Sunken Gardens
 

Hi yes there were indeed two. What I just learned is that the one in front of McMaster was actually on Royal Botanical land that was sold to McMaster to build that monstrosity (although I guess it is doing it's job) called a children's hospital. Sometimes progress is not the best thing.

The one on York Blvd was built as part of a beautification project started by Thomas McQuestern who led the charge to beautify the western entrance to the city. Apparently it was truly ugly as there were shanties and gas stations and NO ROCK GARDEN AT ALL. If you look at the picture from the airplane you can see how truly ugly it was. Although the work had been started and the Sunken Garden was in place the sheer desolation of the area this side of the traffic circle has to make you admire the engineers who managd to link the two areas, Burlington and Hamilton.

http://www.thekingshighway.ca/PHOTOS-3/hwy2-193_lg.jpg

Here is a pretty good website describing this.

http://www.hamiltonmagazine.com/site...Royal%20Garden

Cheers

McMaster sunken gardens

http://www.hamiltonpostcards.com/ima...rk42Layer1.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...07489486_o.jpg

Amazing image collection
 

Hi all here is a site you all must check out.

Here is an example:

http://static.torontopubliclibrary.c..._pic-r-857.jpg

http://static.torontopubliclibrary.c...LC/pcr-709.jpg

http://static.torontopubliclibrary.c..._pic-r-854.jpg

239 amazing images: http://www.virtualreferencelibrary.c...=vrl&view=grid

Cheers

9
https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.ne...95287147_n.jpg

"Shacktown" on the "Dundas marsh" side.

Hi Captain some great pics you manage to find. I am presently searching for a couple of things. One an old map of Hamilton although I have found one from 1959 and was surprised to see that Longwood Road was one of the main roads leading into that old traffic circle. I was only 9 at the time and my family never had a car so I don't remember driving this route at all. Below is a link to the map

http://www.mappery.com/maps/1959-Tra...Harbor-Map.jpg

Secondly I was an avid golfer and always lamented the loss of the old Beddoe course. I remember very vaguely caddying once on the old Beddoe but since it was my first time on a golf course I don't remember too much of it. The thing I think we all remember is that super deep gorge on the 18th hole that spilled over into the first and then to the fourth. What I am searching for (and have been for decades) is an old scorecard and pictures of the old course.

Now there's a challenge for you :)

Cheers and thanks

The Amazing Interent Resources
 

Simply amazing ...

http://www.map.hamilton.ca/Static/PD...Day2007_RP.pdf

http://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/airphotos/1950.htm

This is the one we are interested in for now.

http://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/airp..._A12562-53.htm

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7376/giq4.png

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/9786/motr.png

And lastly Chedoke Golf Course from the air 1954-55

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3427/bsx2.png

Sometimes I forget what an amazing tool the internet is ! :)

Cheers

Before The Beddoe
 

Hi all ...

Here is an image from 1934 - 8 years before the construction of The Beddoe Golf course. I don't suppose too many remember that but I remember hearing some of the older members talk about how the clubhouse was on the Martin very close to Aberdeen and where the new fourth hole is ... and now we have the visual.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7036/emir.png

Now all we need is that scorecard ...

Cheers

Now The Gore From John Street
 

http://playingintheworldgame.files.w.../hamilton1.jpg

and same corner today ...

http://playingintheworldgame.files.w...pg?w=538&h=288

and the website: http://playingintheworldgame.wordpre...ilton-ontario/

cheers

.

The Lyric Theatre and later The Century gone forever.
 

Hi all read this article if you can. It is bound to make you cry ...

http://rjbuffalo.com/programs_and_th...erior_1914.jpg
Above is the only known surviving photo of the interior of the original Lyric Theatre, published in The Hamilton Spectator on 3 January 1914. The original caption read: “AN EXPECTANT AUDIENCE. NEW YEAR’S DAY PERFORMANCE OF NOODLES KING OF THE NEWSBOYS IN AID OF LOCAL ORPHANS.” It seems that the Lyric wished to ring in the new year with visual evidence of a full house, to demonstrate its continued popularity despite business raids by hostile competitors. This photograph, poorly printed in half-tone in a local newspaper, and then poorly microfilmed, battered, and finally copied on a standard-quality photostatic machine, reveals precious few details. We can see how large the place is. We can see the locations of the sconces and ceiling lights. We can catch glimpses of the box seats, which appear to be three on each side at the balcony level, though we know that there were actually a total of eight. They appear to be as elaborate as all of Leon Lempert’s beautiful box seats in other theatres. We can see where the two stairways emerge upon the middle of the balcony, to a walkway that separates the upper balcony from the lower balcony. It is impossible to tell if there are windows at the back of the balcony. If there were, they would have been covered by heavy draperies during a show. One would not guess from this photograph that the Lyric was capable of showing movies, but the press releases quoted above tell us without question that there was indeed a projection booth, segregated from the auditorium. So where is it? It’s behind the stage, amidst the dressing rooms. All movies at the Lyric were rear-projected!

http://rjbuffalo.com/lyric_theatre_h...n_ontario.html

Honestly make sure you have a box of Kleenex with you. Anyone who had ever been to The Century will not be left dry eyed. God how I hate progress sometimes ...

Angled parking would be an interesting idea today. :cool:

Wow, it's really neat seeing these photos of the Longwood/Aberdeen area prior to the Chedoke Expressway being built.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...23754002_n.jpghttps://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...79_n.jpg?lvh=1https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...48624077_n.jpghttps://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...68370290_n.jpghttps://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...53862850_n.jpghttps://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...50330952_n.jpghttps://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...54659013_n.jpghttps://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...11706474_n.jpg



1957

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...14627785_n.jpg


https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...28010962_n.jpg

Wow a lot of memories in those photos. Center Mall, I had almost forgotten about Morgan's at The Center, Woolworth's and Kresge's. A couple of things to notice for those who don't remember or were not around at the time. The thing I remember vividly is that all the stores had an awning which came out and covered the sidewalk and I remember Kresge's as that is where I bought my first '45 record. As you look at the picture the record department was in the back right corner of the store. Oh and the 45 ? It was Johnny Cash singing Ballad of A Teenage Queen - the date was 1957 - the price was 77 cents ... I still have it !

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...68370290_n.jpg

And look at how full of life the downtown area was ... I wonder if we will ever see and get these feelings again.

So to all those small towns and villages out there please listen to me. DON'T EVER GROW UP !!!!

PS: After reading the stories of The Century and The Tivoli I went on a Google trip down Main and King in the downtown core from Wellington to James and was driven to tears when I thought of how it used to be. Both the Century and The Tivoli are now just vacant lots. No one has even bothered to build anything on them their destruction was for absolutely nothing. God Hamilton should be so ashamed ...

Cheers

Tivoli is alive http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=155816

Wow, just when I thought I'd seen all the old hamilton photos in existence :-)

If anyone can find pix of john north between king and the fire station I'd love to see them!

Hi Captain. I wish it were so. That is an old article ... here is The Tivoli today ... The Ballet company could not save it.

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/6682/01dw.png

and I guess I might as well post The Century aka The Lyric as well ...

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/5092/mwk1.jpg

Tears

The lobby of The Tivoli ...

http://www.ghostwalks.com/album/imag...atre-lobby.jpg

and how beautiful was this ...

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/ph...nside-8col.jpg

http://torontoist.com/wp-content/upl...i-hamilton.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4146/5...74e0f120_z.jpg

and the end ...

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/features/...e/DSC_9859.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PHQzNnFWts...0/DCP_1470.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3243/3...0c71bb36_z.jpg

More tears ...

.

More "Lyric"
 

Some images from this site: http://www.flickr.com/groups/hamilto...7623047979793/

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/...9e53e00461.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/...449b91efba.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/...5aa72b3f64.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/...a061c267b4.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/...c922ecb9dc.jpg

http://urbexbarrie.blogspot.ca/2007/...iccentury.html

Then and now ..
 

A website I think by The CBC showing the great buildings that Hamilton has demolished and what has been built in their place. If this is progress I am getting off the train.

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/features/...ltons-history/

no tears left ...

Ahatmose, that red brick building at the back of the lot IS the Tivoli. Only the lobby collapsed, the theatre is still there.

Well thanks for that bit of good news. I mean this is where I stood in line for what seemed like forever in order to be the first to see ... the first Star Trek movie. If fact I think Paint Your Wagon and How The West Was Run played there as well ... and I am sure I saw Aladdin there with my then 5 year old daughter ...

Apparently the article below was dated in March of 2013. Is there any further updates ?

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/25...ivoli-theatre/

Cheers

.

Yes, check the last couple of pages in the Tivoli thread that I linked to a few posts back.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...46978900_n.jpg


21 John St. N., 1968. Note the little awning "BLUE GROTTO"?
https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...16120436_n.jpg


1971, note alley beside Treble Hall
https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...82971387_n.jpg

My god Bob Moodys ... that is where I bought my first guitar around 1976 I think ... Wow nice to have the memories coming back.

Cheers

Wow great picture. You can see The Sunken Garden quite clearly in this one. And look at that traffic ! Where do you find 'em :)

Anyway I went looking for the Orphanage in Hamilton on Google and could not seem to find it. I have terrible memories of my father taking us there the day after Halloween and giving the orphans half of our haul. That's not what distressed me though ... it was the the look of utter despair on their faces and ... well maybe I could see something else that will not be gone into here. Regardless I have never forgotten it.

Meanwhile was that depressing building finally torn down ? Surprisingly I have been unable to locate a single image of it.

Best

.

Is this it by any chance?

http://static.torontopubliclibrary.c..._pic-r-877.jpg

Seems to me it was much larger but it was set way back from Main Street and was very hard to see from the road. My recollection of when I was about 8 or 9 are not that clear anymore. but yes I when to Google and turned back the clock and yes there is a large space where it should have been. The brown spot is not there when you use street view as it has already been built up

Here is a Google image. It is where the big brown area is just two blocks east of Victoria park

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/6395/1qyf.jpg

Best

The old one I posted was at the foot of Wellington St. S. and demolished in 1959

here are more pics of it http://henleyshamilton1.wordpress.co...-street-south/

What a great shot. This one makes the topography look a bit flat... I love that it captures a train too.

It could be just me but the Sunken Garden really looks like it is sunken. The road seems to be much higher than it is today ... anybody else see this ?

Cheers

That area's almost unrecognisable today - infill, landscaping, the expressway.

Love Shacktown!

That site was the location of the Loretto Academy. I believe it was a private Catholic high school, not really an orphanage. Evelyn Dick was a student there for a brief period.

Here is an engraving from 1893:
http://i42.tinypic.com/2je9vyd.jpg

There were later additions as discussed here:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_...HA2000/Lei.pdf


It was torn down in 1971 and sat empty until recently becoming the site of 2 apartment buildings and a women's shelter run by the Good Shepherd Centre.

Hi Palace1

Not to be argumentative but I know that in about 1957 through probably 1961 we visited there once a year after Halloween and trust me it was indeed a boy's orphanage. It must have been both at one time.

Cheers

Well then you will love this one., I have never seen this image or anything like it before. I make this trip every week now when I pick my daughter up at Guelph and bring her home. Sure looks a bit different now.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/387/d8ke.jpg

Postcard Clappison Cut Hamilton Ontario Canada ca. 1925

Cheers

Very weird ... you appear to be correct but I remember it as a dark almost black building . Weird ... And I remember only men ... no women ...

http://historicalhamilton.com/strath...retto-academy/

http://www.classmates.com/places/sch...-Academy/31324

Ahatmose,

There was an orphanage at the NW corner of King and Queen, part of the building is still there. I think it was St Josephs or something like that.

Yes it was definitely called St. Joseph's. As I remember it sat well back of King St. Strange that I am unable to locate even one image of it or any history of it on the internet.

Cheers

.

Re Clappison

I wonder if the Cut was quite new at the time of that postcard. You can also see Old Guelph Road (probably just Guelph Road at that time) winding its way up the escarpment.

http://henleyshamilton1.wordpress.co...eing-cut-1924/


http://henleyshamilton1.files.wordpr...2/07/1-1db.jpg
http://henleyshamilton1.files.wordpr...2/07/1-1dd.jpg
http://henleyshamilton1.files.wordpr...2/07/1-1dc.jpg



1952

http://henleyshamilton1.files.wordpr.../02/1952-4.jpg

Just a neat old picture: But the snow ... BRRRRRRR
 

Wonder if people back then were grumbling "damn those trolleys and their own right-of-way!" :)

With the steep embankments, narrow road width, and flimsy barriers that were probably just cables strung between those posts, this must have been a hairy drive (especially in bad weather). Heck, it was hairy up until the last rebuild, and still is at times.

Nice find though. The construction pics posted today are great too.

The "war on horses" must have been horrible. ;)

Great find. Corner of King and James looking west. From left to right: Bank of Hamilton; Hamilton Herald (don't know how they ever printed papers in that building - perhaps they didn't); and the Traders Bank.

Wicked photos. Cheers for posting.

A Possible Treasure Trove
 

Hi all ...

In my now obsessive quest to find old images of Hamilton, specifically a clearer image of The Lyric Theater in Hamilton I happened onto this site. I am sure they are all copyrighted so I will just post the link to the page. I have not even started to look through these yet but please enjoy along with me.

Not sure if this page has already been posted or not.

http://preview.hpl.ca:8080/Sites/

On the page at the top left just type in Hamilton in the search bar.

Cheers

Ferguson and Foster
 

Hi all just wondering what this building used to be ...

http://imageshack.com/a/img203/3026/cals.png

A water pumping station servicing most of lower central/west hamilton. They just built a new one behind it.