B. A. Pennock
Toronto Daily Star, June 8 1935
This ad caught my attention because of Mr. Pennock's somewhat dour expression and because his firm used lead in their paint. Lead paint is now known to be toxic; Canada and the United States have banned or strictly limited the use of lead in paint since the late 1970s.
The firm of B. A. Pennock & Son had not been in existence since 1900, but this is only a slight stretch of the truth: Bernard Pennock is listed as a painter in the 1901 Toronto city directory. He set up shop at 932 Dovercourt in about 1920.
He and his son had just decided to go into business together at about the time of this ad, however, as the 1935 directory lists Bernard A. Pennock as the president of the Irish Canadian Athletic Association Club. The 1936 directory lists B. A. Pennock & Son, with the son being Lorne B. Pennock.
The Pennocks, father and son, continued in business together until about 1948. At this point, B. A. Pennock passed on, and Lorne moved into 932 Dovercourt and continued the business, first under the B. A. Pennock & Son name, then on his own. He is at 932 Dovercourt in 1955, but by 1960 had moved to Etobicoke.
The Google Street View photo of 932 Dovercourt shows that it is now a house. But it's a detached house in a neighbourhood of mostly semi-detached houses, and it has a driveway to the left. You can easily see how this building could have housed a painting business.
Created September 1, 2025.