1920 and 1922 advertisements (click for more info)
| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
| This is a preliminary list or collection of information on early engravers and printers of Vancouver. Although these companies typically did commercial job lot types of work, many of their employees were fine artists as well as production artists. The companies would also be commissioned to create and print engravings for artists like Paul Rand. Thus, it seemed to make sense to start compiling these logos and advertisements if only to provide a place for other information to be added. Refer also to DIR (provincial and city directories) for additional information on names, dates, and addresses. This information is not intended to be comprehensive or complete, but it's 21 companies, 20 hyperlinks, and 32 images better than nothing. |
Their listing in the A-Z directory was "ANGELL-PUMFREY (The) ENGRAVING CO., DESIGNERS, ENGRAVERS, ILLUSTRATORS, MAKERS OF HIGH GRADE CUTS FOR PRINTING PURPOSES. 510 HASTINGS STREET WEST." Walter Pumfrey, boarding on Thurlow Street, northwest corner at Nelson, was listed as being with the company. Albert Sidney Angell was listed with the company at 518 West Hastings Street, living at 300 Georgia Street.
Cleland & Walsh Printers
Cleland-Dibble Engraving Co. Ltd.
Cleland-Bell Engraving Co. Ltd.
Cleland-Kent Engraving Co. Ltd.
Norman Wentworth Cleland was born in Brantford, Ontario. He arrived in Vancouver in 1902. In 1905 the City Directory lists him as a "Printer - Evans & Hastings." His brother William is listed as an "Accountant." The 1908 City Directory lists Cleland and Walsh printers at 629 Pender Street, run by Norman Cleland and Harry Walsh. He was living at 238 Robson Street with his brother William, who was noted as the Proprietor of Berlin Dyeing & Cleaning Works at 1122 Richards. On July 22 1913 he married Margaret Davis in Victoria. He was living in Vancouver, and his employment was listed as "engraver." By 1913 he was in a partnership running Cleland-Dibble Engraving, and listed in the City Directory as the Manager of Cleland-Dibble at 500 Beattie Street. He was living at 784 Thurlowe Street, at the same address as his brother William. In 1919 the name was changed to Cleland-Bell, and in 1926 to Cleland-Kent, a new partnership with Harry Ernest Kent. Norman Cleland died in New Westminster in 1944 at the age of 66.
His brother William Nelson Cleland was born in Brantford in 1871, and came to BC c1898. The 1913 City Directory listed his employment as "Real Estate." In 1938 the City Directory listed William as "Salesman - Art Engraving." That business was at 532 West Pender St., H.E. White was Managing Director. He died in 1953, his death certificate noting that he was "Retired: 14 years" from Cleland-Kent as an engraver, after "35 years" spent in that occupation.
Evans & Hastings Printers was one of the first printers to set up business in Vancouver, founded in 1890 by buying out the first printer who had started to work in Vancouver. The City Directories list their business at 423 West Hastings Street in 1891. They were still at that address in 1895, but by 1900 they were in the Irving Block at 541 West Hastings Street. The owners were listed as Thomas Evans and Thomas W. Hastings. In 1910 the business was at 123 West Hastings Street. In 1915 they were located at the Arts and Crafts Building at 578-580 Seymour Street. Their listing in the 1915 Directory is "Evans & Hastings, Limited, Printers, Bookbinders, Designers, Half Tone Work, Etc. 578-580 Seymour 5650-5651." The company was active at least until 1930, and was later bought out by Wrigley Printing.
Shilvock Brothers (linotype, type foundry, printers)
Shilvock-Jackson (type founders, John Jackson typemaker, Lyall J. Parkes President)
The Shilvock brothers - Vernon, Leonard, and William King - arrived in Vancouver shortly after 1900, and are first listed in a city directory in 1904. At that time Leonard was employed as a drug apprentice, Vernon was working as a printer with Evans and Hastings, and William was a motorman for the B.C. Electric Railway. By 1905 Leonard was working as a druggist for McDowell Atkins, Watson Company, retail druggists who had three locations. By 1908 he was working as a clerk for Manhattan Pharmacy.
Leonard Shilvock was born in England September 6, 1882. He was married to Nancey Kentfield. He came to Canada c1902, moved to B.C. the following year, and lived in Vancouver for the last 43 years of his life. He worked for Shilvock-Parkes until May 30 1949, but died just two weeks later on June 13. His brother Vernon died October 6 1944 in Vancouver age 60, but a death certificate is not posted for him.
By 1908 Leonard had started work as a lino operator for the Western Clarion. In 1909 all three brothers were employed by Shilvock Brothers doing linotype composition at "Pender Alley rear 521 Pender W." That relationship continued through World War One. By 1923, in addition to the listing for Shilvock Brothers linotypers, there was a listing for Shilvock-Jackson, type founders, president Vernon Shilvock, and W.K. Shilvock as secretary-treasurer. The Jackson turned out to be John Jackson (1875 - 1946), a machinist linotype worker later employed by the Vancouver Sun, retiring on Sept. 16 1946 (the day before he died) after 17 years with the newspaper. Jackson was born in Scotland, came to Canada as a child in 1882, then spent the last 37 years of his life living and working in Vancouver.
In 1930 the three brothers were still in business as Shilvock Brothers at 341 West Pender Street, listed as typesetters in the Directory. Shilvock-Jackson Ltd. was also still listed, up until at least 1949, with Lyall C. Parkes listed as President of the typefounders. Parkes had been in the printing business in Vancouver since at least 1921, when he was an employee of Morrison and Morrison Printers. Katherine M. Morrison was the proprietor of that company, which also employed George A. Morrison, Isabel L., and M. Morrison at #32 - 553 Granville St. In 1923 Lyall J. Parkes was with Rogers Printing Co. Ltd.
The 1955 city directory lists only Roy L. Shilvock Ltd., president R.L. Shilvock, a typographic service at 1754 Robson Street. That shows the remarkable continuation of more than half a century of this family's history in the Vancouver printing trade. The City of Vancouver Archives has a file of material on Shilvock-Parkes, File M8566.
The 1930 and 1943 City Directories list "Smith, F.C. Lithograph Co Ltd F.C. Smith pres 1695 W 7". By 1950 the company was not listed in the Directory.
Thomas Bailie was reported to have worked for this company in Vancouver.
Wrigley Printing bought out early Vancouver printer Evans & Hastings (q.v.) sometime after 1930.
In 1974 they were doing business as Zenith Graphics Limited.
