Vancouver History: From the Archives
byExploring more of Vancouver’s history this week I took a gander at the listed photograph subject terms that I can search through on the City of Vancouver Archives website.
Finding some of the most obscure results, I thought it would be fun to post a few retrospective photos of our city, featuring some unusual imagery.
Circus Animals
1900-1910 – A Parade with elephants goes down Granville Street
Archives item#: CVA 677-1011
Croquet
1907 – A man and woman play croquet at Denman & Barclay (now Barclay Heritage Square)
Archives item#: CVA 677-119
Gazebos
1900-1910 – A gazebo-like shelter dubbed the “summer house” at Prospect Point
Archives item#: St Pk P260
Radios
1931 – The Radio Sales Company installs a giant radio at Victory Square
Archives item#: CVA 99-4145
Soda Fountains
1914 – The interior of Cairns Drug Store located at 732 Granville
Archive item#: CVA 371-912
Tourist Trade
1905 – Investigate Vancouver, BC, Canada
Archives item#: CVA 677-565
Wrecking
1955 – The old Granville Bridge being demolished
Archives item#: CVA 447-132
Finally, you can search the following term on the archives website to find some amusing and somewhat puzzling photos of yore.
Wild Animals as Pets
1910 – A little girl in Vancouver (on Waterloo Street) and her pet Black Bear
I’ll continue the Then and Now photo series next week and I’m open to themes if you have any suggestions (ie. hotels, apartments, stores, streets, parks etc.)
2 Comments — Comments Are Closed
Thank you for the wonderful pictures. Sometimes I wish I could live in those old pictures. I am glad Vancouver stills pretty.. But know in a different way than in the past.
Miss 604: Thanks for these dandy photos. I’ve seen some of them before, but never the elephant parade shot. Why don’t you approach the Archives with a proposal for a book of offbeat local photos, with commentary?