Illustrated Vancouver, the Czech Republic Edition! As you may have noticed, I haven’t posted here for a while. This was largely because I was away from my desk, traveling through Poland and the Czech Republic.

While touring through Prague, I made a point to seek out the antiquarian bookstores simply to see what I could find. I didn’t find any souvenirs of Vancouver, but I did come back with a great set of postcards, and so I present to you a couple of my favourites as souvenirs.

First, I’m quite proud of this embroidered postcard of the Charles Bridge and the Castle District in Prague (described as uměle tkané obrazy, or artificially woven images). Yes, it’s true the bridge is amazing (entirely filled with pedestrian tourists) and the Prague Castle is the biggest ancient castle in the world, according to Guinness Book of Records. But this postcard, I have never seen anything like it! It was the only one of it’s kind among some 6 shoe boxes filled with postcards. It was also the most expensive one I bought at 100 korunas (approx $5).

Next, the woodcut postcard by Rudolf Stalla depicts the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, Czech Republic. This Baroque monument was built from 1716–1754; I’m guessing the postcard dates some time between 1938-1941, given that the language of the postcard is German, and the term “Sudetenland” is used to describe the region. Knowing this sinister period in history, the shadows cast in the woodcut are rather ominous. But much of the city survived WWII, and Olomouc today is known as having the second best concentration of Baroque architecture next to Prague. It’s located half way between Krakow and Prague, so if you are traveling between the two, I highly recommend you stop in Olomouc!

So that’s a brief explanation describing where I’ve been for the past little while, featuring two of my favourite souvenirs from my trip. I took around 4,000 photos while I was there, and I’ve posted close to 1,000 of them already! But now that my trip is finished, I do believe it’s time to return to a more regular routine exploring Vancouver’s art history.

Speaking of which, today marks the deadline for my contest to win the silk souvenir pillowcase of Vancouver! If you were planning on entering, now is your last chance to submit! I’ll have a special Canada Day post tomorrow, and then I shall draw the winner of the pillowcase in the following post, which I expect will follow on Monday, July 2. Stay tuned for more!

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.

Hotel Devonshire, a postcard by Edward Goodall. Here’s an archival photo almost from the same vantage point, or how it would have appeared from the old Hotel Vancouver. According to Emporis, construction began in 1923 and was completed in 1924; the building was designed by the prestigious McCarter & Nairne Partners. More facts:

• Demolished on July 5, 1981 at 7:05 a.m. with 100 kilograms of dynamite, along with the famous Cave nightclub, to make way for the HSBC Building.
• Opened as an apartment building for boarders, named The Devonshire Apartment Hotel.

The Burrard Motel, a vintage postcard by the Vancouver postcard artist Edward Goodall. This postcard shows the final design circa 1954; the hotel opened in 1956. I didn’t realize the Burrard Motel, now the Burrard Hotel is actually a trendy hip vintage midcentury modern mix of style and fashion, right in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Any hotel with an inner courtyard deserves some credit in my books!

PNE Promotional Postcard, depicting the BC Pavilion some time prior to its construction for the 1954 Empire Games. This postcard was part of a campaign seeking public support for the expansion of the PNE’s commercial buildings.

The card is addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Ratepayer, Vancouver, BC. At the time, postcard postage cost 1 1/2 cents. The card reads:

Please vote “yes” on the PNE bylaw, Dec 10th. The PNE pays all sinking funds and interest payments as in the past. Be sure to vote “yes” for this urgently needed expansion of your Pacific National Exhibition, a non profit public body serving you.

Ernest Ferguson
President PNE

ps: It won’t cost the taxpayers a cent. Your vote is needed!

When completed, the BC Pavilion housed the infamous Challenger Map, the largest relief map of it’s kind in the world. Later the building would house the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Since the Challenger Map is a personal favourite subject of mine, here’s a bit more from challengermap.org:

The Challenger Map resided in the British Columbia Pavilion at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. It was installed in 1954 at the time of the British Empire Games held at Empire Stadium also at the PNE Grounds.

Over the next 43 years the map was seen by millions of visitors to the PNE and many more tourists, locals and particularly school groups during the rest of the year.

In 1997 the BC Pavilion was torn down and the map moved to storage at Bekins Moving and Storage in Richmond BC.

Alan Clapp has been campaigning for a new home for the Challenger Map for years. In case you don’t know who Alan Clapp is, he was a key figure in the development of Granville Island, in addition to being one of the main organizers of Habitat 76, and he also happened to write a book on improvements for Granville Street in 1978.

The map was in real jeopardy in recent years, and after much campaigning, and as far as I know, its future is still undetermined. A small portion of the map was displayed at the ISU Joint Security Headquarters in Richmond during the 2010 Winter Olympics, but I don’t believe anyone really got to see it unless you worked in the building.

I do hope the efforts of George Challenger and Allan Clapp are not forgotten; this map deserves a permanent home.

2400 Court, a postcard of unknown vintage which appears to be signed by Christian Anderson, no relation to Hans Christian Andersen I presume.

A postcard for The York Hotel, 790 Howe Street, Vancouver. The York was featured on Changing Vancouver earlier this month. The Sears building designed by Cesar Pelli has taken it’s place. Soon, things are destined to change once again. Sears is planning to leave this building before Halloween of this year; then the building will get its makeover. Hooray!

Postcard acquired at All Nations Stamp and Coin, previously in the Bay on West Georgia Street, they’ve since moved to 5630 Dunbar.

The Cave Supper Club souvenir postcard, circa 1957.

Oh, this is great! How did I miss this one! Thanks, pasttensevancouver!

Vintage postcard of the third (and current) Hotel Vancouver built in 1939, via etsy.