City
Nostalgia Tripping Through the Toronto of the 1970s and 80s
As I've mentioned before, I'm often struck by profound nostalgia for the Toronto of the 1970s and 80s. Without getting overly self-analytical, this is no doubt a manifestation of my (false) belief that things must have been easier or better when I was a youngster. Despite my efforts to remain critically vigilant against the seduction of nostalgia, I often cave in and indulge the desire to go "home" again.
Sometimes an episode of Degrassi Junior High or early Street Legal will do it. But, being a lover of photography, it's old images of the city that really drive my crank.
For the past little bit, I've been cruising the threads at Urban Toronto to get my fill of archival photographs. But, having exhausted this source, I decided that a bit more searching was in order.
Enter the Wikimedia Commons. Once one starts blogging, a certain vanity compels him to share much of his interests and pursuits with others who he presumes are interested. So instead of just perusing the Commons for my own viewing pleasure, I decided that I would post my findings.
So, allow me to present a few of the images that I liked. The pool of 70s and 80s stuff is actually pretty small at the Commons, so I'll be looking to find more of this content in the near future.
Enjoy!
Before the dawn of street meat (?), 1984:
City Hall and Toronto (not that different), 1975:
CN Tower footings, 1973:
CN Tower construction, 1975:
Trains and (sparse) skyline, 1970:
Toronto skyline at night, 1975:
The (real) red rocket, 1971:
The Toronto Star building is a far more prominent feature on Toronto's skyline in 1976:
Many thanks to Robert Taylor for his photos featuring the CN Tower and trains as well as that of City Hall, Mister Frankfurter, and the Toronto Star building; and to Frank Denardo for the TTC shots.
Discussion
47 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
I recognize the Gerrard Medical clinic. Loved the pre-CN tower photos.
I didn't know it was literally a red rocket too, that's awesome!
I wish we would return to cobble stone streets.
its a great way to see how toronto has evolved throughout the century, and its really fun to search the database and find out the history, and see some pictures of your house, school, street, etc.
or b.) go to the toronto archives building at spadina and dupont, but beware, you could spend an entire day there, its fascinating.
:)
I loved those Gloucester red subway cars and the red & cream buses. Even though the subway cars weren't flush with the platform, they were still really cool. Windows that opened, and pull-down handles.
Thanks for taking me back.
http://www.blogto.com/music/2007/04/get_on_the_bus_help_tell_the_shuffle_demons_story/
Here's a link to the Coxwell/Gerrard corner... indeed the houses are still there :)
http://tiny.cc/FHotR
I think you'd find it quite revealing--particularly
seeing some of the old buildings that are now gone.
Even phots of Parkdale in the '50s would show you
some beautiful stately homes with manicured lawns.
Quite the change from today!
http://ow.ly/1boVM
Trying to figure out the street based on the angle from pic #7
Ya gotta make this a regular article.
Except the windows on those old streetcars were a real bitch to open and close.
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/streetcar/4509.shtml
Loved the pictures. I remember seeing the final bit put on top of the CN Tower by a large helicopter.
I agree, Toronto was a better place to live during the 1970's and I am constantly going back to thoughts of the old neighbourhood in my mind. (South Riverdale) We used to sleep with our doors unlocked and we actually went outside to "play" from daylight to dark and rarely worried about strangers lurking in the dark.
I could go on for days about growing up in Toronto during the seventies and eighties that is for sure and due to my constant thoughts of retro Toronto, I've created a blog at indiedocfilmmaker.blogspot.com. It is very new so please bare with me while I get it up and running.
Thanks for the memoires and keep up the good work
That bus picture also brought back memories... makes me wonder why the exterior had to change so much. i understand making buses more accessible, efficient, etc. but that front end just... looks cooler! And the colours are so much more interesting than the current black/red/white scheme.
Do you remember the yellow police cars? That really set the city apart from others, although apparently there was a high lead content in the paint...
And one more detail... the Zenith sign, promoting "colour TV"!! Yes, i'm just old enough to remember b&w sets, although was lucky enough never to have one in our house (first on our block with that and the microwave oven)...
Yeah, it probably wasn't "better" but these images certainly tweak some strange nerve in this 40 year old brain...
peace
There weren't too many around, but mann, when it came, I remember it vividly as a 4-5 year old because it felt that different. It was louder, more shakier, cramped, the lights were round instead of 'Long', and I'm sure the lights went out when there was a gap in the 3rd rail.
I would always beg my mom to wait for the red one.
[url=http://www.electroniccigshop.com/kits/ ]buy cheap smokeless cigarettes [/url] (often called e-cigarettes and electric cigarettes)would be the most recent product or service about the marketplace. They're created to look and feel like real cigarettes, even right down to emitting synthetic smoke however they don't actually have any tobacco. End users inhale nicotine vapour which looks like smoke devoid of any with the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke which are hazardous on the smoker and some others about him.
The Ecigarette is made up of a nicotine cartridge that contains liquid nicotine. Every time a user inhales, a small battery driven atomizer turns a little level of liquid nicotine into vapour. Inhaling nicotine vapour offers the person a nicotine strike in seconds somewhat than minutes with patches or gum. Once the consumer inhales, a little LED mild with the suggestion with the electric cigarette glows orange to simulate a true cigarette.
The nicotine cartridges on their own come in numerous strengths. Most of the most important makes, such as the Gamucci ecigarette have complete power, fifty percent strength and nominal energy. This can be made for people today who desire to quit smoking. As they get used to employing the e-cigarette, they'll little by little reduce the strength they use until they stop.
The principle positive aspects e-cigarettes have above nicotine patches or gum is for starters, consumers hold the nicotine hit a great deal quicker and the second thing is, since a large motive why smokers fall short to quit suing patches and gum is since they however pass up the act of inhaling smoke from the cylindrical object. The e-cigarette emulates that even all the way down to the smoke.
The e-cigarette is likewise helpful from the economical point of view. A set of five nicotine cartridges prices all-around £8 and is equivalent to 500 cigarettes. Despite the fact that the initial investment decision of an e-cigarette package of £50 may seem steep at the beginning, end users spend less funds eventually.
As with numerous popular goods, there have already been a great number of low-priced Chinese imitations flooding the industry. They are normally 50 percent the price of a branded electronic cigarette and seem like the real point likewise. It is actually inadvisable to work with these since they haven't been matter into the similar rigorous screening the official e cigs have and will most likely be really detrimental into the user's health.
As e-cigs develop into increasingly more popular, they're increasingly applied to smoke in pubs and clubs having a smoking cigarettes ban. Electric cigarettes seem to be the next factor and may before long swap actual cigarettes in clubs.