Vanishing British Columbia

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

“Roadside memory” was the inspiration for award-winning artist and
historian Michael Kluckner to embark on this new venture of
preservation. His previous publications—Vancouver: The Way It Was,
Victoria: The Way It Was, and Toronto: The Way It Was—recorded
buildings and vistas of cities before they were obliterated by
development. This work focuses on the countryside and small communities
throughout British Columbia that he came to know while on driving
holidays over many years.

As in the previous books, the jewels of this publication are his
exquisite watercolour paintings. Drawn from his travel sketchbooks, they
capture not only the visual image of his subject buildings and views but
also a more elusive quality conveying the essential “feel” of the
place. Curiosity led him to research the history of the sites he had
painted, and that led him to the families that lived there. The result
is that the paintings are set in detailed historical contexts and
supported by many family, archival, and postcard photographs. Organized
into nine regional groups, these illustrated essays preserve not only
the fading buildings but also the local histories of the areas and their
roles in the development of the province.