Granville Street

26/12/2009 John AtkinLeave a comment

The lower end of Granville is a mess of poles, bollards, and other stuff, goes to show how reality never equals the perfect world presented in design renderings.

elephants · History · Vancouver

Elephants in a book

22/12/200922/12/2009 John AtkinLeave a comment

I thought I’d try on-demand publishing by reprinting a small children’s book from the 1840s on elephants. The History an… Description of the… By S. Babcock Book Preview

Chinatown · History · urban design · Vancouver

Market Alley in the 1920s

21/12/200905/04/2011 John Atkin3 Comments

Here are the fire insurance maps from the late 1920s showing Market Alley between Carrall and Main Street. Market Alley was once filled with a variety of businesses including restaurants, laundries, pawnbrokers and merchants. Despite what some publications say, there was no general curfew in Chinatown imposed by the authorities. Alleys such as Market… Continue reading Market Alley in the 1920s

History · urban design · Vancouver

Granville Street, back to the future

21/12/200922/12/2009 John AtkinLeave a comment

An illustration from the 1960s for a proposed redesign of the street. I find it interesting to compare this with the current redesign which is explained in detail here.

History · Vancouver

Heritage house demolished

18/12/200918/12/2009 John AtkinLeave a comment

1636 Avondale, a marvelous 1926 house by Fred Townley, was demolished recently. Townley was the other half of Townley and Matheson the architects of Vancouver’s City Hall.