Historic Vancouver Photos

[delboy]

Anyone familar with the Hastings Side of Army and Navy where there is a monstrous collection of blue tiles may not know that it once was the site of the beautiful Rex Theatre. I hope some of the original facade is still alive and well behind the blue tiles....


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29366733@N03/2742819927/

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Hasti...9Ec3lWsezCEG9ESxA&cbp=12,55.11,,0,-20.14

[phesto]

Here's a few skyline shots I found from the early 70's:

1971:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/intervene/5262716795/
lindsaybridge



http://www.flickr.com/photos/bishopsgreen/2489307813/



http://www.flickr.com/photos/bishopsgreen/2490125214/
RobertCiavarro



http://www.flickr.com/photos/intervene/4900976594/

1972:


Coal Harbour!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidthomasross/4040468675/
davidtross



http://www.flickr.com/photos/37908073@N04/5030821589/
R R Horne

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by phesto

Here's a few skyline shots I found from the early 70's:

1971:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bishopsgreen/2490125214/
RobertCiavarro

I wonder what year the big Hotel Vancouver sign came down? I assume the Mayfair Hotel in front of it is now the Wedgewood?

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by delboy

Anyone familar with the Hastings Side of Army and Navy where there is a monstrous collection of blue tiles may not know that it once was the site of the beautiful Rex Theatre. I hope some of the original facade is still alive and well behind the blue tiles....


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29366733@N03/2742819927/

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Hasti...9Ec3lWsezCEG9ESxA&cbp=12,55.11,,0,-20.14

Looking at the historic photos the theatre facade ornamentation was 'in front of' (ie: closer to the street than) the A&N building on the left, and the red brick building on its right, which you can see by the top cornices wrapping around the corners of the theatre facade before the plain connection to the buildings on either side.

The blue panelling on the current Google Street View appears to be recessed when compared to the A&N building on the left, and the red brick "Backpackers Hostel" to the right. Notice the shadow of the red brick building?

This suggests to me the theatre's facade was scraped off, back to the bare steel & concrete or bricks, then the blue panelling added to dress up the front of the building to 'modernize it'.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by delboy

Anyone familar with the Hastings Side of Army and Navy where there is a monstrous collection of blue tiles may not know that it once was the site of the beautiful Rex Theatre. I hope some of the original facade is still alive and well behind the blue tiles....


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29366733@N03/2742819927/

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Hasti...9Ec3lWsezCEG9ESxA&cbp=12,55.11,,0,-20.14

wow! just wow! great find and thanks for the google link. what a shit job Army Navy did there on that one

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by phesto

Here's a few skyline shots I found from the early 70's:



http://www.flickr.com/photos/bishopsgreen/2489307813/

great photo find! interesting to see

1) how much lower density Robson was but still very built up. None of the 80/90's large scale consolidated projects had happened yet ... think Robson Centerpointe, etc

2) Smithe/Haro ran one way off of Thurlow......

[SpikePhanta]

those shots of the 70's are very cool! Great to see those shots of different office towers that were built, along with the shot of the Canadian train, the color scheme was much better than the current one.
Shots of robson and coal harbour are cool too! Thanks for sharing.

[EastVanMark]

The Rex truly was a great loss to the city. However, at least the building was used for another purpose. The more opulent Pantages Theatre across the street was torn down to make way for a a very useful... wait for it...parking lot..which it stayed for the next 30+ years!!!

Vancouver was once home to some of the very best theatres in all of North America trailing only Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. But then again, we actually put a value to things like that back then *sigh*

[delboy]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

great photo find! interesting to see

1) how much lower density Robson was but still very built up. None of the 80/90's large scale consolidated projects had happened yet ... think Robson Centerpointe, etc

2) Smithe/Haro ran one way off of Thurlow......

I can still remember Robson Street in the early 90's when many of the shops were still houses with retail on the main and second floors. It would have been nice if at least a few of those had been saved.....

I guess we all lament would could have been. best to focus on what still remains.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

The Rex truly was a great loss to the city. However, at least the building was used for another purpose. The more opulent Pantages Theatre across the street was torn down to make way for a a very useful... wait for it...parking lot..which it stayed for the next 30+ years!!!

Vancouver was once home to some of the very best theatres in all of North America trailing only Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. But then again, we actually put a value to things like that back then *sigh*

this set on flicker has a great run of old theatres that once stood proudly. Few, sadly, are still standing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29366733@N03/2742819703/in/photostream/

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by delboy

Anyone familar with the Hastings Side of Army and Navy where there is a monstrous collection of blue tiles may not know that it once was the site of the beautiful Rex Theatre. I hope some of the original facade is still alive and well behind the blue tiles....


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29366733@N03/2742819927/

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Hasti...9Ec3lWsezCEG9ESxA&cbp=12,55.11,,0,-20.14

The entire building was gutted and stripped to the shell but apparently there's some original plaster work still there. But this is just one of many examples of ornate buildings being stripped and/or covered up in this city. Although this may be the most depressing example.

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

The Rex truly was a great loss to the city. However, at least the building was used for another purpose. The more opulent Pantages Theatre across the street was torn down to make way for a a very useful... wait for it...parking lot..which it stayed for the next 30+ years!!!

Vancouver was once home to some of the very best theatres in all of North America trailing only Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. But then again, we actually put a value to things like that back then *sigh*

Apparently the owner could make more money on the site with charging for a handful of parking stalls than having the building sit vacant. It's sad, but so indicative of the era and happened all over North America.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by entheosfog

Apparently the owner could make more money on the site with charging for a handful of parking stalls than having the building sit vacant. It's sad, but so indicative of the era and happened all over North America.

And theatres were particulary vulnarable as there was less demand from them and limited ability to repurpose them. It would have been nice had the city recognised the signifcance of some (such as the stanley alliance) and saved them, but we have all seen how Pantages has fared.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by entheosfog

The entire building was gutted and stripped to the shell but apparently there's some original plaster work still there. But this is just one of many examples of ornate buildings being stripped and/or covered up in this city. Although this may be the most depressing example.

I ve noticed a few also, some along west hastings and I noticed the other day that the Telus building just off Robson and Seymour is an older building with a glass structure covering the entire building, I thought at first it was a new build.....

Perhaps as areas such as west hastings become more relevant, the buildings down there will get the attention and respect they deserve. Another is the Victoria Block which has had the main level boarded up over a decade, I last recall a tacky t shirt shop and an army surplus store in there.

[jsbertram]

Detroit has the classiest parking garage you'll ever see:



Formerly the Michigan Theatre:



See http://jalopnik.com/5715589/the-secret-of-the-classiest-parking-lot-of-all-time for the story.

[SpikePhanta]

Detroit is always a sad story, i hate reading about it. Their suburbs are still ok though.

But yes hopefully once the downtown estside and chinatown undergooes its "gentrification" that some buildings will be refurbished.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by entheosfog

Apparently the owner could make more money on the site with charging for a handful of parking stalls than having the building sit vacant. It's sad, but so indicative of the era and happened all over North America.

And more recently, owners of parking lots in Vancouver (while waiting to build new condos) have discovered they can change the land into 'community gardens' and pay lower taxes than they do on a parking lot.

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by delboy

I ve noticed a few also, some along west hastings and I noticed the other day that the Telus building just off Robson and Seymour is an older building with a glass structure covering the entire building, I thought at first it was a new build.....

Perhaps as areas such as west hastings become more relevant, the buildings down there will get the attention and respect they deserve. Another is the Victoria Block which has had the main level boarded up over a decade, I last recall a tacky t shirt shop and an army surplus store in there.

Actually the Victoria Block (and the building beside it to the east) have only been vacant for under a year. WOW Interiors used to occupy the space but moved to Kitsilano recently. Here's the Victoria Block, then and now:


Victoria Block - 1920s/2009 by entheos_fog, on Flickr

[delboy]

Originally Posted by entheosfog

Actually the Victoria Block (and the building beside it to the east) have only been vacant for under a year. WOW Interiors used to occupy the space but moved to Kitsilano recently. Here's the Victoria Block, then and now:


Victoria Block - 1920s/2009 by entheos_fog, on Flickr

neat pics thanks. the main level has been boarded up and vacant for over a decade. Yes wow was in the corner space but that was it. I remember a very rundown army surplus store there years ago, maybe well past a decade when i come to think of it. The building still look remarkably intact other than the centre v shaped bit. that area could be so much more.... i hope it turns around

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by delboy

neat pics thanks. the main level has been boarded up and vacant for over a decade. Yes wow was in the corner space but that was it. I remember a very rundown army surplus store there years ago, maybe well past a decade when i come to think of it. The building still look remarkably intact other than the centre v shaped bit. that area could be so much more.... i hope it turns around

Ah okay I see what you mean, thanks for the clarification. I really wish this building could see some love soon.