Vista Victoria
– On view until October 2023 –
Our current feature exhibit focuses on some of the best examples of historic panoramic photography of Victoria. From its earliest days as a scattered village surrounding the original Hudson’s Bay Company fort, to the city’s emergence as a vibrant and globally connected centre in the opening decades of the twentieth century, explore in endless detail the buildings and landscape of old Victoria through this revealing medium.
The Panoramic Photograph
Why was the medium of panoramic photography developed and what were some of the challenges that the production of the images posed for photographers?
Panoramic photography has existed for almost as long as the medium of photography itself. This exhibit offers some background on the development of the medium and explores some of the reasons for its early popularity. It is of interest from historical, architectural, artistic and technical points of view and tells us a lot about not only how the city looked in past decades, but also how it was made to look for a new global audience.
The Photographers
Drawing on the work of well-known local photographers such as Richard Maynard (1832-1907) and John Howard Chapman (1861-1942), as well as visitors to Victoria like Lester Clement Barton (1884-1917), the images shown here were all taken by professionals in the medium. Learn about the life stories of these early photographic artists and how they managed to capture these spectacular views of the city that continue to fascinate and inspire us to this day.