Jeff Maltby - Chinatown Murals 2

Just around the corner from the painting I posted yesterday, in the passageway leading from Pioneer Square to Fisgard Street is this interesting mural. It takes us on a little voyage through time with the three children running towards the Chinese Public School, the distinctive steps of which can be seen in the background. The picture fades from black and white to color from left to right as history progesses with the first little boy wearing what may have been a school uniform of 1909, the year the Chinese Public School was opened. The little girl is dressed in '50s style - look at those saddle shoes. And the little boy on the right with his skateboard and crash helmet is definitely from the modern era. The way the painting is hung, the children are running towards the Chinese Public School on the opposite side of Fisgard Street as they may well have done through this passageway years ago.

Blue Skies

The sun came out yesterday while I was downtown and it was so nice to see some blue sky I just took a photo of it from where I was - just across the street from the Chinese Public School on Fisgard Street.

Chinese Public School

Here's another favorite heritage building, this one in Chinatown. It's the Chinese Public School on Fisgard Street that opened in 1909. This building always looks good but especially so at this time of year when nearby trees are in bloom. There's an interesting article on this school here.

Victoria in Black and White 4 - Chinese Public School

Here's one of many gems in our small Chinatown, the Chinese Public School, originally erected by Chinese residents because in the early days of Chinatown their children were barred from other schools. Though that need has thankfully passed into history the school is still used by the Chinese community to pass on aspects of their culture to the younger generation.

Chinese Public School

I photograph this building often but who can resist? Here we are looking at it from one of the entrances to Centennial Square.

Chinese Public School

Just around the corner from the Chinese Temple dedicated to Tam Kung (yesterday's post) is the Chinese Public School. I've posted photos of it before HERE and HERE because it is another of Chinatown's gems. It was built by the Chinese Community a hundred years ago when children of Chinese settlers here were denied entrance to other schools. It is still used as a school today but now teaches Canadian children of Chinese descent the culture, traditions and language of China.

Winter Light

As winter deepens the sun stays low in the sky even in mid-afternoon and casts long dark shadows. Here the ornate roof of the Chinese Public School adds an exotic touch to this rooftop view over downtown Victoria.

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I just came across an interesting photography link. But look out, you can get lost for hours.... (We are talking millions of photographs here!)

All of photographs in the Life Magazine archives have been made available through Google. For those of you who may not be familiar with Life Magazine, it was one of the greatest American magazines during the last century and was especially noted for the quality of its photographs. The archive contains photos dating back to the 1870's and many famous photographers are represented.

Here is a clickable link to it: http://images.google.com/hosted/life

Chinese Public School

Another visit to Victoria's Chinatown, starting with two paintings by Victoria artist Jeff Maltby. The painting above depicts a Chinese Immigrant family in 1905. The painting below of the children arriving at the Chinese Public School is like a fast-forward through the decades for this family. The little boy on the left looks like he's dressed 1920's style. The little girl in her saddle shoes and pony tail is from the 1950's and the boy on the right, with his skateboard and crash helmet is definitely 1980's.The Chinese Public School, below, has been a part of these changes since it was built in 1909. The two paintings grace the outside walls of the Victoria Police Station, directly across Fisgard Street from the Chinese School.