Category Archives: art
Jeff Wall . . . Cartoonist?
Honest confession, I was raised to believe, is good for the soul. So I need to begin this post by admitting that Jeff Wall‘s photographic work – the work for which he is best known worldwide – doesn’t really “rock … Continue reading
The DeMuths: Canadian Pacific Steamship Artists
Flora and Martin DeMuth were partners both in marriage and in art on Canadian Pacific Steamships. The pair made their first round-the-world cruise in 1925-26 aboard CP’s Empress of Scotland, a year after their wedding. Martin was a captain in … Continue reading
Posted in art, Illustrations
Tagged Art Students' League, bc, Canadian Pacific Steamships, Connecticut, Flora Nash DeMuth, history, Honolulu, Martin DeMuth, Memogram, vancouver
Leave a comment
The Neglected Place of George William Paterson in Local History
George William Paterson (whose name, more often appeared in print simply as “Geo Paterson” and frequently, although inaccurately, as “George Patterson”) was born to John Paterson and Ann Brown in Port Hope (west of Kingston), Ontario in 1877 [1]. His … Continue reading
Posted in art
Tagged Alimando Fabri, Bernard palmer, Capital Theatre, Cartier, Diamond Jubilee of Confederation, George Paterson, George Southwell, Henriette Paterson, Illustrated Vancouver, Jane Paterson, Jason Vanderhill, Jeffreys & Sandham, John Innes, Miss Merle Foster, mural, Patullo Bridge, Robert Moen, Saltspring Island, sculptor, tableaux, Vernon, War Memorial - New West
2 Comments
A (Forgotten) Dragon Named Sue
Monster Mash The 150-foot dragon (“painted in an Indian motif and floating on oil drums”) was installed in Lost Lagoon by the B.C. Centennial (1858-1958) Committee in June 1958 (Sun 19 June 1958). The Chinese junk, which was to be … Continue reading
Posted in advertising, art, Illustrations
Tagged bc, Bob Banks, Centennial Sue, Centennial Sue the Dragon, Century Sam, Chinese Junk, history, lost lagoon, MOV, Philip B. Stroyan, stanley park, vancouver
Leave a comment
Art Glass at First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church is going to be closed to the public for the next two years (2021-ca2023) as it undergoes substantial renovation, seismic upgrading and development. It seems to me appropriate, therefore, to offer a stained glass ‘tour’ of First … Continue reading
Posted in art, churches, First Baptist Church, Vancouver
Tagged "FBC Farewell Tour", Alf Wiebe, art glass, bc, carey theological college, christ church cathedral, Christ the Carpenter window, Cross and Crowns (vestry) window, Edna Grenz, Evelyn Loewen, Greg Burke, history, holy rosary cathedral, Jeanette Blackwell, Jim Wolf, John Bunyan window, Joiner memorial window, Kurtis Findlay, marine building, Mark Laughlin, Nesbit memorial window, Regent College, Rev. J. Gordon Jones, Sharon Wiebe, Stan Grenz, The Armour of God window, vancouver, Vancouver Heritage Foundation, William Carey window, Worship Windows (Pinder hall)
6 Comments
Fowler’s Rose
This carving of a Tudor Rose was taken from the tomb of the Duke of York, Tewkesbury Abbey, England, in the year of 1881 when repairs were being made to the tomb. The same year it was given to Major … Continue reading
Posted in architects, art
Tagged bc, Duke of York, Gordon Poppy, Grandview Drill Hall, harding memorial, history, Major C. B. Fowler, R. T. Perry, Tewkesbury Abbey, Tudor Rose, vancouver, William Clark, york hotel
1 Comment
John A. Radford: ‘Artistic Dean’ . . . Who?
When John Radford died, the Vancouver Sun hailed him as “dean of Vancouver artists and famous throughout Canada as an architect, water-colorist and art critic”. Today, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in Vancouver (even in art or local … Continue reading
Behind This Wall at Hotel Vancouver…
Update Behind the wall shown above, in the elevator court of the third (1939) Hotel Vancouver, lies, quite possibly, Ascension, a work of bas-relief sculpture created by Beatrice Lennie (1904-1987) a renowned and very able good sculptor. Doris Munroe, in … Continue reading
Comfort’s 1954 Portraits at UBC
This is just a line to accompany the images of the portraits shown above. It was learned this week that these six images of UBC faculty and officials (which had been shown in UBC’s Archival Collections as painted by “unknown” … Continue reading
Posted in art
Tagged 1954, artist, bc, charles comfort, Harry t. Logan, hector j. macleod, henry f. angus, history, lemuel f. robertson, oil paints, Otis J. Todd, Sherwood Lett, UBC Archives, University of Toronto, vancouver
2 Comments
Missing?: Monument to First City Survey Stake
This monument was created in 1952 to honour the driving of the first survey stake by CPR Land Commissioner, L. A. Hamilton (sometimes referred to as the “Godfather of Vancouver”), at the site (300 Hastings Street; SW corner of Hamilton and … Continue reading
Details of an Artistic Life (Rolph Blakstad: Part II)
Introduction This is a sequel to the previous post, MIA: The Loss of a 20-foot Painting. In this post, we will sketch a few of the biographical details about artist, Rolph Blakstad, and his wife, Mary Isobel Blakstad (nee Leiterman), during … Continue reading
Posted in art, UBC
Tagged "Kitsilano Garden", 3857 Point Grey Road, Alma Mater Society, Blakstad Design Consultants, brock hall, CBC - CBUT, Elaine Campbell (nee Leiterman), Frederick H. Varley, Gloria Solveig Blakstad, Ibiza, Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments, June Binkert, Kitsilano High School, Lauren Harris, Mary Isobel Blakstad (nee Leiterman), National Gallery, Peter and Olive Blakstad, Phyllis King (nee Leiterman), Rolf Blakstad, Rolph Kenneth Blakstad, Sabrina Blakstad, Set Design, Vancouver Art School
Leave a comment
MIA: The Loss of a 20-foot Painting (Rolph Blakstad: Part I)
This is a tale of discovery. Of learning what a painting was called, who created it, and, perhaps, what became of it. The story began with the photo shown below. I have a peculiar passion for Fred Sunday’s panoramic images. … Continue reading
Posted in art, UBC
Tagged (fred) sunday photos, AMS, bc, Belkin Gallery, Blakstad Design Consultants, brock hall, CBU TV (CBC Station), congress of corrections, Erwin Wodarczak, history, Ibiza, Jana Tyner, June Binkert, Rolf (Rolph) Blakstad, Tessa Grogan, UBC Archives, UBC Reports, vancouver, vancouver art gallery
3 Comments
The Yoshio Hinatsu Mystery
I purchased the little pamphlet history shown above at a recent paper ephemera fair. I was taken with the art deco illustrations on the cover and on interior pages and wondered who was Yoshio Hinatsu, the illustrator, and what became of … Continue reading
W Marks the Spot
This was originally posted July 2015. Updated on April 28, 2017.
Posted in art, businesses
Tagged bc, beacon, eiffel tower replica, history, vancouver, W, woodward's department stores
Leave a comment
Norris Sculpture a Viaduct Memory
George Norris (1928-2013) was a Vancouver artist whose sculptures adorn many city spaces. Doubtless the best known is his award-winning Crab at the entry to the Museum of Vancouver. Another one is Mother and Child at UBC near the Irving K. … Continue reading
Posted in art, Bailey & Neelands, politics
Tagged bc, crab, george norris, georgia/dunsmuir viaducts, history, hogan's alley, mcharg viaduct, mother and child, prism, sculptor, tom "terrific" campbell, vancouver
6 Comments
Unsung Local Artist: Hans Lankau
Updated: November 22, 2016 The image from 1972 was added. Hans Gottfried Edita Lankau (1897-1971) was born and raised in Germany. He immigrated to post-war Canada in 1951 when he was in his mid-50s, settling in West Vancouver. His principal work in … Continue reading
Posted in art
Tagged bc, birks, canadian bank of commerce, coats of arms, Hans Lankau, history, relief sculpture, vancouver
Leave a comment
John Goss: Baritone, Art Advocate, Politician, and Marxist
John Goss (1894-1953) was an Englishman by birth, but for most of his later years, he made Vancouver his home. In the 1920s and ’30s, Goss toured in the U.K., the U.S. and Canada as a recital singer, gradually building a … Continue reading
Peter Thomas, Pender & Homer Portrait, 1972
Peter Thomas is not a photographer with whom I’m familiar. But upon stumbling upon some of his work at VPL’s online historical photos site, recently, I have to say I like his style. The image above was apparently made at … Continue reading
Posted in art, Parking Garages, Peter Thomas
Leave a comment
Frank Hart’s Harangue
The photo was made to commemorate the Maple Tree Monument at the corner of Carrall and Water streets. The monument was created by prolific Vancouver sculptor, Charles Marega, originally as part of a drinking fountain in 1925. In 1986, with … Continue reading
Posted in art, pioneers
Tagged bc, Charles Gardner Johnson, Frank W. Hart, history, Kalman Silverman, Pete Larson, pioneers, vancouver
Leave a comment
Fine Work by Unknown Artist
I find lithographs such as this one (from a volume in the Uno Langmann Collection entitled Views of British Columbia and Akaska) to be very appealing. Vancouver Art historian, Gary Sim, has pointed out that that the first image (from the source hard copy of the book; the … Continue reading
Posted in art, Uno Langmann Collection
Tagged Alaska, bc, engravings, history, M. W. Waitt & Co. Booksellers, UBC's Uno Langman Collection, vancouver, Victoria
Comments Off on Fine Work by Unknown Artist
Vancouver Arts & Crafts Association
The Arts & Crafts Association came into being in April, 1900 and lasted little more than a couple of years.* It had as its “chief aim . . . to encourage artistic feeling and knowledge and to bring the designer … Continue reading
A. J. Davis, Vancouver Painter
The painting above was purchased by my good friend, Wes, at a thrift store, recently. He didn’t know who the artist was nor anything of his story. He just liked the painted rendering of the portrait. A bit of digging online revealed that the painting … Continue reading
Early Vancouver Art Gallery
This is an early incarnation of the Vancouver Art Gallery (which was housed at this time in the same building as the City Museum (the ancestor of the Museum of Vancouver) and the Vancouver Public Library. All three were in … Continue reading
Posted in art, libraries, P. T. Timms
Tagged art gallery, bc, carnegie library, city museum, hastings street, history, main street, vancouver
Leave a comment
Fisherman’s Union
Untitled art. Fisherman’s Union Building (1968), Leonard Epp artist. This pre-cast concrete relief triptych is on three sides of the former Fisherman’s Union building (1968) at NE corner East Hastings and Hawkes (today, home to AIDS Vancouver). According to Steil’s and Stalker’s … Continue reading
Love the ‘Paint-In’ of ’66
The “paint-in” at the court house (which is, today, the Vancouver Art Gallery) in 1966 was apparently a response by artists to B. C. Premier W. A. C. Bennett’s wish to keep the installation of the Centennial Fountain at the … Continue reading
Posted in art, Ernie Reksten, L. F. Sheraton, people, street scenes
Tagged bc, centennial fountain, court house, georgia street, paint-in, vancouver, vancouver art gallery
Leave a comment
Charles “Clixby” Watson
This Vancouver longshoreman (I’m assuming) was painted by UK artist Charles “Clixby” Watson (1906-64) sometime in the 1950s. On this fellow’s back appears a tattoo of the Vancouver coat of arms, as it then was. The city’s motto was “By Sea … Continue reading
Posted in art, people
Tagged bc, charles "clixby" watson, longshoreman, sea worker, vancouver, vancouver coat of arms
Leave a comment
What Price Liberty?
These images, of St Francis in the lane adjacent to Holy Rosary Cathedral, were made a couple of years apart: the first, ca 2012; the second, 2014. In 2012, Francis was caged within a wire enclosure. I found him liberated … Continue reading
Posted in art, churches, yesterday & today
Tagged bc, catholic church, history, holy rosary cathedral, homer, richards, st francis, statue, vancouver
Leave a comment
Vancouver As It Was: A Photo-Historical Journey 