We're two sisters who are craft book publishers and found ourselves in the midst of an avocado grove. We bought this house where we planned to conduct our publishing business and in the deal got 4 acres of avocado trees thrown in. Now we're not only publishers but ranchers as well! This blog is all about avocados and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Sepia Saturday 98 - A Religious Outing in Stanley Park, Vancouver

Here's a happy group, all dressed up and on their way somewhere. They're not exactly in a bus, but a big observation car from the BCE Railway.  The photo was taken Aug. 2, 1910 and it's a group called the St. Andrew's Y.P.S.C.E. (Young Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor). This is actually an interfaith religious group whose goal was to promote religious understanding. We could use a group like that now, couldn't we? At one time they were 1,000,000 strong with over 18,500 societies. I found societies on the internet that are still in existence today.

The photograph isn't signed by the photographer, but doing some research on the Stanley Park area, I discovered that the most prominent photographer of that era was Phillip Timms. Could he have taken this photograph? I'm not sure, but the time is right and the area is right.



"Phillip Timms was born in Toronto in 1874. He lived to one month short of his 99th birthday having lived a long life filled with many interests and considerable accomplishments.

He considered his greatest professional accomplishment to be the photographic record that he created of Vancouver between 1900 and 1910. The photographic record that he left behind affords us a valuable glimpse of the province during its period of growth from a frontier outpost to a well-established center of industry and tourism.

All of Timms' photographs have a certain recognizable quality about them; much of the kindness and gentleness of the man himself comes through. His shots are candid and uncluttered and capture dramatically the feeling and mood of the time.

He closed his shop on Commercial Drive in 1968 at the age of 94, after 70 years as a photographer."

So does this photograph seem candid, uncluttered and have the feeling and the mood of the time. I think it does. So I'm going to say it's by Timms. What do you think?

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11 comments:

  1. Little NellOctober 28, 2011 at 4:52 AM

    I remember Christian Endeavour being quite popular when I was young. I had several friends who went to weekly youth clubs. That observation car is interesting; it looks as though the seats are tiered.

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  2. PostcardyOctober 28, 2011 at 4:59 AM

    I wonder whether there is any record of Timm being part of "Stanley Park Photographers." That type of photo isn't what I would think is "candid, uncluttered and have the feeling and the mood of the time."

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  3. tonyOctober 28, 2011 at 5:17 AM

    Yes, He Does Have A Kind Face.......I Guess Your Right About Him Being The Photographer here.
    Of Topiv But........such Mass (pun?)Visible Religious Outings Are Rare These Days in England & (i suspect Canada too?)
    But I Am Struck How Common A Sight They Still Are In Italy (EXAMPLE:)

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  4. North County Film ClubOctober 28, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    hi Little Nell,
    That surprising that you remember Christian Endeavor. I had never heard of it before doing this research. I'm so surprised that they're still around.
    Nancy

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  5. North County Film ClubOctober 28, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    Hi Postcardy,
    Yes, you're absolutely right. This photo doesn't look candid and uncluttered, but I do think it shows the mood of the time.
    I couldn't find any record of Timms being associated with Stanley Park Photographers.
    Nancy

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  6. North County Film ClubOctober 28, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    Hi tony,
    Interesting photo from Italy. I guess when you have an all Catholic country, the religious outings are more popular. There's no one to object.
    Nancy

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  7. Christine H.October 28, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    Well, it would be uncluttered with about 45 fewer people, but I sure love it. It also reminds me of beautiful days in Stanley Park when I visited Vancouver. What a fantastic park.

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  8. Brett PayneOctober 29, 2011 at 1:57 AM

    I've seen tiered vehicles like that, used for game viewing, even tiered buses, but never a tiered observation railcar - fascinating. I don't believe I saw any of those when I visited Stanley Park 25 odd years ago.

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  9. Liz StrattonOctober 29, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    What a great photo and piece about Timms. Now you have me totally curious - a cross directory for the area at the time might show Timms' business address at the time was the same as Stanley Park Photographers or Timms' obituary or .... Now my brain will be working all day on ways to solve the mystery!

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  10. Sheila @ A Postcard a DayOctober 30, 2011 at 2:56 AM

    What an amazing vehicle! I would love to have ridden in something like that.

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  11. Bruno LalibertéNovember 4, 2011 at 12:22 AM

    70 years committed to his passion?!?
    WOW!!!
    it's not something you often see.
    :)~
    HUGZ

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