This is what I’m talking about; Danika keeps it local! Toile de Jouy for Vancouver, by Vancouver designer Danika McDowell of Locamode. Just what is Toile you ask? Wikipedia says:
Toile is the name of a fabric that entered the English language around the 16th century[1] from a French word meaning “linen cloth” or “canvas” — particularly cloth or canvas for painting on.
Seen on Poppytalk via Spoonflower. More here. Suddenly, I have an urgent need for some Skytrain technical drawing Toile!
A comic by Stuart Morris from the cover of New Directions magazine, Vol 1 No 5 from April-May of 1986. I thought this comic would be suitably fun for Friday the 13th! I was tipped off about New Directions magazine by Bonnie Beckwoman, one of the original contributors of the Georgia Straight who later also contributed comics to New Directions. The lead story of this issue from 1986 was titled The Bad BCers’ Guide to Expo, and it was written by Larry Kuehn. While most of my Expo86 posts have been rosy nostalgic, not everyone was as enthusiastic about the event. You can read the article at the VPL’s periodicals reference desk. Or tweet me!
Angelo Colari and the Hotel Europe, 1908, by Frank Lewis, 1976. As mentioned in his bio, Frank painted the mural on the side of the Maritime Museum in 1986, and he painted the hoardings at the old Vancouver Court house at some point as well. More about the drawing from Gastown.org:
Angelo Colari built the Europe on this triangular-shaped lot near the steamship docks that used to be located at the foot of Columbia and Carrall Streets. Colari was born in Italy in 1861 and immigrated to British Columbia in 1882 when he was 21 years old. He spent four years in Victoria before coming to Vancouver in 1886.
This drawing was the front cover of yesterday’s historical map, a pre-Expo96 Downtown Historical Association Historical Trek.
Another unique artistic aerial view of the city, this time from DC Bucholtz. There have been a few vintage maps in the past that turn the aerial perspective on it’s head, and they’re quite refreshing to look at. The map was sponsored by CKNW, The Pop Shoppe, and The Province Newspaper, among other sponsors. It was published by Cornwall Publishing Co., and Chuck Davis was the editor. This was pre-Expo, as you can see the Expo site is simply indicated with a flag and a large circle, so I’m guessing it was drawn some time around 1983 or 1984, since the Seabus colour scheme was no longer orange in 1985. I also just noticed the map shows Cambie Bridge as the old truss swing span bridge (the new bridge was built 1984-85), so that reinforces it would most likely be circa 1983.
Exposing Myself to Explo, a painting by Art Nuko from an exhibition in the summer of 1986. While the imagery is terrifying, the anti-nuclear message is loud and clear, and the city of Vancouver, with Greenpeace at the forefront, was an important part of this early protest movement.
With this post, I have reached the milestone 500th post. This is more or less half way to my original goal of 1,000 posts featuring the city of Vancouver in art. We are also just a few days from the end of 2011, the city’s momentous 125th anniversary. You may have already deduced how much I’ve enjoyed sourcing the imagery on this blog, doing the background research, and then presenting it on a regular basis. It has been my own personal @Vancouver125 expedition, and I’m grateful for all the fan appreciation and loyal followers.
I’ve been meaning to let you all know that I am about to change pace on this blog. From now on, I will be decreasing the frequency of my posts, not posting every day, perhaps updating on a weekly basis, or whenever I see fit. I am doing this so that I can focus my efforts on other projects, and so that I can continue to dream up new visions for the future. Once again, a heartfelt thanks to all of you! May you all continue to share the Tumblr love as we work towards world peace! : )
Canada Place rendering by architectural illustrator Barry Lundahl, from an Expo 86 promotional brochure. Note this was back in the days when the Seabus was still orange!
Tintin Expo 86 poster, from the Belgian pavilion. I am offering this poster for sale to any of my followers. Thanks to all those who expressed interest; a new home has been found for the poster!
Selected panels of Vancouver from the 13 page comic book, Archie at Expo 86 in “the Archies in Motion” penciled by Daniel S. DeCarlo, inked by Dan’s son Jim DeCarlo, lettering by Bill Yoshida, and coloring/production by Barry Grossman. There is a forthcoming documentary in the works on Dan DeCarlo, so watch for that! Dan also has a great Wikipedia page to help you get acquainted with his life story. More about the comic, from bobbea’s Expo 86 site:
In this rare “The World of Archie” comic book, Archie and his friends leave the confines Riverdale to visit Expo 86. In another issue around the same time, the gang visited Victoria’s famed Empress Hotel for high tea. It has been said that throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Vancouver and Victoria had the largest Archie comic book readerships (per capita) than any other city in North America.
Archie’s biggest fans in Vancouver and Victoria? Who knew!?
Thanks, Darren!
Illustrations by Bob McIlhargey and Lori Brown, pre-Expo 86. This particular rendering shows BC Place and Northeast False Creek, speculating on redevelopment of the land after Expo, before it had even been built. As I mentioned previously on Illustrated Vancouver, architectural illustrator Bob McIlhargey, along with his wife and associate Lori Brown were largely responsible for much of the concept rendering work commissioned for Expo 86 from 1982-86.
Cross-posted with additional text to VancouverIsAwesome.com.
Expo 86 colour guide by architectural illustrator Robert McIlhargey. Robert McIlhargey, along with associate Lori Brown were largely responsible for much of the concept rendering work commissioned for Expo 86 from 1982-86. The pair has also had a hand in most of the major urban planning projects in Vancouver during the 80’s and 90’s. Bob passed away in 1998, and Lori has continued to draw Vancouver projects to the present time. Following the success of the work at Expo 86, the firm went on to do more work for Expo 92 in Seville, and again worked on the 2010 Olympic bid from 1997-2004.
BC Place architectural rendering, from p26 of Construction West’s supplemental BC Place edition, October 18, 1982. The caption reads:
Open air parks, residential areas and commercial areas are all part of the plan for B.C. Place. The project represents the largest urban redevelopment scheme ever undertaken in North America.
This magazine was published just as construction began for Expo 86 on October 7, 1982. We never did see that open air amphitheater on the shores of False Creek, though perhaps the Plaza of Nations was the compromise. Many years later, in the VPSN’s Where is the Square competition, the jury selected entry “The Band” also chose to draw crowds from the stadium to the water’s edge in the same vicinity.
Native People’s Pavilion, an unrealized Expo 86 proposal by renowned Native Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal (architect of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Edmonton Space Science Centre). Illustration seen in the book The Expo Story by Robert Anderson (editor) and Eleanor Wachtel (editor). More background from bobbea.com:
From the earliest planning stages, Expo was to host a First Nations Pavilion. Every Nation in British Columbia was invited to participate but few showed interest. The reason behind this lay in the politics involved. Fearful of a repeat of Chief Dan George’s ominous speech at Expo 67 (denouncing European progress in North America as nothing more than destruction of the environment and genocide to the native people), Expo 86 organizers made it clear that they would prefer the First Nations Pavilion to be a showcase of culture — nothing more. Native people, on the other hand, saw this as a form of censorship. In their view, World’s Fairs are showcases of political propaganda regardless of the size or power of the Nation involved. Thus, they wished to tell their history from their point of view with no “candy coating.” As many of Expo’s organizers were members of the government, this didn’t sit well with the planning commission. If the pavilion was to show past injustices, Provincial and Federal governments feared the pavilion would be nothing more than a political embarrassment. It wasn’t the type of pavilion provincial and federal governments wished the world to see.
With an unexpected flood of International and corporate participants joining the fair, the First Nation’s Pavilion was put on the back burner and eventually forgotten.
Expo 86 editorial cartoon by Len Norris in the Vancouver Sun, date unknown. Caption: “I told you, Vincent, why don’t you do birds and trees and things that nobody copyrights…” As seen in the book The Expo Story by Robert Anderson (Editor), Eleanor Wachtel (Editor). I also didn’t find this comic in the SFU editorial cartoon collection, which predominantly features Len Norris’ earlier work. More from SFU:
Len Norris was born in London England in 1913 and died in 1997. From 1950 to 1988 Norris worked as an editorial cartoonist for The Vancouver Sun. This collection was acquired by SFU Library in 1995 and was the remainder of Len’s personal collection.
Hand screened, hand drawn Show Poster for Wolf Parade in Seattle by John Vogl at theBungaloo.com. The illustration is of Science World, from Expo 86, which is also the name of Wolf Parade’s new album. Seen via etsy.
Ovaltine Cafe, by Colette French, 1984. From the Discovery 86 poster series, affiliated with the British Columbia Pavilion at Expo 86 (Michael Kluckner recalls four posters produced specifically for Expo 86, two of which include this Robert Genn picture of a girl on a bicycle, and a Daniel Izzard sunset.) This poster was seen framed in the original Ovaltine Cafe at 249 East Hastings Street.
