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  1. City of Toronto Archives
  2. Larry Becker collection
  3. Larry Becker photographs
  4. Larry Becker "Original photos of Toronto"
  5. Photographs of Old Fort York

Photographs of Old Fort York

file[ca. 1899]-[ca. 1902]Fonds 70 > Series 327 > Subseries 1 > File 5

7 of 7 descriptions below digitizedOpen enclosing description at source ↗

This description was harvested from its parent's finding aid, but the source catalogue gave no direct link for it. The link opens the nearest enclosing description; look there for Fonds 70 > Series 327 > Subseries 1 > File 5.

Where

Toronto StCorrect the locationNearby on the big map
Held by
City of Toronto Archives via City of Toronto Archives
Dates
[ca. 1899]-[ca. 1902] (indexed as 1899–1902)
Level
file
Extent
8 photographs : b&w ; 12 x 17 cm ; mounted on board 18 x 23 cm
Scope & content
File consists of eight photographs taken by an unidentified photographer around 1899 of what was then known as “The Old Fort.” Labelled by Larry Becker as “rare historical” photographs, these images show Fort York as it was during the Boer War when it was entering a long period of decline that would only be halted during Toronto’s Centennial Celebrations of 1934 and more recent restorations. Becker also noted that several photographs show the "elevated stone roadway" where the Toronto Street Railway Company wanted to build a streetcar line to the Industrial Exhibition site (now Exhibition Place). This proposal, which would have destroyed the Fort York site, was rejected by the City after "considerable pressure" from the York Pioneers Historical Society.Becker’s photographs depict visitors and personnel associated with the Fort, as well as equipment and buildings that existed long before the Gardiner Expressway was built. Some of the buildings have been restored; others have disappeared. The eight views include: (1) the western entrance to the Fort with the 1899 historic plaque donated by the York Pioneers; (2) the brick magazine; (3) D barracks (aka Rebellion Barracks of 1838) flanked by two other buildings; (4) east end of officers barracks, with a winter porch and much-decorated old soldier posing outside; (5) closer view of D barracks; (6) stone powder magazine surrounded by fence, with D barracks and officers’ quarters in mid-distance, and Harris abbatoir in the far distance; (7) dilapidated 1838 cookhouse shortly before it was demolished around 1902; and (8) unidentified men posing outside the ramparts of the Fort with cannon, cannon wagon, cannon sled, and an ambulance that may have been sold as "left over" equipment.
Location
  • Toronto St · street · confidence 50% · street · found as “Toronto Street”
Correct the location
Subjects
Fort York (Toronto, Ont.); ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL; VETERANS
Harvested
2026-10-16T15:58:55Z · source datestamp n/a · toronto
Original metadata as harvested (toronto)