W.J. Moore panorama of English Bay - 1919
Very Old Vancouver Virtual Tours
William John Moore was a photographer in Vancouver during the first half of the 20th century, specializing in panoramic photography with a large Kodak No. 8 Cirkut camera, which could capture a full 360° view. This camera, patented in 1904 and sold until the 1940s, was challenging to use and was mainly purchased by commercial photographers. The camera rotated on the tripod while simultaneously winding the film. W.J. Moore mastered this complex camera and captured thousands of remarkable panoramas of a Vancouver that has long since disappeared.
Flattening curved panoramas results in distortion, but thanks to modern technology, we can now view Moore’s panoramas as the eye would naturally perceive them—in a curved, head turning manner rather than flat and all at once. The lens rotated around the negative so many years ago; now, finally, the viewer’s eye can move around the panorama in a more natural way.
I’ve colorized his images and made mine black & white for effect, using AI coloring—which, as you’ll see, is still not perfected.
This is a passion project in progress, and I plan to reshoot many more of his fantastic panoramas. I’ll post them on my blog as I do. If you’d like to stay updated, you can sign up at the bottom of this page.
My name is Mike Clegg. I also specialize in panoramic photography and have done so for much of the early part of this century, helping to presell condo views before construction begins. Here’s a link to my panoramic work: 360 Condo Views.
Take a look at Moore’s panoramas below. I find them absolutely intriguing, and I’m sure you will too.
Thank you to the Vancouvuer Archives for the use of these photos.
1) From Burrard & Nelson - 1922
The 1922 panorama was taken from the top of the First Baptist Church that is still there today on the north west corner. The only reference I had to line up with the 1922 photo was the Hotel Barron building seen in the far right of the 1922 photo.
2) Douglas & Sons Shipyards - May 9th 1918
The Shipyards are now The Vancouver Olympic Village built in 2006 for the athletes of the 2010 Olympics Games. This panorama was taken 25 years later from a slightly higher roof in 1943
3) Looking from 1408 Howe Street to False Creek and Granville Island - 1916.
I shot this panorama in 2010 for the future project Vancouver House which is now completed. On the far left of the 2010 photo you can just see the roof he stood on which can be seen with a ladder leading up to it on the far right of his 1916 panorama.
4) Pure Milk Dairy at Robson Park - 1916
Robson Park is located on Kingsway & St Georges Street. You can see I had a few houses, that are still here today, to help me anchor the location.
5) From the Frank Stanzl Building 1980
This panorama, not a Moore image, was taken from the top of one of Vancouvers best examples of brutalist architecture The Frank Stanzl Building built in 1973, it’s at the corner of Broadway & Willow Street, a site to behold. And then there’s the Vancouver skyline, what a change!
6) Looking to Vancouver from Stanley Park - 1905
I think this is the oldest of the panoramas. The back of the Queen Victoria memorial helped anchor position of the camera
7) Ontario Street & 33rd Ave close to Queen Elizabeth Park
Once the location of Coast Lumber & Fuel Co. Check out this panorama from the opposite corner of the property.
8) Looking from 168 West 1st Ave towards False Creek - 1943
In the 1943 panorama you can see on the right the sign of the Vancouver Salt Co. The building and the sign are both still there but the business has changed to The Craft Beer Market Restaurant & Bar. This panorama was taken in the same place from a slightly lower roof 25 years earlier in 1918.
9) Alberni & Thurlow Streets - 1916
“Jesus Increased In Wisdom And Stature And In Favour With God And Man.”
This one really shows how flat panoramas distort reality, the banner appears flat in the panorama above but when viewed in the virtual tour you can see that if you were there you’d have to turn your head 180 degrees to read the banner.
And note the boy on the far right snuck behind the camera as it was rotating and can be found on the far left of the photo as well.
10) Alberta Lumber Company, False Creek - 1935
Today there is a hill with trees where the original shot was taken so I had to send the camera up a little higher to be able to see the view. The apartments at the bottom of Heather Street on the right of the photo were the only close reference I had to line up the shot. Check out this panorama from 1980 showing the same location from the top of the Frank Stanzl Building up the hill on Broadway.
