Historic Photographs to look at

[mr.steevo]

Hi,

This is interesting.

The Glenbow Museum's archives has most of its photographs available online for anyone to view. There are thousands of photographs of Calgary, Alberta, and western Canada that extend back to the 1890's. I've even purchased prints from the museum and mounted them.

If you would like to look at what Calgary looked like 100 years ago go to this link:

http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archivesPhotosSearch.aspx

Type your search in the Keywords/Phrase box (eg. 17th Avenue, 14th Street, Stephen Avenue)

The search does not recognize street abbreviations (Ave., St., Dr., etc.) so you must type in the full word. Numbered streets require the "th", "rd", "st" (as in 4th, 3rd, 1st). The search engine is rigid, unfortunately.

I enjoy the images with the search term: streetcar & 14th Street

It also pains me to look at the buildings that used to stand on Jasper Avenue that are now Impark Lots.

Let us know what you stumble upon!
s.

[Calgarian]

I think there was already a thread about this.

[mr.steevo]

Hi,

My apologies. I didn't realize there was a thread on this topic already.

Unfortunately I do not know how to delete a thread.

s.

[freeweed]

Never hurts to have another thread about this.

[RWin]

I couldn't find the other thread so I'll raise this one from the dead. I got talking to a guy at work about Calgary history and within a few minutes he was even more addicted to looking for old photos than he was to 2048. I got the bug too I must say. Now I've been looking around the house for a book I have called "Calgary Then and Now". No luck so far.

But the link Mr. Steevo posts above has more photos than the book could ever hold.

Anyway, it seems that Jenkins Groceteria must have been a pretty well known grocery store in its day. It's interesting to see how a grocery store changes over the years from say 1911 when it kind of resembled Mr. Olson's store from Little House to 1950 when it's looking a lot more like what you'd expect to see today. I guess it helps that it's a colour photo.


File number: PA-2453-245

Title: Jenkins' Groceteria, Calgary, Alberta.

Date: [ca. 1950]

[RWin]

File number: NA-4501-3

Title: Interior view of H.M. Jenkins' grocery store, Calgary, Alberta.

Date: 1911

[Fuzz]

As a geographer, you are going to have to suffer through my lust of aerial photos!

This is a cool one from 1924 that shows Stamped Park. Interesting to see the orientation of the track and surroundings.


http://contentdm.ucalgary.ca/cdm4/it...&CISOPTR=20918

[RWin]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

As a geographer, you are going to have to suffer through my lust of aerial photos!

No suffering for me

[UofC.engineer]

It's a shame that most of those old houses around Victoria park were torn down and turned into empty lots.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

It's a shame that most of those old houses around Victoria park were torn down and turned into empty lots.

Come on now, they make awesome parking lots, empty 99% of the time!

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

It's a shame that most of those old houses around Victoria park were torn down and turned into empty lots.

Stampede in the 70's wanted to expand the fairgrounds from 17th Ave to the railway tracks. I heard that someone back then decided the parade should start in the fairgrounds, loop through downtown (west to Mewata & back), and return to the fairgrounds. It would encourage the parade viewers to 'join the parade to the fairgrounds' and boost the opening day head-count.

Except they still didn't know how to get across the CPR tracks to get from from 9th Ave to 17th Ave.
Not a Minor Detail.

City thought this was a great excuse for 'Urban Renewal'

Stampede bought up some homes in the area (using numbered companies &tc to disguise who was behind the purchases), and rented out the houses like a slum-lord.

They got the rest of the properties cheap because anyone owning there didn't want to stay in an 'east end slum' after Stampede became land owners.

Quel Suprise?!?

The old houses that were rented out to disreputable people were being damaged, and with minimal upkeep were 'beyond repair' in a few years - gotta knock them over now.

The only problem is by the 80's when they had most of the property that used to be Victoria Park, there were a few recessions and they didn't have much cash to build anything other than the Saddledome and then - much later the BMO Centre / Casino.

So for decades there have been parking lots where a vibrant community used to be.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

It's a shame that most of those old houses around Victoria park were torn down and turned into empty lots.

I think it's safe to say that the Stampede completely destroyed the surrounding community of Victoria Park. At least one day it will be covered in condo towers.. Interesting photo!

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Stampede in the 70's wanted to expand the fairgrounds from 17th Ave to the railway tracks. I heard that someone back then decided the parade should start in the fairgrounds, loop through downtown (west to Mewata & back), and return to the fairgrounds. It would encourage the parade viewers to 'join the parade to the fairgrounds' and boost the opening day head-count.

Except they still didn't know how to get across the CPR tracks to get from from 9th Ave to 17th Ave.
Not a Minor Detail.

City thought this was a great excuse for 'Urban Renewal'

Stampede bought up some homes in the area (using numbered companies &tc to disguise who was behind the purchases), and rented out the houses like a slum-lord.

They got the rest of the properties cheap because anyone owning there didn't want to stay in an 'east end slum' after Stampede became land owners.

Quel Suprise?!?

The old houses that were rented out to disreputable people were being damaged, and with minimal upkeep were 'beyond repair' in a few years - gotta knock them over now.

The only problem is by the 80's when they had most of the property that used to be Victoria Park, there were a few recessions and they didn't have much cash to build anything other than the Saddledome and then - much later the BMO Centre / Casino.

So for decades there have been parking lots where a vibrant community used to be.

Thanks for the history lesson, that was very interesting, yet sad. I'm 25 years old and as far back as I can remember Victoria park and East village were always run down. Although I remember a few more houses being in Victoria Park when I was a kid.

Did the Stampede also buy any properties west of Macleod and East of 2nd St SW? Because within those 4 blocks there is still a ton of surface parking lots.

[kw5150]

They really just ploughed over the rich river bank vegetation to build the new stampede track eh? Its no wonder why that area has river bank erosion problems! The river used to have a gentle bend at the southeast corner of the stampede grounds.....now, they have filled right to the edge of the stampede and I believe they are causing instability of Scotmans hill.

Can you tell I am working on the repair of the pathway right now? The work is being performed right now, so plan a detour through stampede if you are thinking of cycling or walking in that direction.

Originally Posted by Fuzz

As a geographer, you are going to have to suffer through my lust of aerial photos!

This is a cool one from 1924 that shows Stamped Park. Interesting to see the orientation of the track and surroundings.


http://contentdm.ucalgary.ca/cdm4/it...&CISOPTR=20918

[artvandelay]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Stampede in the 70's wanted to expand the fairgrounds from 17th Ave to the railway tracks. I heard that someone back then decided the parade should start in the fairgrounds, loop through downtown (west to Mewata & back), and return to the fairgrounds. It would encourage the parade viewers to 'join the parade to the fairgrounds' and boost the opening day head-count.

Except they still didn't know how to get across the CPR tracks to get from from 9th Ave to 17th Ave.
Not a Minor Detail.

City thought this was a great excuse for 'Urban Renewal'

Stampede bought up some homes in the area (using numbered companies &tc to disguise who was behind the purchases), and rented out the houses like a slum-lord.

They got the rest of the properties cheap because anyone owning there didn't want to stay in an 'east end slum' after Stampede became land owners.

Quel Suprise?!?

The old houses that were rented out to disreputable people were being damaged, and with minimal upkeep were 'beyond repair' in a few years - gotta knock them over now.

The only problem is by the 80's when they had most of the property that used to be Victoria Park, there were a few recessions and they didn't have much cash to build anything other than the Saddledome and then - much later the BMO Centre / Casino.

So for decades there have been parking lots where a vibrant community used to be.

This is a misconception. The decline of the Victoria Park neighbourhood was City directed. The Stampede Board initially wanted to move to Lincoln Park in the SW (which didn't work out), and then expand to the CN lands where Lindsay Park sits today. They had even acquired properties in the Erlton area, but the City shot this down because they didn't want the grounds to cross MacLeod Trail. The Stampede was essentially forced by the City to expand northward because the City hoped to leverage federal urban renewal funds to redevelop the area. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) the federal program was cancelled before the project could get underway and the Stampede Board was left to sit on the land holdings without a plan in place. The Victoria Park neighbourhood actually experienced a revival in the 1970s, but the construction of the Saddledome precipitated a significant number of demolitions that marked the beginning of the end for Victoria Park as a residential area.

[/historylesson]

Edit: For further reading, I encourage you read Dr. Max Foran's article: Coalitions and Demolitions: The Destruction of East Victoria Park

[RyLucky]

IIRC, there were still houses being torn down and paved over in Vic Park well into the '90s. By then, it had a really seedy reputation typical of urban decay in other cities. I don't mean to say this validates the City's and the Stampedes actions, but rather that the City and Stampede caused this.

[citizenfreak]

Originally Posted by artvandelay

This is a misconception. The decline of the Victoria Park neighbourhood was City directed. The Stampede Board initially wanted to move to Lincoln Park in the SW (which didn't work out), and then expand to the CN lands where Lindsay Park sits today. They had even acquired properties in the Erlton area, but the City shot this down because they didn't want the grounds to cross MacLeod Trail. The Stampede was essentially forced by the City to expand northward because the City hoped to leverage federal urban renewal funds to redevelop the area. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) the federal program was cancelled before the project could get underway and the Stampede Board was left to sit on the land holdings without a plan in place. The Victoria Park neighbourhood actually experienced a revival in the 1970s, but the construction of the Saddledome precipitated a significant number of demolitions that marked the beginning of the end for Victoria Park as a residential area.

[/historylesson]

Edit: For further reading, I encourage you read Dr. Max Foran's article: Coalitions and Demolitions: The Destruction of East Victoria Park

The Erlton proposal made front page news in 1963 & even included diversion of the Elbow. Read it here..
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...1792%2C6024179

[Fuzz]

Cool collection of old vs new.


Source: Canadian Geographic

Neat to see the Saddledome and Suncor Tower under construction in the same shot.

Lots here:
http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2014/01...y-skyline.html

[RWin]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Cool collection of old vs new.


Source: Canadian Geographic

Neat to see the Saddledome and Suncor Tower under construction in the same shot.

Lots here:
http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2014/01...y-skyline.html

This looks like it's either under construction or after the apocalypse.