BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

David Oppenheimer Memorial by Charles Marega

These are photographs of the bust of David Oppenheimer, at the west entrance to Stanley Park near the Park Board offices. Oppenheimer was the second Mayor of Vancouver, from 1888 to 1891, and was the Mayor who worked to create Stanley Park. The sculpture was dedicated in thanks for that. Apparently this was Marega's first major commission after he arrived in Vancouver. The casting is dated 1911, and was made in England by Elkington Co. Ltd. A public collection was undertaken to pay for the sculpture. Photographs by Gary Sim.


Inscriptions on the base, photo Gary Sim


Original proposal for Oppenheimer memorial, rejected due to the cost


Dave Paterson, Province photograph - side view of sculpture 1978


Dave Paterson, Province photograph of sculpture in deep snow, not dated
Editor's note: the bottom of the lowest date - 1891 - is three feet above the ground!


Dave Paterson, Province photograph - front view of sculpture 1978

Editor's note: there are two dark square metallic features on the base of this memorial, about one foot directly below the last date of Oppenheimer's Mayorality. They are visible in the two photographs of the front view above. By themselves they don't make sense, but the photograph of the original proposal for the memorial shows two bouquets of flowers or branches mounted at that location. It seems that they were included with the memorial, but were stolen or vandalized at least fifty years ago.


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