why take a risk with your teeth?: bonus features

-
Before reading this post, check out the related Vintage Toronto Ad on Torontoist.

Vintage Ad #811: Doing Things Well

The ad that Dr. Risk ran in the Toronto Star from May 1899 to January 1900—this sample was taken from the May 20, 1899 edition.

Vintage Ad #813: New Boss for the Annual Offer

In January 1900, Dr. Risk left the firm (death? buyout? wanderlust?) and Dr. A. Rose took over. From the sound of this ad (taken from the January 20, 1900 edition of the Star) it appears there a few changes were made to the office—maybe Dr. Rose didn't like Dr. Risk's taste in furniture or equipment. Note how Dr. Rose holds the line on teeth prices in the face of the Great Teeth Price Surge of 1900.

Vintage Ad #814: The Mentha Dental Lady Still Smiles

From the November 16, 1901 edition of the Star, the latest ad I could find for the office. It had moved north around April 1901 to Yonge and Shuter, roughly where the entrance to the Eaton Centre parking garage is. McKendry's was a clothing store at Yonge and Albert streets that advertised "mourning millinery" among their wares. The lady is still beaming after two years of serving as the office's mascot—how much longer she smiled, I cannot say.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

past pieces of toronto: knob hill farms

-
Image
From November 2011 through July 2012 I wrote the "Past Pieces of Toronto" column for OpenFile , which explored elements of the city which no longer exist. I've republished all but two of those pieces on this website.  Here's the first of the final pair, both of which provided good lessons for future writing. Prepare yourself for a lengthy preamble.
Read more

big v: once upon a time, it was an amazing part of your life

-
Image
While dodging back alley drunks in downtown Kitchener a month ago, I noticed that the back door to a Shoppers Drug Mart bore the mark of its previous identity as part of the Big V pharmacy chain. Years of hearing their slogan "an amazing part of your life" have burned it into my brain, along with images of their comical crusading knight mascot, 25 cent cans of Coca-Cola and the free lunch cooler bags sometimes offered up with the latter. Big V was started in the mid-1960s by a group of Windsor pharmacists who joined together to pool their purchasing and marketing. Most locations were pharmacist-operated, with names reflecting the owners (DeRe, Pond's , Cornett), the neighbourhood (Seminole in Windsor) or town. The chain grew to 135 stores by the time it was purchased by Shoppers in 1995. Amherstburg's store was originally Haslehurst's Big V, then switched to the more generic "Amherstburg" by the time I started shopping there with my parents. Loc
Read more

past pieces of toronto: albert britnell book shop

-
Image
From November 2011 through July 2012 I wrote the "Past Pieces of Toronto" column for OpenFile, which explored elements of the city which no longer exist. The following was originally posted on December 2, 2011. The Starbucks at 675 Yonge Street isn’t your typical branch of the corporate coffee giant. The walls are lined with sturdy old wooden bookshelves while the floor is a checkerboard of black and white. Why this location is not like the others is hinted at on the façade. Look up to the second floor and you’ll notice a legendary name in Toronto bookselling: Albert Britnell. The quality of the literature on the shelves inside doesn’t always match the standards the Britnell family maintained for over a century of book retailing, but it’s a nod to the building’s past that comes in handy while waiting for a friend or first date. English native Albert Britnell entered the book trade by working in his brother John’s bookstore in London. Both brothers moved to C
Read more