The author and historian Harold Kalman discusses the newest edition of his legendary books on the city’s buildings, Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide (Douglas & McIntyre, 2012), co-written with Robin Ward, with photographs by John Roaf. Also discussed, with Joseph Planta, the meaning of architecture, and the development of Vancouver.

Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide by Harold Kalman and Robin Ward (Douglas & McIntyre, 2012). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Exploring Vancouver

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

I first encountered the Exploring Vancouver books in elementary school. They were uniquely shaped books, and I’d sign them out of the library at Charles Dickens Elementary often to look at the black and white images of Vancouver buildings. A few years ago, when I was old enough to buy my own copies, I couldn’t remember the title or the author. So I emailed the late Chuck Davis and minutes later, he fired off a response with the author’s name and title, as well as a listing of how many subsequent editions there were. First published in 1974, the books are guides to the city’s architecture, as well as something one could walk to, discovering history and many buildings in Vancouver. Subsequent editions were released in 1978 and 1993. They’ve gone on to chronicle how the city looks, as well trends in architecture, development, land use, and heritage preservation. Now, a new edition is out written by Harold Kalman and Robin Ward, with photographs by John Roaf. Mr. Kalman joins me to talk about this new edition, how the book came about nearly 40 years ago, and what we glean from our architecture about who we are, what Vancouver is, and where it’s headed. Harold D. Kalman earned a PhD in the history of art and architecture from Princeton University. He has written many books including A History of Canadian Architecture, Pioneer Churches, and Exploring Ottawa. He taught architectural history at the University of British Columbia, and now teaches heritage conservation at the Universities of Hong Kong and Victoria. His website is at www.haroldkalman.ca. Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide is published by Douglas & McIntyre. I’m very pleased to welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Hal Kalman; Mr. Kalman, good morning.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (30.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS