Lot #730: Vintage 1900s Ontario Postcard - Old General Hospital Building, Gerrard Street, Toronto (demolished 1912) - "Valentine and Sons" - Printed in UK

One Vintage 1900s Ontario Canada Postcard, unused, showing "Main Building, General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada". This richly coloured postcard was issued by "Valentine and Sons Publishing Co. Montreal and Toronto" ("Famous Throughout the World") and was printed in Great Britain using high quality European inks and methods. This is a particularly significant piece of Toronto’s institutional history, capturing the Toronto General Hospital during its transition from the 19th-century "Gerrard Street" era to the modern medical hub we recognize today. This unique Valentine & Sons Postcard shows the Toronto General hospital’s second location on Gerrard Street East, built around 1854 and demolished in 1912. The Hospital "Main Building" depicted on this postcard featured the imposing, symmetrical Victorian design typical of mid-19th-century public institutions. This site was the heart of Toronto’s medical care until the hospital moved to its current "College Street" (University Avenue) location in 1913. During the time this card was printed (roughly 1905–1910), the hospital was under the leadership of Chairman Joseph Flavelle, who was instrumental in the modernization and eventual relocation of the facility. During the first decade of the 1900s, hospitals were considered proud civic landmarks, often appearing in "souvenir" sets alongside city halls and cathedrals. This postcard is a prime example of why Valentine & Sons dominated the high-end market. Because this card was "Printed in Great Britain," it likely uses a tinted halftone process, which allowed for the "richly coloured" sky and masonry while maintaining the sharp, photographic lines of the building’s windows and architectural ornaments. The "Divided Back" of this card means it was printed after the postal regulation change of 1903 (enforced more strictly in Canada after 1907), and the demolition of the building in 1912 means that this card was produced between 1907 and 1912. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}