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Michael Kluckner

21 May 2012 | Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

The author and artist Michael Kluckner discusses Vancouver and the changes its undergone as narrated in his new book, Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years (Whitecap, 2012), with Joseph Planta.


Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years by Michael Kluckner (Whitecap, 2012).

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years


Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

There’s a marvelous book out called Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years. Its author Michael Kluckner joins me now. I’ve long been a fan of his books. They’re generously illustrated, with Mr. Kluckner’s own watercolours, as well as photographs. This book is a wonderful narrative of his own observations about Vancouver, its changing landscape, thanks to the buildings either being demolished or adapted. The original Vanishing Vancouver was published in 1990 and went up to Expo ’86. This one takes up the story of that book, and takes us through to the recent past. We see Vancouver change, and I’ll ask Mr. Kluckner if it has for the better or not, where he sees Vancouver going, and we’ll discuss some of the observations made in this very fine book. Michael Kluckner is an artist and writer who has spent more than two decades recording and interpreting histories and landscapes of this city, province and country. He was the founding president of the Heritage Vancouver Society. He’s written well over a dozen books. He is a forthcoming director of the Vancouver Historical Society, of which I’m non-participating member. Incidentally, Mr. Kluckner is speaking at the May 24th meeting of the Vancouver Historical Society at the Museum of Vancouver. That’s 7.30pm next Thursday. He’ll be talking about this book. The website for more is at www.michaelkluckner.com. The book is published by Whitecap. I am very pleased to welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Michael Kluckner; Mr. Kluckner, good morning.