Frank Gowen's Vancouver, 1914-1931

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

Vancouver photographer Frank Gowen specialized in producing “real
photograph” picture postcards during the years when the popular demand
for postcards for communications and collections was at its peak
worldwide. He established himself as “The Official Stanley Park
Photographer,” with a licence to sell his wares in the park itself,
and found a ready market among the tourists and local residents for his
views of Vancouver, its parks, and the surrounding area from White Rock
to the Sunshine Coast.

The 139 black-and-white postcards beautifully reproduced in this
collection depict Vancouver during a period of active growth and change.
The views of buildings, streetscapes, ships, and parks are a treasure
trove for historians because they capture scenes, sights, and a way of
life that have long since passed. This is the fourth collection of
postcards that Thirkell and Scullion have published. The photographs are
arranged in 22 groups, each with an introductory essay presenting their
historical context and pointing out notable details. A great deal of
painstaking but clearly enjoyable research went into this collection,
identifying the subjects and teasing out their stories, and also into
the accompanying biography of Frank Gowen himself, which was drawn
largely from the recollections of his family members.