The faded grittiness of Toronto streets in the 1970s

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Ever noticed that photographs of Toronto from the 1970s tend to have a brown hue? Part of this has to do with faded film negatives, but it's more than that.

Thanks to the greater supply of old warehouse buildings and years upon years of burning coal as fuel, the city really was more brown back then. Throw in the curious preponderance of beige cars, and you have a distinct aesthetic that seems as distant as it is captivating.

Back in the 1950s, Toronto looked more orderly and less vibrant. The rise of neon signage took care of that with the cluttered beauty of the 1960s, which continued through the start of the 1970s with the addition of a bit of sleaze.

yonge street 1970s

Looking north up the Yonge St. corridor in 1972. Photo via the Toronto Archives.

The cars were big, the signs were big, and Toronto's appetite for growth was big. Many of the stained brick warehouses of the previous era started to come down to make way for the modern city that was about to come.

By the time the 90s rolled around, the city was transforming rapidly, and brown was mercifully a less popular colour for cars. Toronto's post-industrial period was already on the wane. Glass and steel buildings began to tower over the old brick and stone.

I don't think you'd call the Toronto of the 1970s a particularly beautiful place. Our historic buildings really do look much nicer now that they've been cleaned up.

Nevertheless, there is something almost painterly about these photos, a quality that captures a city on the brink of massive change but still tethered to its weathered past. The effect is fascinating.

Behold, the brown-tinged grittiness of Toronto streets in the 1970s.

toronto 1970s