.
2011.

Yonge and Queen/Then and Now

Looking east along Queen Street at Yonge in 1952.
Note the Arcadian Theatre,
2011.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Queen and James/Then and Now

Looking east along Queen Street at James circa 1910.
2010.
Another good shot of the Adams Furniture Store building.
This entire block was demolished prior to construction of the Eaton Center.
An ad from 1910.
A few pages from their 1910 catalogue.

A real Stickley chair today is worth about about $2500.
Linoleum "carpets" were quite popular back then and are extremely rare these days.


Sunday, January 16, 2011

Simpson's 1911

A postcard from 1908.
A full page Simpson's ad from the Toronto World 1911.

Toronto House Prices 1910

A selection of real estate ads from 1910.
A time machine would be helpful.

Lux Burlesque/Then and Now


Back in the 1950's and 60's Toronto had quite a few Burlesque Houses where men could go to watch women take their clothes off (but not all of their clothes) The Lux was on College at the top of Bellvue.

Looking west along College.
2011.
The men are waiting...
The girls arrive...There's a good article here.

A couple of ads from 1945 for the Casino on Queen.

The Casino (outlined). By this point it had changed names to the Festival and was showing international films. Built in 1936 the Casino finally closed it's doors in 1965 band was soon demolished.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Bat Fink Ratmobile

Two of my favourite things from the sixties. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Rat Fink driving George Barris' 1966 Batmobile.
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, holding a model of "The Outlaw" model and box in front of the real "Outlaw" circa 1964.
The kit.
Rat Fink.
The antithesis of mickey Mouse.

Bloor and Lansdowne /Then and Now

Looking north up Lansdowne from south of Bloor in the early 1960's. I'm not sure what this TTC vehicle is, perhaps something to do with rail grinding....
A little research has revealed that this is a sand car and was used to delivery sand to the various car houses. Sand was used to give the street cars traction on slippery days. This car was scrapped in 1967.
2010
Sandcar W26 (photo courtesy Curt Frey, from the collection of P. Lambert)
.
A traditional TTC grinding car set up.






Thursday, January 6, 2011

Royal York and Glenroy/Then and Now

This is Glenroy Avenue in Etobicoke looking east from Royal York Road at the turn of the century (1900).
A similar view in 2010.