Glimpse of City from Stanley Park

The first photograph below, which I found in the City of Vancouver Archives, shows a young boy looking across Coal Harbour toward downtown Vancouver. According to the records, it was taken in 1907. That’s a long time ago!

I tried to figure out where this photograph might have been taken. The fact that the boy is looking across Coal Harbour toward downtown gives us a big clue, of course. It must be near the Coal Harbour entrance of Stanley Park. I passed the impressive building of the Vancouver Rowing Club and continued walking along the seawall for just a few more minutes. Observing the background and noticing that the curve of the seawall ahead matches the curve of the shoreline in the original photograph, I concluded that I had found the location I was searching for.

There I was, 118 years later, standing in the same spot where the young boy (or rather, his photographer) had once stood. To help me align the scene, there was even a bench right in front of me—a more modern one—with someone sitting on it. The date was January 12, 2025, and it was a sunny day in Vancouver after many consecutive rainy days.

1907
City of Vancouver Archives
Reference Code: CVA 677-728

January 12, 2025
© Ozgun Ulusoy