RSS

This is what Toronto looked like at night from the 1910s to the 1980s

Photos of Toronto at night have a cinematic quality that's both eerie and beautiful all at once. While the collection of nighttime photos that pre-date the 1960s isn't so robust, the ones that we do have to marvel at reveal a city that's both mysterious and alluring.

The old streetlights and neon signs might have been less efficient, but boy did they ever look majestic cutting through the blackness. Let's not forget the tungsten-lit movie theatre marquees and widening beams of streetcar headlights in the fog. 

Behold, the sublime beauty of Toronto at night.

20111026-Night-1910-Auditorium_Theatre_in_Toronto.jpg

The Auditorium Theatre Toronto (382 Queen Street West) in 1910.

20111026-Night-1910-ComiqueTheatre.jpg

The Comique Theatre (Yonge south of Dundas) in 1910.

20111026-hydro-electric-1911-f1244_it0323l.jpg

Toronto celebrates Hydro Electricity at Old City Hall in 1911.

20111026-old-city-hall-1919-s0372_ss0041_it0097.jpg

Wow. Old City Hall in 1919.

20111026-376-dupont-1923.jpg

376 Dupont in 1923.

20111026-cne-ferris-1924-f1244_it2017a.jpg

CNE Ferris wheels in 1924.

20111026-sunnyside-night-1925-f1266_it5170.jpg

Sunnyside at night in 1925.

20111026-Night-1928-Concession_stand_at_Hanlans_Point.jpg

Hanlan's Point concession stand in 1928.

20111026-whitney-block-night-1929.jpg

Whitney Block at night in 1929.

20111026-stclair-christie-night-1933.jpg

St. Clair approaching Christie in 1933.

20111026-davenport-garage-ttc-night-1934-s0071_it10486.jpg

Davenport TTC garage in 1934.

20111026-night-coach-terminal-1935.jpg

The Toronto Coach Terminal in 1935.

20111026-midtown-bloor-night-1941.jpg

Midtown Theatre (now the Bloor Cinema) in 1941.

20111026-snow-blower-night-1943.jpg

Snow blower in 1943.

201110-university-night-lighting-1945.jpg

University Avenue gets streetlights in 1943.

20111026-midway-cne-night-1952-f1257_s1057_it5687.jpg

CNE midway at night in 1952.

20111026-clubonetwo-night-1952.jpg

Club One Two in 1952.

20111026-night-bbq-1957.jpg

Yikes. Check out the apron. Barbecuing in 1957.

20111026-arch-cne-night-1950s-f1257_s1057_it5686.jpg

CNE arch in the late 1950s.

2011222-BloorSoYoungSoBad.jpg

So Young, So Bad at the Midtown (now the Bloor) in the late 1950s — image via Silent Toronto.

20111026-glenholme-stclair-1958-s0372_ss0100_it0691.jpg

Glenhome and St. Clair in 1958.

20111026-okeefe-wide-2-f1257_s1057_it0815.jpg

The O'Keefe Centre opens in 1960.

20111026-eglinton-1962-s0648_fl0118_id0003.jpg

Eglinton and Yonge from above in 1962.

20111026-city-hall-night-1965.jpg

Stunning. Opening week at New City Hall in 1965.

toronto 1960s

Postcard view of New City Hall in 1965.

toronto 1960s

Aeroquay One was considered one of the nicest airport terminals in the world when it opened in 1964. This view dates from shortly thereafter.

toronto 1960s

The towering Odeon Theatre sign on Carlton near Yonge. Photo by Robert D. McMann via John Bromley's Archives.

toronto 1960s

This anonymous intersection is actually Bloor and Dundas back in the 1960s.

toronto 1960s

The Sutton Place Hotel was the lap of luxury when it opened in 1967.

toronto 1960s

A streetcar entering the Queensway from Queen/King/Roncesvalles. Love that CIBC sign. Photo by John Bromley.

The Regency Towers Hotel on Avenue Rd. (now a crappy Howard Johnson).

toronto 1960s

The Glendale Theatre on Avenue Rd. north of Lawrence in 1968.

toronto 1960s

Looking north from Dundas to Gould St. On the right is the Biltmore Theatre in the 1970s.

toronto 1970s

The Rio and Sam the Chinese Food Man on a much seedier Yonge St. strip.

toronto 1970s

A&A Records and Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum in 1982 (the year Dire Straits released "Love over Gold."

toronto 1970s

The Wintergarden Theatre and Diana Sweets further south on Yonge St.

toronto 1970s

Elm St. just west of Yonge. You can bet the interior of Barberian's Steakhouse (left side) looked pretty much the same back then.

toronto 1970s

A lost Toronto tradition. Chess games outside Sam the Record Man on Gould St.

toronto 1980s

The marquee at the Royal Alex Theatre in the 1980s.

toronto 1980s

A perfectly moody looking Dundas West between Beverley and Spadina in the early 1980s.




  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

0 comments:

Post a Comment