[MarkP]

Hi, recently my father passed away and while cleaning out his place, we came across thousands of aerial photographs of Vancouver and the surrounding area. Most of them from the 1940's and 1950's. I've always had a fascination with vintage photos, so I started scanning them and putting them on a web site. If anyone is interested in seeing what Vancouver and the surrounding area looked like 65 years ago, please check out my blog: http://vintageairphotos.com

I've been trying to post a new photo every few days. Be sure to actually click on the images, you'll be able to zoom way in and see a lot more detail. Some of the downtown buildings are fascinating.

Mark

[SFUVancouver]

Amazing. Thank you very much for taking the time to digitize your late father's collection and for sharing it with us.

[Prometheus]

Those are some incredible photos of Vancouver's past. The detail in some them is remarkable. They are full of surprises, and many mysteries are revealed. For example, it's interesting to see how many farm fields there used to be at UBC. We are in your father's debt for saving them. And thank you for sharing them.

[officedweller]

Great shots - thanks for posting.

Cool how the old Granville Bridge was off allignment (it was probably a second bridge) then when the present Granville Bridge was built it returned to allignment.

[Prometheus]

Cool how the old Granville Bridge was off allignment (it was probably a second bridge) then when the present Granville Bridge was built it returned to allignment.

Yes, that was the second Granville Bridge. The current bridge is the third.

[TwoFace]

@MarkP

Thanks for sharing, great detail.

[ckkelley]

Hi, recently my father passed away and while cleaning out his place, we came across thousands of aerial photographs of Vancouver and the surrounding area. Most of them from the 1940's and 1950's. I've always had a fascination with vintage photos, so I started scanning them and putting them on a web site. If anyone is interested in seeing what Vancouver and the surrounding area looked like 65 years ago, please check out my blog: http://vintageairphotos.com

I've been trying to post a new photo every few days. Be sure to actually click on the images, you'll be able to zoom way in and see a lot more detail. Some of the downtown buildings are fascinating.

Mark

Right on! God bless you sir.

[hollywoodnorth]

AWESOME STUFF! thanks!

[giallo]

These are priceless. Thanks so much for posting them.

[Dave2]

Those are some incredible photos of Vancouver's past. The detail in some them is remarkable. They are full of surprises, and many mysteries are revealed. For example, it's interesting to see how many farm fields there used to be at UBC. We are in your father's debt for saving them. And thank you for sharing them.

The three facades of the Opera House/Orpheum (etc) Lyric, visible south the 2nd Hotel Vancouver in bo-46-145. And houses on the N/W corner of Georgia & Thurlow in 1946... a 14 story (give or take) skyscraper by the 50s (Vancouver archives).. http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/4/0/401257/78c29187-bf75-4612-909d-1b27218d28fb-A44383.jpg and now the Fortis? building.

[MarkP]

Check out this new image of the Vancouver skyline from 1947...

http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-47-1445/

Mark

[squeezied]

wow that's like west broadway today. I wonder what west broadway would look like in 50 years!

[David]

Incredible photos, Mark. Thank you for posting a link here. I'm in awe.

[MarkP]

Here's another awesome shot looking right up West Georgia Street from 1958. The skyline is so cool....

http://vintageairphotos.com/58-64/

Mark

[officedweller]

Great shot!

Note:
- the old Georgia Viaduct and Dunsmuir Tunnel beneath
- the Shell sign atop The Vancouver Block
- Dunsmuir terminated at an alley at Burrard
- the continuous awning already existing on The Bay
- I wonder what colour the Main Post Office was back then?
-

[s211]

- I wonder what colour the Main Post Office was back then?

A cleaner, un-bleached colour?

[Dave2]

Great shot!

Note:
- the old Georgia Viaduct and Dunsmuir Tunnel beneath
- the Shell sign atop The Vancouver Block
- Dunsmuir terminated at an alley at Burrard
- the continuous awning already existing on The Bay
- I wonder what colour the Main Post Office was back then?
-

The Greyhound Bus Station... QE Theatre under construction, houses everywhere, billboards everywhere, gas stations galore...

Dunsmuir terminating at Burrard as you noted... so that is about the start of the Dunsmuir/Mellville connector that exists today. So to the left (south) of that, those two buildings are now the Burrard Station frontage. This whole area where Bentall 1 through 4 is now is unrecognizable. I see 1190 West Pender, that's about it.

That white building at the north/east corner of Thurlow and Melville, seen also in this photo by William Tully Four awnings tall in both photos http://dbooth.applesbc.org/Home/Vancouver%201950%27s_files/Van.%20pics001.jpg
In 1966, it looks like floors are being added. Expanding to keep up with the new "Bentall" kids on the block? That may work, for 15 years or so (Vancouver Archives) http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/4/0/405209/74593a6b-7dbc-4cd9-9b26-92e006da903e-A58798.jpg

[Homer000]

Wow these photos are precious gems!

Can't believe how much VA changed in the last 70 years..

[MarkP]

Found another REALLY COOL shot of Vancouver from 1951. It's super crisp. You can see Woodwards, the Sun Building, Simpson's, not Sears, trains under the Georgia Viaduct and so much more.

http://vintageairphotos.com/1-133/

Mark

[officedweller]

Cool.
Is there a sign that says "Simpsons"? or do you mean Spencers, which was taken over by Eatons (before it moved to Pacific Centre), then Sears when it was converted to Harbour Centre.

I can see a very ornate facade on Hastings across from a theatre that says Odeon Hasting Theatre on its alley side. I think one of those two is the second Pantages - is that right?

[MarkP]

Cool.
Is there a sign that says "Simpsons"? or do you mean Spencers, which was taken over by Eatons (before it moved to Pacific Centre), then Sears when it was converted to Harbour Centre.

I can see a very ornate facade on Hastings across from a theatre that says Odeon Hasting Theatre on its alley side. I think one of those two is the second Pantages - is that right?

There's a Simpson's sign on top of a building in the upper-left corner. Towards where Canada Place would be. Pretty much where the Steamworks Pub is now.

Mark

[Dylan Leblanc]

Fantastic! I love seeing these.

[jsbertram]

There's a Simpson's sign on top of a building in the upper-left corner. Towards where Canada Place would be. Pretty much where the Steamworks Pub is now.

Mark

I vaguely recall that same "Simpson's" logo as a ghost on the outside of the Sears store where we always shopped when I was growing up.

I was told that Simpson's was bought by Sears in the late 50's and became Simpson's Sears - and Gramma would say "they've done downhill ever since".

She may have hated shopping there, but loved the sales.

[officedweller]

There's a Simpson's sign on top of a building in the upper-left corner. Towards where Canada Place would be. Pretty much where the Steamworks Pub is now.

Mark

Thanks!

That is very interesting - it is, indeed, the logo of the Robert Simpson Co.
(which was taken over by HBC in the 1980s and which had flagship store in Toronto (now The Bay, Queen Street) and on Ste Catherines in Montreal (now a mall with a Cineplex?).

I thought that they only had stores in and around Ontario and Quebec (other than the joint venture with Sears which yielded Simpsons-Sears). The former Spencer department store at Harbour Centre was a "Sears" during the 1980s (maybe Simpsons-Sears before that) after Eaton's moved to Pacific Centre.

Does anyone know if the location at "The Landing" was a retail store or whether it was a warehouse (for shipments from overseas?)

[Pinion]

I used to work in the Spencer Building and even in the 21st century we had elderly people looking for Sears/Eatons in there.

Like most retail they made it as lengthy a trip as possible to get from one floor to the next so it's a pain as a school/office.

[andyh]

[QUOTE=officedweller;

Does anyone know if the location at "The Landing" was a retail store or whether it was a warehouse (for shipments from overseas?)[/QUOTE]

During the mid 70's my dad had an office in that building (cheap rent). I was only 5 or 6 years old but do remember some of it. The building was mostly empty at that time with a few small start up companies there. My dad's one person office was the only tenant on the whole floor and I remember running around the dusty dirty open floor. The elevator was one of the old style swing doors with an operator.

Basically during this period, it was mostly empty.

[Klazu]

Those two air photos from 50s are amazing! To be honest, I wouldn't recognize this city if there would be no hints or context. Just incredible how much has happened so fast.

What's that huge building that has been replaced with horrible Sears-building since?

I also love seeing trams roaming the streets back then!

[whatnext]

Cool.
Is there a sign that says "Simpsons"? or do you mean Spencers, which was taken over by Eatons (before it moved to Pacific Centre), then Sears when it was converted to Harbour Centre.

I can see a very ornate facade on Hastings across from a theatre that says Odeon Hasting Theatre on its alley side. I think one of those two is the second Pantages - is that right?

The sign font (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpsons_%28department_store%29) on the building (now The Landing) looks like that of Simpson's department store, though I wasn't aware they had a branch in Vancouver. Spencer's is just to the left of it.

In suburbs like Richmond & Burnaby the original Sears were a joint venture, known as Simpsons-Sears.

[whiteshadow]

In suburbs like Richmond & Burnaby the original Sears were a joint venture, known as Simpsons-Sears.

Before the refurbishment of the Sears in Surrey Place/Central City mall in Whalley to Futureshop and T&T, you could still see the old Simpson-Sears sign outline on the side of the building underneath the newer Sears logo.

My dad still calls Sears "Simpson-Sears"...

[Delirium]

here's a great shot of the CPR Vancouver yards, circa 1953
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_facilities/Vancouver_aerial_1953.jpg
photo by: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_facilities/vancouver_aerial.htm

[MarkP]

That's a really cool photo of the rail yards. I found a slightly different angle of the same rail yards but from 7 years earlier, 1946...

http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-46-146/

And while I'm here, I just added an awesome photo you guys would probably be interested in. It's downtown Vancouver featuring the new Post Office, still under construction, from 1956. Another great view of the city skyline from the 50's.

http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-56-400/

Mark

[osirisboy]

wow I didnt realize how old that parkade at georgia and richards was.

[officedweller]

That second one is great - you can see the location of the two old threatres - can't recall the names, one was the Strand and maybe the Opera House - one mid-block on Granville where Sears is and the other at Georgia & Seymour.

[hollywoodnorth]

thanks again!

the 1st pic you can see the GAS sign on the big oil container that was in NE False Creek. .... awesome!

[entheosfog]

And all those houses in the south eastern part of downtown, wow.
I really get a kick out of seeing the Shell sign on top of the Vancouver Block.
And this also shows the Bay before the metal awnings went up...

[vaportrail]

...
And while I'm here, I just added an awesome photo you guys would probably be interested in. It's downtown Vancouver featuring the new Post Office, still under construction, from 1956. Another great view of the city skyline from the 50's.

http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-56-400/

Mark

For a fun comparison, here's that vintageairphotos.com image (bo-56-400) distored as an overly with how it looks in 2012. Thanks to MarkP for use of the image.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7897672790_ba1a02eb21_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/spi11/7897672790/)http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7897672218_f4a5e2e8ce_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/spi11/7897672218/)

[vitc]

I quickly did up a hover image to see before / after. Here is the link: http://jsfiddle.net/gLvrC/

[Pinion]

For a fun comparison, here's that vintageairphotos.com image (bo-56-400) distored as an overly with how it looks in 2012. Thanks to MarkP for use of the image.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7897672790_ba1a02eb21_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/spi11/7897672790/)http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7897672218_f4a5e2e8ce_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/spi11/7897672218/)

What's the building with the Empire State-style roof that's in roughly the same location as the Fairmont Pacific Rim? I feel like I should know this.

[Sir Conga]

What's the building with the Empire State-style roof that's in roughly the same location as the Fairmont Pacific Rim? I feel like I should know this. You mean the Marine Building?

[Pinion]

Yes I guess I do. And it's still there of course - I should look up more often.

[Dave2]

Cool.
Is there a sign that says "Simpsons"? or do you mean Spencers, which was taken over by Eatons (before it moved to Pacific Centre), then Sears when it was converted to Harbour Centre.

I can see a very ornate facade on Hastings across from a theatre that says Odeon Hasting Theatre on its alley side. I think one of those two is the second Pantages - is that right?

The 2nd Pantages became the Beacon, Odeon Hastings, and finally the Majestic. On the north side, the Rex? Hastings used to be a "Theatre Row". So did Granville :(

Nov 28 1946, City Archives http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/1/2/1261009/9dbd8915-2455-48be-a462-0c4b35cca54e-A15573.jpg

[MarkP]

Here's another cool shot of Coal Harbour from 1955. Lots of detail. Only a single skyscraper in the shot.....the Marine Building on Burrard. The whole area is unrecognisable.

http://vintageairphotos.com/55-51/

Mark