Historic Vancouver Photos

[hollywoodnorth]

thanks flight_from_kamakura you rock

[SpongeG]

the funny thing is the city realized it lost so many of its old buildings that it put in strict new laws and a lot of ugly stuff is now protected

[vanman]

^So true!

[flight_from_kamakura]

first avenue viaduct.

vancouver wasn't always vancouver, and back in the day, grandview-woodlands was a quiet community rather distant from vancouver's commercial areas. in 1937, the city constructed a viaduct over the railways' berths and other badlands, to connect grandview more directly with the heart of things. all images from the city archives.

pre-construction, northeast view, from the roof a railcar, not too far from glen/clark station. we're seeing the intersection of clark and first ave (or the head of first ave, as it was then):


two views at the same stage of construction:



they don't make them like this anymore:



completed october 1938:



the long view:

[Jacques]

WOW nice photos and history
thank you

[hollywoodnorth]

flight_from_kamakura you fucking rule! more baby more GIVE IT TO ME

[SpongeG]

they had dominion cobnstruction way back than - wow

[Holden West]

Great old home movie of a plane trip to Vancouver in 1971.

Can you spot the highlights? I see the Qube (Westcoast Transmission Tower) at around the 4 minute mark.

[flight_from_kamakura]

unrealised plan for the university of british columbia campus.

there have been several plans for ubc over the years, i think this one my friend passed along to me is by far the grandest. alas, what might have been. from 1914, photo source: ubc archives.

[flight_from_kamakura]

the intersection of georgia and howe streets, 1930s.

looking northwest from the hotel vancouver: the georgia hotel, devonshire hotel and georgia medical & dental buildings.



looking northwest from the hotel vancouver: the georgia hotel and mcluckie buildings.


looking northeast from the grouds of the courthouse: the mcluckie building.



looking south west from the mcluckie building: the courthouse, its grounds, and a bit of both hotels vancouver.


looking southeast from near horby street: a view of the west wing of the hotel vancouver and the courthouse and its grounds.

[Jacques]

if the last photos is where the TD and Sears stand now, its truly beyond comprehension that they went and demolished such a jewel, I realize now that Vancouver is finally waking up about historic property to be saved, they are so few left, I love Montreal and Quebec city even Toronto has some neat old buulding well renovated .
WE can only hope what is left be saved.
thanks for the awesome photos

[204]

Originally Posted by Jacques

if the last photos is where the TD and Sears stand now, its truly beyond comprehension that they went and demolished such a jewel, I realize now that Vancouver is finally waking up about historic property to be saved, they are so few left, I love Montreal and Quebec city even Toronto has some neat old buulding well renovated .
WE can only hope what is left be saved.
thanks for the awesome photos

It truly is beyond comprehension to us today!

It's not just here, you should see the gorgeous victorian city hall they demolished in Winnipeg:


Manitoba Historical Society

To be replaced with:

Flickr image

[flight_from_kamakura]

jacques - yeah, check the very first post in this thread, that's the one alright. utterly appalling.

[Cypherus]

It's just crazy how so many architecturally-inpsiring buildings were knocked down in the past, only to now have City Hall preserve derelict buildings and houses that would serve as ghetto headquarters.

[Phil McAvity]

flight from kamakura, you think this is an abomination?

[flight_from_kamakura]

^ indeed i do. it's awful, inside and out. (but the sakura are nice).

[flight_from_kamakura]

cpr piers b and c, or pier b-c.

with all the talk of the cpr tracks and kerfoot and the new transit hub, it's cool to recall how things were when this was full-fledged port turf. before it was canada place, it was the cpr's iconic piers b and c.

front view, two slightly different shots



what an entrance


water view (notice the water facade matched the street facade)


back when men were men and buildings were buildings.


you can see pier d to the west, now the site of the convention centre expansion


a black and white shot (~1979), from the roof of the marine building, of the demolition of the piers.


bonus:

recall that waterfront road (the road from which one accessed the piers) was linked to the downtown via the granville street viaduct, which looks to be mostly restored in the new transit hub plan (piers b-c are the ones on the right)

[Architype]

While I find the old hotel really interesting and impressive, I've never understood why that part in the middle looks so unfinshed?

[flight_from_kamakura]

vancouver public library, kitsilano branch.

built in 1927, kitsilano branch was the vpl's first permanent branch, and the first public library in what is now vancouver's west side. located at 2375 west fourth avenue, it was callously demolished sometime in the 1970s and replaced with a beautiful parking lot for the architectural gem that is the fourth avenue safeway.

parimonious, moorish/mission inspired design



opening day, staff assembled


interior, photograph taken from a perch along the (south) western wall


rear area, note the rare books collection cases against the back walls, and the skylights

[officedweller]

That bonus shot of the Granville viaduct is nice.
Thansk.