Empire Field, from the 1954 British Empire & Commonwealth Games, illustrated on a Macfarlane Lang & Co’s biscuit tin, from Glasgow, Scotland. Seen previously, this biscuit tin from competitors Gray and Dunn.
Vancouver in a bell jar - a souvenir kitsch sculpture of five landmark buildings; the Marine Building (1930), Harbour Centre (minus the Lookout, which appears to have vanished) (1977), BC Place (1983), Canada Place (1986), Science World (1986), and Library Square (1995). There’s not much in the way of an artists’ credit, except that it was made by Twinkle Globe, Canada. This is currently for sale on ebay, and though it looks tempting, I’m sure we’ll all be able to print this kind of thing at home on a 3D printer in a year or two. The current model on their website, if you search for Vancouver, features the same buildings plus it has a SkyTrain and appears to rotate and plays the tune Unforgettable. Tacky? Perhaps. But I still love it!
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.
Souvenir of Vancouver, BC; another pennant you may enjoy. I’m sure there’s lots more out there. Featured here: the RCMP at the Courthouse (now Art Gallery), Burrard Inlet, Indian Totem Poles at Stanley Park, and Lions Gate Bridge, again with a mistaken apostrophe. Perhaps this pennant is from the same era as the infamous silk pillowcase!
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.
- What
This biscuit tin from Scotland was produced for the Canadian export market. Ongoing immigration from the United Kingdom meant especially strong sales in British Columbia.
- Where
Foodstuff tins of this era made widespread use of landmark images. It is not surprising that the longest bridge in the British Empire was soon reproduced in this way.
- When
While this tin was manufactured in the early 1950s, the lid’s painting is based upon a 1939 photograph by Leonard Frank. Embellishments include the cars, scenery and a modern vessel…
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!
A Souvenir Pillowcase of Vancouver, on glorious printed silk. I’ve covered the souvenir plate meme previously, and this vintage pillowcase is definitely inspired by the tourist art aesthetic. We may never learn who the artists involved were, but looking at the closeup images, the artwork really begins to resemble scenes from a comic book, and I can totally imagine Tintin suddenly blazing onto the scene! I’m having a hard time dating this piece, but I have a hunch or two. For more, plus a DIY contest challenge, check out the cross-post on VancouverIsAwesome.com
Souvenir plates of Vancouver, part 2. Lions Gate Bridge, an idyllic postcard image on a decorated plate from Germany. Marked NC or CN Western Germany, most likely made in the 1950s or 1960s. Thanks Karin!
Souvenir plates of Vancouver. The first three are in the Museum of Vancouver; the rest are found in typical souvenir hideouts like ebay, Craigslist, or thrift shops. At the moment, the middle three plates are available from $5.99 to $35. These three are as follows: a 1930’s squared plate of the Lion’s Gate Bridge made by Crown Devon Fieldings, England ($35); a souvenir plate with the Vancouver Skyline, Lion’s Gate Bridge, Prospect Point, Grouse Mountain Skyride, and Bloedel Conservatory by Wood & Sons, England, likely 1970’s ($13); and a colourful souvenir plate, hand-painted in Japan, age undetermined ($5.99).
Souvenir T-shirt plaque, drawn by Luke-a-tuke. As seen at the ongoing close-out sale of the Novelty Gifts Express Ltd store at 114 E Pender St, Vancouver.
