Toronto Ghost Signs

Here's another confectioner who remained in business for several generations. Watson's were the original occupants of this building when it was built midway through the first decade of the twentieth century, and they remained at this location until the 1970's. They outlasted dozens of other businesses that set up shop in this block of office/factory space, including the National Kream Company, Columbia Graphophone, the Perfection Coal Company, the S O S Manufacturing Company of Canada, Aristocrat Leather Goods, the Flexo Manufacturing Company, and (my favourite) Mel's Bag Supply. ("My name's Mel, and this job is in the bag!")

The upper wall of 363 Sorauren has two separate "Robert Watson Co." signs on it; after that, they said to heck with it and just put a manufactured sign on the lower wall.

The Cannon Canadian sign on the wall of 361 Sorauren dates to the 1920's. The British Canadian Brushes sign underneath it looks newer, but I haven't been able to find any reference to a firm by that name. It must have been a brand produced by one of the zillions of firms that the Watsons outlasted.