Old Photographs of Toronto Corner Stores and Intersections (1900-1982)

December 13, 2018 Joel Levy History, The City

Exploring historical archives often reveals astonishing insights into our city’s rich heritage. The Toronto Photo Archives and the Toronto Public Library Archives offer a fascinating glimpse into the past with their collections of vintage photographs dating back to the 1800s. This treasure trove of images has allowed us to compare Toronto’s busy street corners and corner stores of yesteryear with their present-day counterparts.

I often spend several hours diving into the archives, unearthing a variety of captivating images that chronicle the city’s evolution over the decades. As anticipated, the archives yielded an impressive selection of photographs, illustrating Toronto’s dynamic history through its street scenes and commercial hubs.

Here’s a curated collection of these vintage photographs from 1900 until 1982, providing an opportunity to compare historic Toronto corner stores and intersections with its modern-day streetscape using Google Street View:

1900 - Bay and Wellington — 1900 – Bay and Wellington

1910 - Bay and Adelaide - Looking NE — 1910 – Bay and Adelaide – Looking NE

1910 - NW Corner Adelaide and Bay — 1910 – NW Corner Adelaide and Bay

1913 - Yonge and Richmond — 1913 – Yonge and Richmond

1919 - King and Bathurst - Piano factory — 1919 – King and Bathurst – Piano factory

1919 - Yonge and Shuter NE corner — 1919 – Yonge and Shuter NE corner

1920 - Avenue RD and Bloor — 1920 – Avenue RD and Bloor

1922 - SW Corner Dundas and Pacific Ave. — 1922 – SW Corner Dundas and Pacific Ave.

1925 - Front and York — 1925 – Front and York

1927 - Kingston Rd and Birchcliff — 1927 – Kingston Rd and Birchcliff

1930 - SW Corner Davenport and Dupont — 1930 – SW Corner Davenport and Dupont

1930? - Queen and Yonge — 1930? – Queen and Yonge

1931 - NE Corner Spadina and College — 1931 – NE Corner Spadina and College

1937 - NE Corner Broadview and Queen — 1937 – NE Corner Broadview and Queen

1950? - Brock and Muir — 1950? – Brock and Muir

1956 - Eglinton and Laird — 1956 – Eglinton Ave East and Sutherland Drive

1959 - Avenue and Davenport — 1959 – Avenue and Davenport

1959 - Yonge and Adelaide — 1959 – Yonge and Adelaide

1960? - Corner Store in Residential Neighbourhood — 1960? – Corner Store in Residential Neighbourhood

1967 - Dempsey Brothers Store - Yonge and Sheppard — 1967 – Dempsey Brothers Store – Yonge and Sheppard

1967 - Lawrence and Weston Road — 1967 – Lawrence and Weston Road

1967? - Yonge and Mill St - York Mills Skating Rink — 1967? – Yonge and Mill St – York Mills Skating Rink

1968 - NW corner Jane and Lawrence — 1968 – NW corner Jane and Lawrence

1969 - Bay and Bloor SE Corner — 1969 – Bay and Bloor SE Corner

1972 - Bay and Dundas — 1972 – Bay and Dundas

1972 - Bay and Gerrard. — 1972 – Bay and Gerrard.

1972 - Bay and Hayter — 1972 – Bay and Hayter

1972 - Bay and Piper — 1972 – Bay and Piper

1972 - Bay and wilton — 1972 – Bay and wilton

1972 - Bloor and Balmuto — 1972 – Bloor and Balmuto

1972 - Bloor and Jarvis looking SW — 1972 – Bloor and Jarvis looking SW

1972 - Church and Carlton — 1972 – Church and Carlton

1972 - Dundas and McCaul — 1972 – Dundas and McCaul

1972 - Dundas and Seaton — 1972 – Dundas and Seaton

1972 - Dundas and Victoria — 1972 – Dundas and Victoria

1972 - Dundas and Victoria copy — 1972 – Dundas and Victoria copy

1972 - Elizabeth and Gerrard — 1972 – Elizabeth and Gerrard

1972 - Jarvis and King — 1972 – Jarvis and King

1972 - Jarvis and Mt Pleasant — 1972 – Jarvis and Mt Pleasant

1972 - King and Frederick — 1972 – King and Frederick

1972 - Parliament and Front — 1972 – Parliament and Front

1972 - Spadina and Adelaide — 1972 – Spadina and Adelaide

1972 - Spadina and College looking NE — 1972 – Spadina and College looking NE

1972 - Spadina and College looking south west — 1972 – Spadina and College looking south west

1972 - Spadina and Front — 1972 – Spadina and Front

1972 - SPadina and Harbord — 1972 – SPadina and Harbord

1972 - Spadina and Harbord copy — 1972 – Spadina and Harbord copy

1972 - Spadina and Queen — 1972 – Spadina and Queen

1975 - Church and Richmond — 1975 – Church and Richmond

1977 - Ontario and Dundas East — 1977 – Ontario and Dundas East

1980s - Site of CBC building John and Front — 1980s – Site of CBC building John and Front

1982 - NW Corner Yonge and Temperance — 1982 – NW Corner Yonge and Temperance

For those eager to explore further, the Toronto Photo Archives and the Toronto Public Library Archives are invaluable resources. You can visit their websites to dive deeper into Toronto’s visual history.

If you are interested in checking out some images on the archives, visit their website here.

Rediscover Toronto, one photograph at a time.

About Joel Levy 2649 Articles

Publisher at Toronto Guardian. Photographer and Writer for Toronto Guardian and Joel Levy Photography

Old Photographs of Toronto Corner Stores and Intersections (1900-1982)

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