Looking southeast along Queen St W towards Triller Ave in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo features the Parkdale Theatre, once at 1605 Queen St W. Built between 1919 and 1920, the theatre was designed by Detroit-based architect Charles Howard Crane for brothers Jule and Jay Allen. This luxurious movie palace opened its doors in April 1920 and featured 1,500 leather seats, gilded details, crystal chandeliers, and a decorative plaster ceiling. The Parkdale Theatre closed in 1970 and was repurposed as commercial space.
In 2020, the heritage-designated building was converted into a multi-use event venue called The Parkdale Hall, which features a beautifully restored ceiling.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Apr 1, 1920, pg 29
- The Parkdale Hall: About Us
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
