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A sunny late afternoon finds TTC PCC 4468 (an A7-class car built new for the TTC in 1949) heading westbound along Queen Street near Soho Street, passing some of the small shops and Victorian-era storefronts lining the downtown street. 
About Books is just one example of the ever-present secondhand book stores that used to (and still do) dot parts of Toronto, where you could find anything from classic literature such as The Big Sleep, A Clockwork Orange, MacBeth, and Murder on the Orient Express to more modern offerings such as movie novelizations, romantic novels, and dime-store thrillers (and sometimes university texts for one's English literature courses).

Today this store front is occupied by a woman's fashion boutique, a reflection of the gentrification that part of Toronto has gone through a stone's throw away from trendy "West Queen West" - full of chic fashion retailers, sidewalk patio restaurants and cafes, coffee houses and Yoga studios that the young working professionals who live in the area frequent.

Robert D. McMann photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection.
Copyright Notice: This image ©Robert D. McMann photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. all rights reserved.



Caption: A sunny late afternoon finds TTC PCC 4468 (an A7-class car built new for the TTC in 1949) heading westbound along Queen Street near Soho Street, passing some of the small shops and Victorian-era storefronts lining the downtown street.

About Books is just one example of the ever-present secondhand book stores that used to (and still do) dot parts of Toronto, where you could find anything from classic literature such as The Big Sleep, A Clockwork Orange, MacBeth, and Murder on the Orient Express to more modern offerings such as movie novelizations, romantic novels, and dime-store thrillers (and sometimes university texts for one's English literature courses).

Today this store front is occupied by a woman's fashion boutique, a reflection of the gentrification that part of Toronto has gone through a stone's throw away from trendy "West Queen West" - full of chic fashion retailers, sidewalk patio restaurants and cafes, coffee houses and Yoga studios that the young working professionals who live in the area frequent.

Robert D. McMann photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection.

Photographer:
Robert D. McMann photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. [992] (more) (contact)
Date: 09/16/1979 (search)
Railway: Toronto Transit Commission (search)
Reporting Marks: TTC 4468 (search)
Train Symbol: Queen (ebnd to Humber Loop) (search)
Subdivision/SNS: Dufferin St. and Soho St. (search)
City/Town: Toronto (search)
Province: Ontario (search)
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Photo ID: 32402

Map courtesy of Open Street Map

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4 Comments
  1. Beautiful historical image!!! Glad you posted it.

  2. And we can see the obligatory “arms out the windows” for everyone. Or elbows.

    Can’t do this on the Flexity Outlooks, that’s for sure.

  3. The picture isn’t terribly old but look at the visible skyline – the Canada Life building and the Old City Hall clock tower dominate. I’m sure they wouldn’t even be seen in a picture taken today.

  4. How about a timeline shot along Queen West full of big box, high fashion and coffee shops? Unfortunately the book stores and other Mom and Pops days are numbered. Nice shot of the good ol days.

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