Old Aerial Photographs of Vancouver (1890-1930)

March 4, 2022 admin History, The City

One of the best ways to compare development in a city or of a general landscape is by comparing aerial photography of the past with future images of the same area. A few years ago I remember Google Earth was promoting their 30 year timelapse using images from space where one could visit any point on earth and compare the images from each year over that time period to see the rapid changes to a landscape.

Please visit the Vancouver Archives to find more amazing old photographs from the city’s past.

1890-Part of Vancouver, B.C. from Hotel Vancouver copy.jpg
1890-Part of Vancouver, B.C. from Hotel Vancouver copy.jpg

The Vancouver Archives have a lot of amazing aerial images from Vancouver over the years with some dating back to the late 1800s. Some of these images would make great frames in one’s home or office and most of the images are licensed under public domain. In this gallery we showcase some of our favourite old aerial photographs of Vancouver from the years 1890-1930. We have shrunk these images down to keep image sizes low but the full quality, large images are beautiful and can be found using the description we took from the website.

You can visit the Vancouver Archives website HERE.

1930-Looking west from the McLean Building showing the 200 Block Hastings Street
1930-Looking west from the McLean Building showing the 200 Block Hastings Street
1928-Aerial view of Alberta Wheat Pool elevator under construction and the East Vancouver Port Lands
1928-Aerial view of Alberta Wheat Pool elevator under construction and the East Vancouver Port Lands
1927-Aerial view of West End and Stanley Park
1927-Aerial view of West End and Stanley Park
1927-Aerial view looking west over Point Grey
1927-Aerial view looking west over Point Grey
1927-Aerial view looking northwest of the West End and Stanley Park
1927-Aerial view looking northwest of the West End and Stanley Park
1926-View of Vancouver waterfront showing Union Dock
1926-View of Vancouver waterfront showing Union Dock
1926-Aerial view looking north over Downtown
1926-Aerial view looking north over Downtown
1926-Aerial view looking north from False Creek
1926-Aerial view looking north from False Creek
1926-Aerial view looking east over Stanley Park, Coal Harbour and Burrard Inlet
1926-Aerial view looking east over Stanley Park, Coal Harbour and Burrard Inlet
1924-Aerial view of the Crescent in Shaughnessy
1924-Aerial view of the Crescent in Shaughnessy
1924-Aerial view of downtown Vancouver looking north along Granville Street
1924-Aerial view of downtown Vancouver looking north along Granville Street

1924-Aerial view [of Coal Harbour] taken about 1924
1924-Aerial view [of Coal Harbour] taken about 1924
1923-Vancouver from roof garden of [David] Spencer's [Department] Store
1923-Vancouver from roof garden of [David] Spencer’s [Department] Store

1921-Aerial view of BC Sugar refinery
1921-Aerial view of BC Sugar refinery
1920?-Aerial view of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
1920?-Aerial view of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
1919-View of Kitsilano and False Creek
1919-View of Kitsilano and False Creek
1919-View of City
1919-View of City
1919-Showing Entrance to Stanley Park looking East
1919-Showing Entrance to Stanley Park looking East
1919-Race Track - [Hastings] Park
1919-Race Track – [Hastings] Park
1919-North Vancouver waterfront
1919-North Vancouver waterfront
1919-Looking East showing Second Narrows and North Arm of Burrard (South Shore of Inlet - Hastings East)
1919-Looking East showing Second Narrows and North Arm of Burrard (South Shore of Inlet – Hastings East)
1919-Looking East Along Georgia Street
1919-Looking East Along Georgia Street
1919-[Looking East along North Shore of Burrard Inlet showing] Lyall Shipyards
1919-[Looking East along North Shore of Burrard Inlet showing] Lyall Shipyards
1917-Bird's Eye View - Vancouver Harbour B.C. Proposed Kitsilano Terminal and Free Port
1917-Bird’s Eye View – Vancouver Harbour B.C. Proposed Kitsilano Terminal and Free Port
1913-Looking west along Hastings Street at Homer Street towards Coal Harbour
1913-Looking west along Hastings Street at Homer Street towards Coal Harbour
1905-Vancouver Looking East
1905-Vancouver Looking East
1898-View of the east side of the 600 block Granville Street
1898-View of the east side of the 600 block Granville Street
1890?-Looking Across the Inlet from Hotel Vancouver
1890?-Looking Across the Inlet from Hotel Vancouver
1890-Vancouver, B.C. from Hotel Vancouver
1890-Vancouver, B.C. from Hotel Vancouver
1890-Part of Vancouver, B.C. from Hotel Vancouver
1890-Part of Vancouver, B.C. from Hotel Vancouver

 

Please visit the Vancouver Archives to find more amazing old photographs from the city’s past.

 

 

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