Vancouver Then and Now: Hotels
byI recently did a tour of the Downtown Eastside with BC Housing to learn more about their renovated properties. They scooped up over 20 hotels on the east side, some known as being the most dangerous buildings in Vancouver, and proceeded to bring them up to code so that tenants could have better living standards. I’ll have a full post about the project up soon but looking at their “before and after” photos inspired me to do another “Then and Now” series post. This week’s theme is hotels (which I’ve covered before, but here are a few more).
1900, Clarence Hotel. Photographer: Norman Caple, Archives Item# LGN 708
2009, Malone’s, From Google Street Views
1928, Austin Hotel (background). Photographer: WJ Moore, Archives Item# Str N190
2009, Ramada, From Google Street Views
1917, Hotel Patricia. Photographer: Stuart Thomson, Archives Item# CVA 99-187
2009, Hotel Patricia, From Google Street Views
1923, Dunsmuir Hotel. Photographer: Gowen Sutton Co. Ltd., Archives Item# CVA 677-978
2009, Dunsmuir International Student Housing, From Google Street Views
Should you have a theme you would like to see covered “Then and Now” please leave a suggestion in the comments. As note above, I’ll have an expanded post about BC Housing‘s initiatives up within a few days.
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It would be interesting to transform the Then and Now photos in a similar way to The Ghosts of World War II’s Past. Russian photographer Sergey Larenkov has taken old World War II photos and photoshopped them over the locations in present day. The scenes from places like Prague, Vienna, and Moscow are incredibly well done and a neat way to appreciate history.
Why is it not possible to get the same view as the original photo? I’m always struck by how much better these comparisons would be if the two photos were even approximately the same.
Or to bring ArthurCox animation team over to do something similar to this http://www.atimetravellersguide.com/ for Vancouver….
@Peter I use Google Street Views for the “now” comparisons. I am not a photographer and it would take weeks to compile all of the “now” photos in my entire series.
Sometimes I look on Flickr but Google Street Views is often the best way to compare (due to specific angles, licenses etc.) although I do know an original would be great.
Should you have the time and resources to go out and take some “now” photos of some old ones in the Vancouver Archives I would be happy to showcase them here. Much like I did with Jeremy Hood’s work.
Is it my imagination or did the older versions of the building have a more unique flare to them? They’re more classic and eye catching. The modern ones look so blah.
Yeah, I almost prefer the older ones too. I think the Google Street view is fine. I love before after pictures. Great article!
This is really neat. I like being able to see how the present buildings compare and contrast to the photos from the past. It’s nice to know that some things don’t change.
In my opinion, I think the Google street view is great…it really gives you a view of exactly what it looks like as if you were standing in front of it…not to mention, the modern cars, etc you can compare to the old. Again, great post!