Sam the Record Man

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

Toronto Boom Town

Mark Moore sent me a link to this NFB film from 1951.

Some good shots of traffic congestion at Five Corners in Parkdale

(Queen and Roncesvalles).

The link to the film can be found here:

Yonge and Shuter/Then and Now

A nice shot looking north on Yonge past Shuter just after the war. Muirhead's

Cafeteria would close soon and re open as the Silver Rail Tavern.

1949 just as subway construction was starting.

 A similar, current view.

Yonge and Dundas Then

Looking east across Yonge Street in the early 1960's with the old Brown Derby Tavern and O'Keefe Building in the B/G.

Bloor and Bathurst/Then and Now

Queen and Dufferin/Then and Now

 The intersection looking north in the mid 1960's, that's an early Corvair on the left.

A screen capture fro 2010, Today, 2012 the intersection is completely different again.

Lido Motel on Kingston Road/Then and Now

Queen and Roncesvalles

Park Motel on Kingston Road/Then and Now

 The Park Motel on Kingston Road in the mid 1950's.

2010 and it's still there.

Happy 200,000 Hits/Edison Hotel

Thank you to everyone that has come to visit this site and for the comments and stories.

The corner of Edward and Yonge in the early 1980's with the Edison Hotel in the BG.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Cummins.

A Google map shot of the same corner in 2010 before the Edison burned to the ground.

Eclipse Cinema on Parliament

 The Eclipse Theatre on Parliament in 1949. Demolished to make room for Regent Park.

2010.

Parliament /Then and Now

 Another selection of photos by Patrick Cummins. The east side of Parliament south of Gerrard in the early 1980's. These buildings were demolished shortly afterwards.

 The Parliament Cinema, formerly the Gay Theatre.

 The Parliament in it's final days.

When the sign was removed this sign was revealed.
The original name of the theatre was the Bluebell

Today.

Old Spadina

The top two photos are by Patrick Cummins taken in the early 1980's.

Sammy Taft with Cab Calloway.

Bob Hope and Louis Armstrong below.

Note the Shopowitz (Shopsy's) in the background.

Queen West/Then and Now

 481 Queen Street West in the early 1980's way before this strip was in any way hip or trendy. Photo by Patrick Cummins.

 Patrick re-visited the same site years later and the old wood framed store was still standing with new tenants.

2010.

King and John/Then and Now

 The S/W corner of King and John as captured by Patrick Cummins in 1979.

Farb's Car Wash was on the opposite corner.

Again in 2010. For awhile in the 1980's the building that the second cup is in was quite abandoned. Jolly Tambourine Man shot their music video in there featuring Jerry Spew....

I Thought it Came in a Can.

The Half and Half House

Portland and Niagara/Then and Now

 What appears to be the S/W corner of Portland and Niagara in 1913.

2010.

Niagara Street follows the serpentine path of the old Garrison Creek and is named after the foot path that ran beside the creek as the soldiers marched towards Niagara.

Custom Honda Rukus'

 A selection of customized Honda Ruckus' on Queen Street last weekend.