This photo, taken outside the Sears Warehouse in Toronto in 1980, brings to mind the song “Working Man” by Rush and the wonderful work of American photographer Harry Callahan.
The Sears Warehouse, located near Church and Dundas, was converted into lofts in the late 1990s and is now called the Merchandise Building. The original building was built in various stages from 1910 to 1949 for the Simpson’s department store, and was later owned by Sears Canada. It is an example of the Chicago School style of architecture.
Recently I took a trip to Toronto, a city which I love, and lived in from 1980-1986, and then again from 1993-2005. Nova Scotia is my home now, but I always enjoy visiting the place where I attended university, made friends, got married, had a family, and did a lot of photography.
The purpose of my visit was to deliver photos to The City of Toronto Archives. I’m honoured that there will be a permanent collection of my photos there. It is deeply satisfying that these photos, taken rather randomly in the 1980s and 1990s, will live on and be a part of Toronto’s rich history. (Check out the Ellis Wiley collection if you have a chance.) By randomly, I only mean that at the time I did not intend to document the city in any particular way; only photograph scenes that caught my eye. It will take several months for the photos (700 digital images) to be catalogued, and at the end of it I hope to have an exhibition at the Archives.
During my stay in Toronto, I had a chance to get out and walk around with my camera, just like in the old days. I’m posting black and white photos here because that is what I mainly shot in the 1980s. There have been so many changes in the city over the past several years, yet so many places and aspects of Toronto remain the same. It was a pleasure to explore the city once again with fresh eyes.
Sometimes certain photos seem to be suspended in time. This one was taken in Toronto in 1980, though it almost looks as if it could be have been from decades earlier, say the 1920s, or 1930s. One thing is for sure, you won’t find this kind of scene in Toronto these days, unless it is on a film set.
I try to put some pizzaz into my photos from time to time. This self portrait from 1980 does that quite literally. If you listen carefully to this photo, you can hear my stomach rumbling, anticipating a tasty pizza slice.
My personal favourite spot for a pizza slice was “John’s New York Pizza and Spaghetti Palace” at Danforth and Greenwood. I lived just around the corner, and went there often. (It disappeared quite suddenly in 2004.) After that it was Vesuvio’s, Pizza Gigi, Bitondo’s, and The Big Slice. I’m starting to get hungry!
Taken in the fall of 1980 on Parliament Street, Toronto, the photo shows three men talking in the doorway of a men’s clothing shop. The sign reads Canadian-made dress shoes: $29.95. This photo is previously unpublished.
