Category Archives: Don Coltman

Vancouver’s David Spencer Department Store

Posted on 12/25/2020 by mdm

This post is about David Spencer, Ltd. This was a now-long-gone but once much-loved B.C. department store chain with a store located in downtown Vancouver, which most residents of the city today know as the locations of Harbour Centre tower and … Continue reading →

Posted in department stores, Dominion Photo, Don Coltman, Harry Bullen, street scenes, stuart thomson, Uncategorized | Tagged "Diamond S", bc, David Spencer Ltd., department store, Gordon Poppy, history, native indian exhibit, re-development, Spencer's, vancouver, window displays | 17 Comments

Mistaken Assumption . . .

Posted on 07/06/2020 by mdm

There’s a building on West Hastings near Hamilton about which I’ve had a long-standing misconception. It’s sweeping facade reminded me so much of a 1940s-style movie theatre that I’ve always assumed that that was the original occupant. [1] But I … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, interiors | Tagged "Streamline Deco", 314 W. Hastings, bc, Charles Chang Innovation Centre, Commerce Bank, Drug King Self Serve Supermarket, history, Tip Top Tailors, vancouver, vogue theatre | 4 Comments

Nabob’s ‘Harmony House’ on CBC

Posted on 06/13/2020 by mdm

The “Harmony House” radio variety show was the first commercial radio program originating in the West to be put on CBC’s network. It was broadcast live from the Orpheum Theatre, starting in September 1943 [1]. The corporate sponsor of Harmony … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, music | Tagged Barney Potts, bc, Bunty Wishart, CBC Radio and TV, Harmony House, history, Juliette Sysak, Mamie Wishart, Marion Wright, Nabob, orchestra, orpheum theatre, Pat ("Buster") Morgan, radio, Richmond ("Ricky") Hyslop, Suzaznne Sysak, Theatre Under the Stars, Thora Anders, TV, vancouver, Vera Zimmerman | 7 Comments

Smoking Prohibited at this Smoker!

Posted on 06/07/2020 by mdm

This is a very brief post to point out a couple of interesting aspects of this WWII-era “Smoker” (a social gathering that typically included tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking) of the 201st Battery, held in downtown Vancouver. First, I should … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, war | Tagged 201st Battery, 535 Homer Street, bc, Belkin House, commodore lanes, history, Salvation Army, Smoker, vancouver, Victory Hall, WWII | 2 Comments

1948 Exterior Views of Vancouver’s Grand Old Lady

Posted on 03/29/2020 by mdm

This is a pictorial post of crops based on some terrific images made of the Old Hotel Vancouver (1916) by Don Coltman in April 1948. Judging from the titles given the original images, I take it that these were commissioned … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, hotels/motels/inns | Tagged bc, Eaton's, history, old hotel vancouver (1916), sears, vancouver | 6 Comments

Where Was This Photo Made?

Posted on 03/02/2019 by mdm

I’ve intentionally not shown a caption description of the location of the above image. I’d like you to study the photo and take your best guess as to which block is shown here. Okay, ready? It is the east side … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, yesterday & today | Tagged 2310 West 4th Avenue, 330 Seymour, bc, Changing Vancouver, cordova, Eaton's, Gordon Poppy, harbour centre, hastings, history, Mackenzie Brothers, Molson Bank, richard, Robertson Brothers, seymour, Spencer's, vancouver, waterfront station | 5 Comments

700 Seymour in ’47

Posted on 01/27/2019 by mdm

The three images featured in this post of the 700 block of Seymour Street are among the finest available of the block from CVA online. Professional photographer, Don Coltman, was commissioned to make the images for Shell Oil, Co. in … Continue reading →

Posted in businesses, Don Coltman, Uncategorized | Tagged 700 Seymour, bc, BC Telephone Co. (Telus), birks, Blackburn's auto sales, Code's Parking, Finch Garage, Fire Hall No. 2, Girvan's Arts and Crafts Studio, history, Hudson Bay Co., John Girvan, Quadra Club, Rose Cowan & Latta Printers, Royal Parking, scotia tower, Shell Oil, Smith's button works, Strand (Allen) Theatre, Technocracy, vancouver, vancouver block, Vancouver Centre Mall, Yorkshire Building | 10 Comments

‘Bailey Bridge’ in Downtown Vancouver, 1944

Posted on 01/01/2019 by mdm

Updated (First Published August 2015) This photograph shows a 240-foot Bailey Bridge (1 of 2 by Don Coltman; the other image appears below) spanning Georgia Street at Howe Street in 1944. Zooming on the image reveals a sign on the structure … Continue reading →

Posted in architects, bridges/viaducts, Don Coltman, street scenes | Tagged bailey bridge, bc, bc medical-dental building, devonshire hotel, georgia hotel, georgia street, history, Hotel Vancouver, howe street, Sir Donald Bailey, vancouver, world war II | 2 Comments

The Age of Aquaria

Posted on 04/22/2018 by mdm

You may have been under the impression (as was I) that the only location of Vancouver’s Aquarium has been where it is today: at Stanley Park. This misapprehension is abetted by the current aquarium’s lack of acknowledgement of its forbears on … Continue reading →

Posted in aquarium, Dominion Photo, Don Coltman | Tagged bathhouse, bc, english bay, fisheries building, Hastings Park, history, Ivar Haglund, Lipsett Collection, Museum of Vancouver, Neil Whaley, stanley park, vancouver, Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver Parks Board, West End Community Centre, William Knight | 2 Comments

Fuel-Based Buses

Posted on 11/12/2017 by mdm

The buses shown above and below¹ are some very early examples of transit that was powered by fuel (rather than electricity, as with the electric railway or trolleys). According to Kelly & Francis in Transit in British Columbia: The First … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, public transit, Uncategorized | Tagged ads, bc, BCER, Buses, history, posters, vancouver | 5 Comments

Lads and Strays BENEATH the Platform, Please!

Posted on 11/21/2016 by mdm

The photo above was made in 1943 on the occasion of (among other things, perhaps) the crowning of the Air Raid Precautions (A.R.P.), District 16 “Queen” Viola Balzer from among other contenders for the crown (some of whom, I assume, … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, parks, people | Tagged A.R.P., Air Raid Precautions, amputee, bc, boys, East Indian ancestry, girls, history, Queen, vancouver, Viola Balzer, world war 2 | Leave a comment

325 Howe

Posted on 02/24/2016 by mdm

The Name Game The building shown above has been known as the “Welton” Building (1912-1919), the “Pacific Coast Fire” Building (1920-?), and recently, probably, simply as good old 325 Howe. Who decides what a building shall be called? It is usually safe to … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, street scenes, stuart thomson | Tagged 325 Howe, cordova, Pacific Coast Fire Building, the bluff, waterfront reclamation, Welton Building | 4 Comments

Stanley in Winter

Posted on 10/18/2015 by mdm

This slideshow is a compilation by me of some of the best winter scenes of Stanley Park in the holdings of the City of Vancouver Archives.

Posted in Don Coltman, parks, people, slideshows | Tagged bc, history, stanley park, vancouver | Leave a comment

An All But Unknown Burrard Street

Posted on 10/02/2015 by mdm

This is a northward view along Burrard Street from near Melville Street (the street that today is adjacent to the Burrard St. Skytrain Station). The most striking aspect of this image to me is that the only building I recognize … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Coltman, street scenes | Tagged bc, burrard street, history, melville street, vancouver | 2 Comments

Marine Chain Manufacturing

Posted on 08/16/2015 by mdm

My friend, Wes, has knowledge on a wide range of topics – from cars to aircraft to, evidently, welding processes. I asked him today if he had any idea what the manufacturing steps were that were illustrated in these Vancouver … Continue reading →

Posted in boats/ships, businesses, Don Coltman | Tagged a bridge of ships, bc, chain manufacturing, history, james pritchard, merchant shipping, vancouver, WWII | 2 Comments