A hand drawn map of the city from 1883.
Click on the image for an enlarged view.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Richmond and Peter/Then
These houses, in what is now known as the Entertainment District, shown in 1944 are ready for demolition.
A year later they've been replaced by this building which still stands.
Up until the late 1980's there was nothing entertaining at all about this area which was all business. It was practically a ghost town on the weekends. The first "club" that I remember was called "The Twilight Zone" located a little further east on Richmond.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Gravenhurst Gas
An interesting Art Deco gas station in Gravenhurst, Ontario.
Perhaps it's a former B/A (British American) dealership.
Perhaps it's a former B/A (British American) dealership.
The 401 and Keele/Then and Now
The 401 looking west from Keele in 1958, with 4 lanes. The recently built DHO building can be seen on the right.
The same view today with 16 lanes!
My father was a Civil Engineer with the DHO throughout the mid 50's and 60's. He writes:
"When I graduated and starting working for the Department of Highways (DHO) in the spring of 1955, I joined a small group of highway planners working in rental space in a low-rise building on Jarvis Street (between Dundas and Carlton, I think). At that time, all parts of the Department were still growing rapidly to satisfy the pent-up demand for both road maintenance (deferred during the war years) and new roads to accommodate all the new cars. None were produced from 1940 to 1945, and gasoline, oil, tires, etc. were rationed. Also, returning servicemen needed jobs and the Provincial Government was hiring. As a result, parts of the DHO were scattered about central Toronto which wasn't very efficient.
Our group's first project was to examine and evaluate all the Provincial Highways and develop a priority scheme for improvement or expansion. Without modern tools such as computers, cell phones, and digital cameras, we spent a couple of years driving and recording the physical condition, geometric configuration, volume/capacity ratio, and accident history of every mile of highway. We then prepared an evaluation report which set the stage for 20 years of highway construction. Although not a best seller outside the DHO then or now, I still have a copy of that antique document.
The new building in your photo was built to accommodate all the various scattered groups of employees in one spot. It seemed to be in the boondocks when we first moved in - probably in 1957 or 1958. I don't remember exactly, but I know I used to drive there in my Volkswagen Beetle from Brownfield Gardens. I can't imagine doing that today.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane."
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Batman 66 -What's Going on Here?
A selection of panels from Batman comics #66. Saying "boner" once or twice is funny but they just keep on repeating it....Sheldon Hotel/Then and Now
The Sheldon Hotel on Victoria just south of Richmond in the 1940's.
Both the Sheldon and the building next door are currently vacant.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Old House on McCaul Street
The only surviving house on McCaul Street north of Baldwin. It appears well cared for.Bassel's Restaurant/Yonge and Gerrard
Bassel's matchbooks courtesy of the Chuckman Collection. The sort of thing most people would throw away but thankfully someone cares enough to collect this ephemera.
Like the Silver Rail at Yonge and Shuter, Bassel's was another bar on the strip that is sadly missed. Here's a collection of photos over the years. Originally Bassel's Lunch it evolved into Bassel's Restaurant and Tavern and lasted until at least 1977 (the first time I visited).
The menu.
A postcard from the early 1960's
2011.
One last shot looking south down Yonge in front of the Coronet Theatre from the late 1970's.
2010.Dundas and Elizabeth/Then and Now
Dundas Street West looking south down Elizabeth in 1930.
A similar view in 2010 , That's new City Hall (1966) in the background.
Just For Fun/Lois Lane 106
In the early 1970's comic books decided to become "relevant" and felt the need to deal with more complex social and racial issues. Here's the cover of Lois Lane 106 (Nov. 1970). In search of a story, Lois decides that she needs to live as a black woman for 24 hours and with Superman's help is able to achieve a transformation. As expected she is treated poorly by some and better by others.. All in all a bizarre scenerio.
The splash page.I Am Curious (Black) is a play on a well known Swedish film of the period that was banned in several countries, I Am Curious (Yellow).
College and Clinton/Then and Now
Looking west along College from Clinton in August of 1936.
The same view in 2010.The Royal Theatre was built in 1939 and originally called the" Pylon".
Vintage Auto Accessories-Kar Kool
This is an under dash accessory from the 60's - The Kar Kool. It's really just a fan and doesn't do much but blow air. It does however look "Kool".
In fact, it would look good in a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza.Tuesday, July 13, 2010
More Cool Bikes
An early 70's Honda 450 DOHC.
A mid 70's Honda 550/Four in factory colours.
This is a 1967 Honda 305 Superhawk.Robert M. Pirsig rode a 1964 Honda Superhawk CB77 during the trip that led to his popular book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
The cover.
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