The CPR’s SS Princess Marguerite passing under the Lions Gate Bridge, another postcard by Edward Goodall. Here’s a handsome colour image of the ship taken June 30, 1973. You can hear the sounds of her final voyage in this video clip as she pulls into Seattle on September 17, 1989: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzHtRgtupss
More from Historylink.org:
The SS Princess Marguerite, built in 1925, and the SS Princess Marguerite II, built in 1948, were the most famous of these small luxury liners. Tragically, in 1942, the Princess Marguerite, serving as a troop ship during World War II, was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by a German U-boat. Her successor, the Princess Marguerite II, was in service for 60 years under four different owners. At the end of her career, efforts to save the historic steamship for posterity proved unsuccessful and in 1996 she was sold for scrap metal. In March 1997, a former B.C. ferry, the M/V Queen of Burnaby, was renamed the Princess Marguerite III and put on the run between Seattle and Victoria, but the service was discontinued after three seasons. Ships carrying the name Princess Marguerite plied the waters between Seattle and Victoria for 74 years, becoming a part of Seattle’s waterfront scene. Her name has a permanent place in Pacific Northwest maritime history, evoking fond memories of favorite summertime cruises and vacations.
The ad where she was sold for scrap can be seen here.
Yet another souvenir plate. This one is made especially for the Hudson’s Bay Company by Johnson Brothers of England, which joined the Wedgwood Group in 1968. I particularly like how this multilayered image succeeds as a collage decades before the Photoshop era. This would also be a fun plate to use for red beets and mashed potatoes. Currently for sale on ebay.
A followup to yesterday’s post, here is a detail of the cover of the 1937 Pattullo Bridge souvenir programme. I can’t quite make out the signature in the bottom corner of the image, which might not be a signature at all. If anyone has access to the original, please feel free to comment!
The complete souvenir programme is still online at the Buzzer Blog. Special thanks to the Buzzer Blog for posting this back in 2009, and extra special thanks to Lisa Codd, the curator at the Burnaby Village Museum who originally provided the scans to the Buzzer. This item has now been transferred to the Burnaby Archives.
The Pattullo Bridge souvenir luncheon menu from the 1937 opening, animated. The original artwork is signed EVS I think (as seen in the bottom corner of the finished panel). I have to admit, it’s a pretty awesome foldout menu for any era. This animated image has been compiled/edited by me; the original PDF scan of the menu is still online at the Buzzer Blog. Special thanks to the Buzzer Blog for posting this back in 2009, and extra special thanks to Lisa Codd, the curator at the Burnaby Village Museum who originally provided the scans to the Buzzer. This item has now been transferred to the Burnaby Archives.
Virginia Ayers at the New West blog Tenth to the Fraser recently raised some critical questions around the replacement plan for the Pattullo Bridge. She also mentioned the upcoming open house on The Master Transportation Plan. It’s taking place Thursday, May 3rd at Century House from 2-4pm and at the Justice Institute from 6-9pm.
Phantom views of the Lions Gate Bridge foundations, from a brochure published in 1939. The colophon thanks Leonard Frank (photographer), Don Munday, the Sun Publishing Company Limited, and anonymous friends for the publishing of the brochure. Don Munday was the mountaineer who discovered that Mystery Mountain (later named Mount Waddington) was taller than Mount Robson. The brochure failed to thank the illustrator, so I am unable to credit him here; it was commissioned by the First Narrows Bridge Company no doubt, perhaps Don Luxton knows who it may have been. This brochure has been published to archive.org thanks to Langara College Library.
Souvenir scarf of Vancouver, circa 1950s seen on ebay recently. This would have made a nice second prize in my pillowcase throwdown, but alas someone else is the lucky winner.
Lions Gate Bridge, a souvenir tin by Gray and Dunn, Biscuit Manufacturers established 1853 in Scotland. Except it’s Lions Gate, not Lion’s Gate. North Vancouver Museum has a great specimen of this tin as well. Text from the McCord Museum:
Since the Lions Gate Bridge was a powerful source of civic pride, its image was quickly co-opted to sell products. The artist who created the scene on this biscuit tin was almost certainly based in Great Britain, where the tin was manufactured. Interestingly, he saw fit to imbue the relative wilderness of Stanley Park with bucolic touches, exaggerating the low fence and pasture scene to the right of the bridge’s entrance. This employment of artistic licence probably sprang from attitudes in the motherland towards its rough imperial outposts, as Vancouver was still viewed in the 1930s. The name of the Lions Gate Bridge also reflects this colonial heritage. Although there is a double-humped mountain called The Lions on Vancouver’s north shore (not actually visible from the bridge deck), the name also refers to the lion symbolizing the British Empire.
There are lots of other similar vintage cookie tins from Gray and Dunn; they really had the market cornered! However, the factory has been shut down for more than 10 years now. It looks like the Kinning Park site in Glasgow has been listed for sale since September, 2011. Here’s a video of the facility from January, 2012; it’s a bit spooky without any biscuits!
Granville Bridges, a 48”x60” acrylic painting on canvas by Tom Carter. This fine perspective illustrates nearly the exact same moment in time as last week’s post, showing the Granville Street bridge nearing completion. The advert makes the bridge look as though it is already finished, but I believe some fancy photo retouching is merely giving that illusion.
Dominion Bridge advertisement, from the March 1954 issue of the BC Professional Engineer. This artwork is just barely appropriate here, as it is essentially comprised of a retouched photograph, but perhaps just this once I will dedicate this post to the unknown photo retouching artist. The ad provides some interesting documentation of the construction of the current Granville Street bridge which opened on February 4, 1954. Inside the magazine, there is an in-depth article titled “The Traffic Aspect of the New Granville Street Bridge” by K. Vaughan-Birch, required reading for any urban design students studying bridges today! Tweet me if you’d like to read this issue!
Remember my second guest post with Vancouver Is Awesome, way back in the archives nearly a year ago now? A close friend of mine had just shared with me the most excellent newspaper advert for the brand new Eaton’s Pacific Centre, which opened February 8, 1971. Well, if you can believe it, I recently found the insert pages to this very same newspaper advertisement! Especially selected for your Halloween viewing pleasure, I present to you more high fashion from the early 1970s. These are the facing images that go alongside the women’s and men’s fashions seen on these two pages, and Eaton’s “total room” concept of home furnishings round out the reverse spread. Happy Halloween, everyone!
Pattullo Bridge, by Henry John Simpkins (RCA). This drawing is from a 1938-1939 Christmas greeting card from the Dominion Bridge Company Limited, the contractors that built the bridge. The bridge was opened November 15, 1937, so if the card was intended for December 1938, this would have been the bridges 1st birthday card as well! Seen for sale on ebay. More about the artist from Pegasus Gallery on Salt Spring Island, BC:
Henry John Simpkins, RCA (1906-1995) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He attended the Winnipeg school of art in 1923-1925. He traveled and painted across Canada, Newfoundland, Ontario, Manitoba, and B.C, as well as all over the Eastern U.S.A, England, Scotland, and Wales, settling in Montreal in 1929. He worked mainly in watercolor and some oils. His subjects included landscape, nudes, coastal scenes, figures, streetscapes, and everyday life. In Winnipeg he worked for Brigdens*. He exhibited with the RCA from 1930-1957, and the AAM/MMFA from 1931-1955.
* The link to the article on Brigdens is a must read! “Brigdens, one of Canada’s oldest graphic arts firms, opened a branch in Winnipeg in 1913 to produce the western Canadian version of the Eaton’s mail-order catalogue…”
Burrard Bridge, by Robert Jones, who according to this artist bio, “started painting in 1985 after he developed an interest in architectural illustration. He was an illustrator for six years, in which time he had the opportunity to develop skills in watercolour, gouache and airbrush techniques.” Seen on display in the window at the Time Frame Gallery on Robson Street.
Illustration of the Metro Cooperative Theatre Society vying for theatre space in the early days of Granville Island, from the cover of Performance, Magazine of the Arts in Vancouver, dated April 1-15, 1977. At this point in time, the paper was free twice a month, working towards a paid circulation. I don’t know how long it lasted. The masthead/imprint reveals that the publisher was Anthony R. Chick, the editor was Toni Dabbs, Richard Harrington was both the ad manager and art director, and Beverly Smith was production assistant. The drawing is signed Harrington, so presumably that was Richard Harrington, though I don’t think it was this Richard Harrington. Inside I spotted an article by Bob Cummings, who was an early influential writer for the Georgia Straight. Interesting little paper; anyone else remember anything about it?
