Kodachrome slides, technicolor screens

The above Kodachrome slide (taken in 1987 by Alfred Holden) shows the terrazzo of the Danforth’s Roxy Theatre — originally known as the Allenby when it was built by Kaplan & Sprachman in 1935. Many Toronto theatres were captured in Kodachrome, some of the best residing at the City of Toronto Archives in the F. Ellis Wiley Fonds. Toronto has long held an interesting relationship with Kodachrome, something I examine in today’s Toronto Star. Astrid Idlewild, a McGill University urban planning student, has launched Kodachrome Toronto 1935-2010, a Masters project aimed at examining Toronto’s urban and cultural development through the warm … Continue reading Kodachrome slides, technicolor screens

Neon lights on Montreal’s rue Ste-Catherine

A quick break to visit our neighbours in la belle province: this Kodachrome postcard from 1952 shows the south side of Montreal’s rue Ste-Catherine in all its post-war, neon-lit glory. In the distance you can see the Loew’s, Capitol and Palace Theatres. Source: Silent Toronto Archives; postcard printed by the Photogelatine Engraving Co. Ltd., Toronto. Continue reading Neon lights on Montreal’s rue Ste-Catherine