Wednesday, January 5, 2011

DORMERS and DOORWAYS

For nearly a decade, Suzanne Wilson has snapped off photos of North Vancouver houses slated for demolition.  It's a passion that started in 2000 when Wilson, a retired school teacher, photographed 2,000  houses in the City of North Vancouver as part of her "Year 2000 Photography Project: Your House/Our Home".  The houses that she shot came in all different shapes and sizes and ages, and Wilson mounted every one of them on a card and made them available to the homeowners.  In 2002 she began scanning the demolition permits and documenting disappearing houses in the City and the District for her North Vancouver Museum and archives project, "Demolition and Construction".

In 2007 she distributed copies of 1,000 of the photos from her Year 2000 project in celebration of the City of North Vancouver's Centennial Anniversary.  She's shot another 112 rolls of film of about-to-be demolished houses and figures that over nine years that's more than 3, 300 photos!

Wilson checks out building permits, city directories and often talks to the homeowners to compile a fascinating architectural and social history of many of the houses.  The pictures and information are documented and available to researchers at the Community History Centre in Lynn Valley.

"I don't like it if I miss a picture," she says.  "I think there should be a photographic record in the archives."

Wilson, now 71, will hang up her MZ-10 SLR Pentax camera at the end of this year.  " figure 10 year should give a good documentary record of what has gone on in North Vancouver," she says, add that that she's lived in the same house in the Cloverley area since 1972.
Pre 1911 Cloverley area home
To celebrate the last year of the 10 year project Suzanne Wilson is writing a daily Blog, http://www.demolitionmama.blogspot.com/ , inspired by the 2009 movie Julie and Julia.  Each day Wilson features a picture of a different house, church or commercial building along with a detailed history of the building and the surrounding area.

"These blog entries are meant to be a tribute to the people who called these houses 'home', she says.  "I'll go to the archives and research and I get so that I'm part of that person's life.  Someone will start off as a labourer and then he has a carpenter job, then he as a construction company, then he's president of the construction company, and then only his wife's name is listed.  So whole lives are told in the city directories."

Both Wilson and June Thompson, a retired archivist from the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, and now herself a volunteer, would love to see someone else take over Wilson's legacy.  "It's very valuable.  Once these building go, often all that's left is the photographs," says Thompson, adding that the job requires a multifaceted approach.  "It's not just photography, it's not just history, it's not just personal skills-it's a combination of all those things."

Courtesy of Eve Lazarus
Member, Community Heritage Commission

Dormers and Doorways is a publication of the Community Heritage Commission of North Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Demolition Mama


Some people collect stamps. Others gather coins, trading cards, comic books, or antiques.



North Vancouver’s Suzanne Wilson, however, prefers collecting something a little more unique —demolished houses.



Throughout the past decade, the local history buff has photographed more than 3,000 buildings slated for destruction across the city and district.


As a volunteer at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Wilson says she believes every building holds a story about our past. And those tales, she adds, are too important to be lost forever in a pile of dust and rubble.


So, in 2001, Wilson and her camera got to work. Any time a building in North Vancouver was slated for demolition, municipal staff would notify Wilson.


With a small allowance to cover the cost of film, Wilson captured snapshots of the buildings, then developed black-and-white prints in a makeshift darkroom in her home. (When the lights are on, it’s called the laundry room).


The resulting images became part of the museum’s permanent collection, accessible to anyone who visited the archives.


Wilson continued on that path until sometime in 2009, when she saw the film Julie and Julia and was struck with a new idea. 


In the movie the lead character, Julie Powell, attempts to cook all of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s famous book “Master the Art of French Cooking” over the course of a year.


Each day, Powell records her experiences in an online journal.


The idea of keeping a blog excited Wilson, a former freelance writer and unpublished novelist, who retired from her job as a teacher in the 1990s.


“I like things that are for a limited period of time and are really a challenge,” she says. “So in 2010 I started my blog and called it ‘Demolition Mama.’”


Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, Wilson set to work on a project that would keep her busy for the next 365 days.
From Monday to Friday she wrote daily about a building that had been torn down. On the weekends, meanwhile, she would blog about travel (on Saturdays) and churches (on Sundays).



Using building permit records and city directories, Wilson was often able to piece together the stories of homes in North Van — watching many balloon in value from $2,000 to $600,000 in only a few generations.


“It was fascinating. You’d see people’s lives develop,” says Wilson.


“It would mention someone as a student, then as a labourer, then as a president of a construction company, and then you’d just see their wife’s name,” she adds. “You’d follow their whole lives. You’d get to know this person, and then they’d die.”


The project, she says, took a great deal of effort and work, but in the end it was worth it, because it’s led to something that will be of use to the museum for years to come.


“I like doing things that are permanent. Things that are going to stick around when I’m done,” says Wilson with a smile. “This project is my tribute to the people who lived in those houses.”


This is not the first time that Wilson — who is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin — has embarked on such an ambitious project for the museum.


In the year 2000, she set about photographing 2,000 homes in the city to celebrate the new millennium, culminating with an art show at the Presentation House gallery.


“It was my way of celebrating,” she recalls fondly.


Seven years later, Wilson used 1,000 of her doubles to make decorative cards, which she then bundled in small gift bags and hung from doorknobs.


“That was a huge feat,” she laughs. “It was sort of like leaving a present, then running away and hiding behind a tree.”


When asked what motivates her to invest so much time in such projects, Wilson says it’s simple: she wants to give something back to the community where she’s raised her family.


“This entire community is our home,” she says. “This is our history, and it needs to be shared.”



On Monday, Feb. 21, the District of North Vancouver presented a heritage advocacy award to Suzanne Wilson for her various projects for the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, including the blog ‘Demolition Mama.’ To view Wilson’s work, visit www.demolitionmama.blogspot.com.ghoekstra@gmail.com
twitter.com/greghoekstra

Monday, January 3, 2011

Suzanne Wilson
Posted on February 8, 2011 by Eve Lazarus

Suzanne Wilson spent 10 years shooting photographs of North Vancouver houses either about to be torn down or in the throes of construction. Her project “Demolition and Construction” consists of 4,500 black and white photos and is available at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives.

She finished up Demolition Mama at the end of 2010 and started her second blog Churches on Sunday in January 2011. Her photos of North Vancouver churches are also in the Archives permanent collection.

I asked Suzanne about her blogs:

I was looking for a way to celebrate the last year of my 10 year volunteer photography project for the North Vancouver Archives when I saw the movie "Julie and Julia".  A daily blog just like Julie published was the answer. 

                                                         Suzanne Wilson 2009

My 10 year project was titled "Demolition and Construction" and it was photographs of just that.  Over the 10 years I took approximately 4500 black and white photographs of homes to be demolished and buildings being constructed.  In my basement darkroom I prepared contact sheets for  each roll of film. The contact sheets, negatives, and a record sheet for each roll are on file at the North Vancouver Archives. 

I designed the blog to run every day of 2010 and be a tribute to the families who lived in the houses demolished,  that made these houses their home and contributed to the community life of North Vancouver.  I named the blog, "Demolition Mama".  Monday through Friday featured demolished North Vancouver homes; photos, architectural descriptions, and histories researched at the North Vancouver Archives.  On Saturday I added a Travel Feature and on Sunday a Church Feature.  These were a way of sharing other collections of my personal photography.

                                                 1640 Dempsey Rd., 1938 to 2010

During the 2010 Demolition Mama blog I published histories of  255 homes on my blog.  Since I was out of town from 1 to 3 weeks each month the automatic publishing feature of Blogspot was essential. Having all these blogs ready to be published before I left town was demanding.  I figure for ever day I was in town I spent 4.5 hours working on the blog. This challenge also brought its reward.

"Demolition Mama" received hits from all over the world: Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India, Russia, all across Canada and the US.  Comments included those from the car salesman in Egypt and the student in India. The most important and rewarding comments and e mails came from families who had lived in the North Vancouver homes featured in blog.  The information they shared was then included in the blog.  That is the strength of the blog, it can be changed at any time, even after it is published. 

It is still being changed.  It seems the blog hangs around in cyber space indefinitely.  Even though Dec. 31, 2010 marked the end of publishing "Demolition Mama" families are still accessing it and sending me thank yous for getting them in contact with other family members and adding their own bit of history to the blog.
1879 St. Paul's Episcopal Church                   
 Port Gambel, Washington



2011 has brought a new blog "Churches On Sundays".  I have always attended church and photographed churches where ever I traveled since the year 2000.  I have also photographed all the churches of North Vancouver for the permanent collection at the North Vancouver Archives. Some of these were part of the Sunday Church Feature in the "Demolition Mama" 2010 blog.  Starting in 2011 my new blog "Churches On Sundays" will be published each and every  and only on Sundays.  Churches as a place of beauty and inspiration  are in every community.  The blog is a tribute to the congregations that built and maintain these churches.

http://www.demolitionmama.blogspot.com/
http://www.churchesonsundays.blogspot.com/

Posted in Researching your home's history
Tagged Churches on Sundays, Demolition and Construction, Demolition Mama, North Vancouver Museum and Archives, Suzanne Wilson
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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Heritage Award
2011
Suzanne Wilson

During the last 10 years I have taken approximately 6000 photos of mainly homes in North Vancouver.  These photos plus in some cases histories of the home or residents are now all part of the permanent collection at the North Vancouver Archives.

Most of these photographs are from the project "Demolition and Construction" 2001 to 2010.  The main body of these photographs is homes in North Vancouver District and City that have been demolished during that time. To pay honor to the residents of these homes, the families that have contributed to life in our community, in 2010 I published the daily blog "Demolition Mama".  Each weekday a post showed a photo of the home, gave details of the location and architecture, and relayed a brief history of the families who made the house their home. Starting in 2011 is my blog "Churches On Sundays" that will be published each Sunday and will include  all the church buildings in North Vancouver, past and present. This tribute to the congregations that built and support these churches will include interior and exterior photos, give details of the architecture, and relay a brief history of the building. In the year 2011 I received an award for Heritage Advocacy from the District of North Vancouver.

Other photographs housed at the North Vancouver Archives are from my "Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home" where I photographed over 2000 homes in the City of North Vancouver to celebrate the Year 2000.  Over 800 are accompanied by additional information.  This project was on exhibit January to June 2001 at the North Vancouver Archives in Presentation House. In the year 2002 I received a Queen Elizabeth II Medal for this work. To celebrate North Vancouver City's 100 birthday in 2007 I distributed 1000 copies of the "Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/ Our Home" photos to the residents of these homes. North Vancouver has been our home since 1972.

Blogs:http://www.demolitionmama.blogspot.com/

            http://www.churchesonsundays.blogspot.com/



Saturday, January 1, 2011

BLOG
SUZANNE WILSON
"CHURCHES ON SUNDAYS"



My Sunday blog features a church I have
photographed accompanied by a brief history and
architectural description.
this is my worship; this is my witness.
Please join me.


St. Peter's Basilica Vatican 

Friday, December 31, 2010

End of Month Index
December 2010

CANADA
British Columbia


North Vancouver City
245 East 3rd Street, "ANAVETS on Third", Friday, December 3, 2010.
549 East 4th Street,, "Wartime Home on 4th Street", Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010.
121 East 12th Street, "Presbyterians and Black Sheep", Wed., Dec. 22, 2010.
211 East 18th Street, "At Least Since 1925", Monday, December 20, 2010.
1420 Grand Boulevard, "Grand Double Lot", Friday, December 17, 2010.
823 East Keith Road, "The McPherson's Forever", Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010.
1911 West Keith Road, "1911 West Keith Road Home", Monday, Dec. 6, 2010.
1644/1640 St. Georges Avenue, "St. George's Duplex", Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010.
2048 St. George's Avenue, "St. George's Stately Home", Thursday, 12/9/10.
648 West 15th Street, "98 Years Old", Thursday, December 23, 2010.
654 West 15th Street, "Demolished and Raised", Tuesday, December 21, 2010.
North Vancouver District
270 Carisbrooke Crescent, "Many Levels on Carisbrooke", Tuesday,12/7/20.
1210 Dempsey Road, "At the edge of the Forest", Wednesday, 12/8/20.
3203  Institute Road, Boxing Day, "Happy Boxing Day, The North Vancouver
             Archives", Dec. 25, 2010.
1690 Main Street, "Swedish Canadian Rest Home", Friday, December 10, 2010.
Mill Bay
"St. Francis Xavior Catholic Church", Sunday, December 12, 2010.

Victoria
Saturday Travel Feature, "B.C. Parliament Buildings", Victoria, B. C. Saturday,
              December 4, 2010.
Sunday Church Feature, "St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church", Victoria, B.C.,
              Sunday, December 5, 2010.
Yale
Sunday Church Feature, "St. John the Divine Historic Church, Sunday, December 19, 2010.

THAILAND
Bangkok
Saturday Travel Feature, "The Jim Thompson House", Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010.

UNITED STATES
California
6817 Franklin Avenue, "First Methodist Church of Hollywood", Hollywood California, "Happy 43rd Wedding Anniversary Alan and Suzanne", Wednesday December 1, 2010.
Nevada
Las Vegas, Saturday Travel Feature, "The Strip", Saturday, December 18, 2010.
Wisconsin
Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Christmas Eve Special Feature, "Juergenmeyers on Taylor Street", 225 Taylor Street, Friday, December 24, 2010.

SATURDAY TRAVEL FEATURES
"B.C. Parliament Buildings", Victoria, B. C. Saturday, December 4, 2010.
Bangkok, Thailand, "The Jim Thompson House", Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010.
Las Vegas, Saturday Travel Feature, "The Strip", Saturday, December 18, 2010.

SUNDAY CHURCH FEATURES
Mill Bay, B.C., "St. Francis Xavior Catholic Church", Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010.
North Vancouver, 121 East 12th Street, "Presbyterians and Black Sheep",
                Wed., Dec. 22, 2010.
Victoria, B.C., "St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church",  Sunday, December 5, 2010.
Yale, B.C.,  "St. John the Divine Historic Church, Sunday, December 19, 2010.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Holidays
 "Happy 43rd Wedding Anniversary Alan and Suzanne", 6817 Franklin Avenue,
             "First Methodist Church of Hollywood", Hollywood California,
              Wednesday December 1, 2010.
Christmas Eve Special Feature, "Juergenmeyers on Taylor Street", 225 Taylor Street, Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Friday, December 24, 2010.
Christmas, "Merry Christmas, The First Christmas", December 24, 2010.
Boxing Day, "Happy Boxing Day, The North Vancouver Archives", Dec. 25, 2010.
Summaries
"Year End Summary, City of North Vancouver", Wed., December 27, 2010.
"Year End Summary, North Vancouver District", Thurs., December 28, 2010.
"Year End Summary, Saturday Travel Features/Speical Features/Indexes",
               Wednesday, December 29, 2010.
"Year End Summary, Sunday Church Features", Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010.

Photo: Taken of the Grand Canyon by Suzanne Wilson on her 60th birthday, September 16, 1998.

THANK YOU     
Thank you for following my blog, Demolition Mama, a tribute to the home owners of North Vancouver.  A hard copy of North Vancouver posts will be on file at the North Vancouver Archives in 2011.  Although there will be no further posts after December 31, 2010 the Blog will continue to be available at this URL.
PLEASE JOIN ME
My new Blog is starting Sunday, January 1, 2011 and will be published each Sunday.  The Blog is "Churches on Sundays" and will feature a photo I have taken when visiting and a brief history and description of the architecture.  I hope you will join me.






Thursday, December 30, 2010


END OF YEAR INDEX
SUNDAY CHURCH FEATURES

Alaska, Savoonga, "Savoonga  Presbyterian Church", 2/7/2010.
B.C.,  Courtenay4778 Island Highway, "Sunday Church Special, St. Andrew's
                   Pioneer Church", Sunday, October 10, 2010.
B.C., Methchosin, 4354 Metchosin Road,  Sunday Church Feature, "Saint Mary
                   the Virgin", Sunday, March 7, 2010.
B.C., Mill Bay, "St. Francis Xavior Catholic Church", Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010.
B.C., North Vancouver,  121 East 12th Street, "Presbyterians and Black Sheep",
                   Wed., Dec. 22, 2010.
B.C., North Vancouver, 530 East 12th Street," St. Agnes Anglican
                   Church", 2/14/2010.
B.C., North Vancouver, 3380 Lonsdale Avenue, "Sunday Church Feature, The
                   Church on the Hill,
                   North Lonsdale United Church", Oct. 3, 2010.
B.C., North Vancouver,  260 Institute Road, Sunday Church Feature,"
                   Posthumous-Methodist Church Lynn Valley", B.C., Sunday,
                   July 11, 2010.
B.C., North Vancouver, 600 block Mountain Highway, "Lynnmour United
                   Church", 1/17/2010.
B.C., North Vancouver, 1550 Phillips Avenue, "Jehovah Witness's on Phillips",
                   1/10/2010.
B.C., North Vancouver, "1958 Ridgewood Drive, "St. Catherine's Anglican
                   Church", 10/24/10.
B.C., North Vancouver, 1044 St. Georges Avenue, "St. Andrew's United Church",
                   1/24/2010.
B.C., North Vancouver, 1398 West 15th Street, Sunday Church Feature, "St.
                   Richard's Anglican, Church," "St. Richard's of Norgate" , 1/3/2010.
B.C., Tofino, Sunday Church Feature, "St. Columba Church", Tofino, B. C.,
                   Sunday, August 22, 2010.
B.C., Ucluelet, 1663 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, Sunday Church Feature, "St.
                   Aiden's on the Hill, Sunday", March 28, 2010.

B.C., Victoria,  "St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church",  Sunday, December 5, 2010.
B.C.,  Yale,  "St. John the Divine Historic Church, Sunday, December 19, 2010.
California, Hollywood, "Happy 43rd Wedding Anniversary, Suzanne and Alan,
                   Hollywood First Methodist Church" 12/1/10.
California, Palm Desert, Sunday Church Feature, "Palm Desert Church",
                   Sunday, 4/11/10.
California, San Francisco, 1520 Green Street, Happy July 4th, Sunday Church
                   Feature, "Holy  Trinity Cathedral",   Sunday, July 4, 2010.
California, Stanford Campus, California, "Stanford Memorial Church",
                    Sunday, August 15, 2010.
France, Paris, Sunday Church Feature, "Notre-Dame Cathedral", Sunday,
                   November 21, 2010.
Israel,  Israel, Sea of Galilee, Sunday Church Feature, "Church of the
                Beatitudes", Sunday, July 25, 2010.
Italy, Rome, "Trinita dei Monti", Rome, Happy Mother's Day, Sunday Church
                 Feature, May 9, 2010.
Italy, Sicily, Sunday Church Feature, "Cathedral of Catania",  Sunday
                 June 13, 2010.
Italy, Vatican, Sunday Church Feature, "St. Peter's Basilica", Sunday,
                  April 25, 2010.
Korea,   Korea, Sunday Church Feature, "Young Nak Presbyterian Church" in
                Seoul, Sunday, July 18, 2010.
Malta, Valletta, Sunday Church Feature, "Our Lady of Victory
                Church", Sunday, June 6, 2010.
Malta    Port, Valletta,  Happy Father's Day, Sunday Church Feature, "Costa

                Costa Chapel", Sunday, June 20, 2010.
Monaco,  "St. Nicholas Cathedral", Sunday Church Feature, Sunday,
                May 2, 2010.
Nevada, Las Vegas, Sunday Church Feature,  "Wedding 
                Capital of the World", Sunday, June 27, 2010.
Spain, Barcelona, "Sangrada Familia", Sunday Church Feature,  May 16, 2010.
Spain,  Palma Mallorca, "Le Seu Cathedral",  Sunday Church Feature, 
                  Sunday, May 2010.
Tunisia,  Tunis/Carthage,  Cathedral of St. Louis,  Tunisia, "Cathedral of St.
                Louis",  May 30, 2010.
Washington, Concrete, Sunday Church Feature, "Mount Baker Presbyterian
                 Church", Sunday, September 19, 2010.
Washington, Deer Park, Sunday Church Feature, "Wildrose United Methodist
                 Church", Sunday, 4/18/2010.
Washington, Port Gambel, "Sunday Church Feature, "1879 St. Paul's Episcopal
                Church", October 17, 2010.
Washington, Rockford, 217 South 1st St., Sunday Church Feature,
               "Rockford United Methodist Church", Sunday, September 26, 2010.

Washington, Leavenworth, 418 Evans Street, Sunday Church Feature,
               "Community United Methodist  Church", Sunday,
                November 14, 2010.
Washington, Leavenworth,  Below Front Street, "St. Joseph Catholic
               Church", Sunday, November 7, 2010.
Washington,  Spokane, 127 Twelfth Avenue, Sunday Church Feature, "St.
                John's Episcopal  Cathedral", Sunday, November 28, 2010.
Washington, Spokane, 330 Boone Avenue, Sunday Church Feature, "St.
               Aloysius at Gonzaga", Sunday  3/14/10.
Washington, Spokane, 3220 S. Grand Blvd., "Manito United Methodist
                Church",  Sunday, August 1, 2010
Wisconsin, Green Bay, Sunday Church Feature, "1898 Divine Temple, Church
              of God in Christ", Sunday, August  2010.  
Wisconsin, Green Bay, 413  St. John's St., Sunday Church Feature, "St. John's
               the Evangelist Catholic Church",  September 5, 2010.
Wisconsin,  Kaukauna, "Lutherans in Kaukauna", Easter Sunday Church
               Feature,  Sunday, April 4, 2010.
Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2772 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, "Trinity
               Methodist Church",  2/21/10.

Wisconsin, Milwaukee,  1023 Russell Avenue, Sunday Church Feature,
              "Immaculate Conception Catholic Church", Sept. 12, 2010.
Wisconsin, Port Washington, Sunday Church Feature, "St. Mary's Catholic
               Church",  Sunday, August 8, 2010.
Wisconsin, Seymour, 349 North Main Street, Sunday Church Feature,
              "Emmanuel Lutheran Church", Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Photo: Taken in rose garden at Park and Tilford Gardens in 2008 by SW.

THANK YOU     
Thank you for following my blog, Demolition Mama, a tribute to the home owners of North Vancouver.  A hard copy of North Vancouver posts will be on file at the North Vancouver Archives in 2011.  Although there will be no further posts after December 31, 2010 the Blog will continue to be available at this URL.
PLEASE JOIN ME
My new Blog is starting Sunday, January 1, 2011 and will be published each Sunday.  The Blog is "Churches on Sundays" and will feature a photo I have taken when visiting and a brief history and description of the architecture.  I hope you will join me.