In 1893 the employees of the Electric Railway’s powerhouse at the foot of Barnard (Union) Street brightened up the boiler room with the charms of their pin up girl.
Archives photo: Bu P123
In The Background: Powerhouse Pin Up
Filed under Uncategorized
In The Background: Try a Hot Bovril
In 1921 at the Tram News Stand you could get a light luncheon or hot drinks while waiting for the train at “Marpole’s popular lunch counter”. Drinks range from Hot Bovril, Ginger Wine to Oyster Cocktails all for 10 cents. Spend big and get their hot coffee and sandwich deal for 15 cents.
CVA 99-3549
Filed under Uncategorized
A Bit of a View of Shore Street
Shore Street was just a short bit of road on the west side of Main Street that disappeared when the Georgia Viaduct was constructed in 1914. Here the tops of a house and a couple of rooming houses poke above the northern edge of the deck of the new viaduct.
The street gained notoriety when the police department closed the majority of the brothels on Dupont (Pender Street) and over time the women found a home on Shore Street, though not for long. Businesses on Main Street complained of the long lines of men waiting to visit a brothel. The manager of the Avenue Theatre called on the police to do something because of crowds of more than 50 men milling about.
Eventually, the women with the cooperation of the police moved over to the 600 and 700 block of Alexander Street. And Shore Street soon vanished.
Archives photo: LGN 1188
Filed under Uncategorized
Wood for Telephone Cable
In 1922, BC Telephone is working on Georgia Street and they’ve got a pile of wooden conduit to lay their wires in. And at this time, Georgia is still paved in wooden blocks.
CVA 99-3496
Filed under Uncategorized
Chinese Methodist Mission Church, Chinatown
The Methodist church was the first to minister to the Chinese community in Canada, there was a mission school in 1876 in Victoria and in Vancouver in 1888. From its original Hastings Street location the Mission moved to a purpose built building on Carrall at Dupont (Pender) Street in 1889. The illustration is one of the few that show the full building. It is from a booklet published in 1900 by the architecture firms of Parr and Fee, W. T. Dalton, R. Mackay Fripp, William Blackmore and G. W. Grant. In the booklet, Parr and Fee take credit for the design, though it may only be for the addition. Thomas Hooper receives the credit in earlier newspaper reports.
The Mission faced Carrall Street and only lasted until 1907 when it was demolished and replaced by the Pekin Restaurant, better known as the Pekin Chop Suey House and home to the Chinese Freemasons.
Filed under Chinatown, History, urban design, Vancouver
Fruit Trees for Vancouver Streets
“The city council board of works regards as impracticable a proposal to substitute fruit for ordinary shade trees on the streets. The presence of the small boys is a fatal objection to the scheme.” Interesting note from 1897 found in the Colonist newspaper.
Filed under History, urban design, Vancouver
We don’t often get to see Shanghai Alley like this. Taken in the 1940s this Archives image shows the west side of the alley looking north and the tenements built in 1905 by Yip Sang which helped establish the alley.
CVA 586-4593
