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1900s-1920s: The Gateway to the Pacific

Permanent Exhibition

Everyone hyping Vancouver? Vancouver in the grip of real estate frenzy? House prices soaring, then crashing?

That’s Vancouver in the early 1900s.

Vancouver became a big city whose busy streets flash by in the 1907 film. Streetcar lines extended south and east, encouraging new developments. Substantial communities of Chinese, Japanese, and South Asians made their homes here, in spite of deep prejudice that flared in the Anti-Asian Riot and the Komagata Maru incident.

The shadow side of Vancouver’s “golden years” becomes harder to ignore. Dreams of safe, prosperous homes in a beautiful corner of the British Empire were tested by economic collapse in 1913 and world war in 1914.

For Families
Pick up a self-guided tour worksheet when you purchase your admission and your family will have a great time learning fun facts, searching for answers, and chatting about the past.

September 07, 2011 / 10:00 AM

Volunteer Information Session - Weekday Volunteering

Please note there are two available sessions:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 from 10:00am-12:00pm (weekday volunteering)
Thursday, September 8, 2011 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm (weekend & evening volunteering)

Have you expressed interest in volunteering for the MOV? We would love to meet you! Join us for one of two information sessions this September to learn more about our volunteer opportunities. Areas of volunteering include:

school programs
marketing and promotions
development
programming
and more!

If you have enquired about volunteering and have not heard back – please accept our apologies. Our ability to respond on an ongoing basis is limited. Rest assured, we are very excited to meet you! We look forward to the chance to talk with you about our volunteer opportunities.

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Video (Posted: 16/11/12)

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Host Johanna Ward visits the Museum of Vancouver to talk with the MOV's Director of Development and Marketing about our new retail collection and one of our retail partners, Harvey Burritt of 2nd Century Rugs.

Video (Posted: 04/08/11)

Bhangra.me Interview with Amanda Gibbs

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Video (Posted: 02/08/12)

Gold Pills and Silver Pills by Tobias Wong

What's better than owning gold? Being gold! Tobias eagerly pointed out that if you eat gold flake, you shit gold. At the height of consumption, expensive gold becomes scatology in the guise of luxury.

Video (Posted: 04/08/11)

Bhangra.me Interview with Guest Curator Naveen Girn

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Video (Posted: 30/07/12)

The Province talks about Reading the Riot Boards

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Video (Posted: 04/08/11)

Bhangra: The Sound + The Artist

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Video (Posted: 09/05/12)

Art Deco Chic on Ahorn TV (starts at 12:38)

Ahorn TV covers the Art Deco Chic opening night and talks to the curators Claus Jahnke and Ivan Sayers, MOV CEO Nancy Noble, and many of the fabulously dressed guests.

Video (Posted: 30/10/09)

Ravishing Beasts: The Gentle Art of Museum Conservation

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Video (Posted: 15/06/09)

Hipster Vancouver at the Museum of Vancouver

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Video (Posted: 02/02/12)

Interview with Art Deco Chic curators Ivan Sayers & Claus Jahnke

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Video (Posted: 15/11/11)

Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver on Studio 4 with Fanny Keifer

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Video (Posted: 02/11/11)

Bhangra.me: Interview with Curator Viviane Gosselin

What is Bhangra? MOV Curator of Contemporary Issues, Viviane Gosselin shares her unique perspective on this dynamic art form and its place in Vancouver. Bhangra.me: Vancouver's Bhangra Story runs at Museum of Vancouver from May 5 - January 1st, 2012, and is co-produced with Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society.

Video (Posted: 27/10/11)

Bhangra's Unique History in Vancouver

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Video (Posted: 02/08/12)

Burberry Buttons by Tobias Wong

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Video (Posted: 04/08/11)

Bhangra.me Interview with VIBC Director

Bhangra is a form of dance and music that originates in South Asia, but has grown and expanded across the world. Hear what Mo Dhaliwal, director with Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society, has to say about Bhangra in Vancouver. Bhangra.me: Vancouver's Bhangra Story is on at Museum of Vancouver from May 5 - October 23, 2011, and is co-produced with Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society.

Video (Posted: 02/08/12)

The Ballistic Rose by Tobias Wong

Created of army ballistic material, the Ballistic Rose comments on post 9/11 fragility and paranoia. It is at once a symbol of something delicate and fragile, but created of army-grade indestructible materials. Worn above the heart, it becomes a protector.

Video (Posted: 04/08/11)

Labour of Love: Bhangra + Worker's Rights

Not just a type of dance or music, Bhangra has been used as a tool for social movements and organization. Find out how Bhangra was used to organize farm workers in the 70s and 80s in Metro Vancouver. Bhangra.me: Vancouver's Bhangra Story is on at Museum of Vancouver from May 5 - January 1st, 2011, and is co-produced with Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society. Video filmed, edited and produced by Naveen Girn.

Video (Posted: 30/01/11)

Sweaterlodge on the Express

Johanna of the Express speaks to Stephanie Robb, co-curator of SweaterLodge Unlatched

Video (Posted: 04/08/11)

Dance Like a Man: Gender and Bhangra

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Video (Posted: 16/04/12)

Green Couch Sessions w/ Adaline in the Neon/Ugly gallery

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Video (Posted: 15/07/11)

Amanda Gibbs at Interesting Vancouver

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Video (Posted: 15/02/10)

Animal Whisperer at the Museum of Vancouver

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Video (Posted: 15/11/11)

Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver interview with Novus TV

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Video (Posted: 08/02/13)

Videographer Gwen Haworth talks about creating the Sex Talk videos

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Video (Posted: 10/01/11)

Home Grown Mini Documentary

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Video (Posted: 31/01/13)

Object(ing) Opening Night by Gordon Wong

A stunning video of the opening night of Object(ing): The art/design of Tobias Wong created by his brother, Gordon Wong.

Video (Posted: 27/10/11)

Vancouver's Bhangra: A Transnational Sound

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