Looking northwest along Victoria St from Queen St E towards the back of The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, originally Loew’s Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatre, in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto.
Built between 1912 and 1914, American theatre magnate Marcus Loew commissioned architects Thomas W. Lamb and Stanley Makepeace to create the impressive Edwardian-style double-decker theatres. This location served as the flagship for the Canadian theatre chain, originally showcasing vaudeville acts and silent films.
The recently restored ghost sign on the upper wall displays “Loew’s Leads in Toronto – Show Starts Daily 9:30 AM.” The theatres are unique, being the last of their architectural style in the world, and they hold the distinction of being a National Historic Site of Canada.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 189 Yonge St
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
