Then-and-Now: 10 Intersections in Toronto

March 5, 2018 | David

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Overlapping pictures of historic and modern day Bay Street and Queens Quay west

What do you get when you combine Toronto Public Library's Digital Archive with Google Street View? Answer: amazing then-and-now photos of Toronto.

While you can adjust the date of some images in Google Street View, the dates only go back to when Google first launched its fleet of camera-hatted cars. If you want to see what a Toronto street looked like in the 19th or 20th century, try searching the Digital Archive.

Below are ten then-and-now images of intersections across Toronto. These images can also be found in an interactive screen as part of Toronto Revealed, the current exhibit at the TD Gallery (more info at the end of this post).

 

1. Yonge Street and King Street, looking south (1872 and 2017)

Yonge and King with dirt road
Modern day Yonge and King from Google Streetview

 

2. Princess Street and The Esplanade, looking north (1907 and 2017)

Princess Street and The Esplanade with trains and dirt
Princess Street and The Esplanade in Google Streetview

 

3. Front Street West and York Street, looking south east at Union Station (1922 and 2017)

Old image of Front Street West and York Street with the a streetcar
Modern day Front Street West and York Street in Google Streetview

 

4. Gerrard Street, looking east at Broadview Avenue (1984 and 2017)

Old image of Gerrard Street, looking east at Broadview Avenue
Google Streetview image of Gerrard Street, looking east at Broadview Avenue

 

5. Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, looking at the northeast corner (1981 and 2016)

Old image of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, looking at the northeast corner
Google Streetview of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, looking at the northeast corner

 

6. Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street East, looking north (1972 and 2017)

Old photo of Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street East
Google Streetview of Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street East

 

7. Bay Street and Queen’s Quay West, looking north (1928 and 2017)

Old photo of Bay Street and Queen’s Quay West
Google Streetview of Bay Street and Queen’s Quay West

 

8. Weston Road and Lambton Avenue, looking northwest (1953 and 2017)

Old photo of Weston Road and Lambton Avenue
Google Streetview of Weston Road and Lambton Avenue

 

9. Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue, looking north (1970 and 2017)

Old photo of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue
Google Streetview of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue

 

10. St. Clair Avenue East and Kennedy Road, looking west (1956 and 2016)

Old photo of St. Clair Avenue East and Kennedy Road
Google streetview of St. Clair Avenue East and Kennedy Road


 

Toronto Revealed logo and copy that reads Toronto Revealed  illuminating views of our city streets

Visit the current exhibit Toronto Revealed in the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street, main floor). Free admission. 

February 10 - April 22, 2018

Hours

Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30 - 5 p.m.

Tours

Free guided tours every Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Download our audio tour anytime with the free GuidiGO app (on iOS or Android).

Program

Toronto Revealed: Documenting Hidden Toronto: Monday, March 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Digital Archive

Toronto Public Library has digitized all artwork in this exhibit. View them in the Digital Archive.

 

Image of a screen in the gallery with an interactive before and after image of a city view

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