In Vancouver, B.C., the place to go for a photo with your car was Stanley Park. You could back inside the 500 year old cedar known as "The Hollow Tree" and get a good shot of the car. Needless to say, the tradition caught on and continued until cars got too big and damage was being done to the tree. We've done a few re-creations there.
In this thread I will start to post some brass-era photos taken at or in the Hollow Tree. If you have others, please add them. And if you can identify any unknown cars please chip in.
This 1911(?) Stoddard-Dayton was registered (#1649) to Alfred H. Johnson of New Westminster. It would have been about 20 miles through the forest and then the city to get to the park. A pretty good drive back in the day!
Note the monogram on the rear door and the terrific looking exhaust whistle on the running board. Is that a Gabriel horn?
Peter Findlay
Burnaby, BC
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Thanks Peter
I look forward to see the photos as they come on board
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Note: The Hollow Tree is not a drive-through tree, but famous none-the-less. Nice car, and nice whistle. Thanks, Peter.
Note: The Hollow Tree is not a drive-through tree, but famous none-the-less. Nice car, and nice whistle. Thanks, Peter.
Yes, that's correct.
Here is another that shows the tree better. It was big enough to back your car into, or two motorcycles. These are Excelsiors, maybe 1913 on the left and a little newer on the right. Excelsior (made by the Schwinn Company) was the number 2 seller after Indian.
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Here's a Model T backed into the tree. The photographer's name at the bottom, and the publisher's name on the post card, is Frank Gowen. The licence plate #6517 was registered to him, so this was likely a promo shot he took to rustle up some business. It turns out Frank lived just a few blocks from my current home.
The plate is 1914. Maybe some Model T guy out there can tell me if this is a 1913 or 1914 Ford? Notice it is right hand drive - built for B.C., where we'd drive on the left for seven more years. (photo from the Vancouver Archives)
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Hi Peter
Chris and I drove from Crescent City Or down the coast through the Red Wood forest and then into the Napa Valley. The Red Wood's are massive and very impressive, we parked our (modern) hire car in one of the cut out trees, along the way and did the photo thing.
I know why everyone wanted to have a photo, they are cool 🙂
Russell
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Here is a very early picture of a car in the tree (there are older pictures with bicycles and buggies). This looks like an early White steamer. Apparently the ladies gave the driver the boot for the sake of the picture.
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Here's a great picture - lots of detail of both car and costumes. It looks like a Daimler, maybe around 1907? It has great looking lights and is that the horn mounted dead centre in the windshield?
This picture is from the Vancouver Archives (AM169-F17-: CVA 162-19) and has this detailed note on the back side:
"On car hood - Ormsby Lee; Leaning on hood - Jack Williamson; Sitting on running board - George Godfrey; On front seat - Uncle Alex Lee, Mrs. Harriet Ellen Godfrey (nee Lee); Back seat - Howard Godfrey, Dorothy Lee; Next back seat - Aunt Eliz. Lee, Aunt Mildred Lee, Eva Godfrey; Standing - Uncle Jack Lee. About 1906-1907 or 1908, 'Big Tree' in Stanley Park, Vancouver B.C."
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Here's a picture of an early Rolls Silver Ghost. I love the body styling on this one. Not sure of the year.
Ken
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Here's a picture of an early Rolls Silver Ghost. I love the body styling on this one. Not sure of the year.
Ken
Yes, a great looking car. I wonder why he's facing the opposite direction of almost every other Hollow Tree photo?
There is information about this picture and other Vancouver Rolls-Royces on our chapter website. John Pierson wrote:
This is a 1912 Silver Ghost with coachwork by Barker. The picture is from the Vancouver Public Library and shows the car by the hollow tree in Stanley Park. The woman in the front seat is Ruth McLean, and she was still alive in 1999. In the back seat are Jeannie MacLean and John William Stewart. I don’t know who the third back seat passenger is, nor do I know the name of the soldier who is driving. Dewey Parker identified the people, Ruth McLean is her aunt. ( http://antique.vccc.com/pioneers/VancouverRolls/rolls.htm)
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Hi all
Great photo and great history!
Russell
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Here's another Cadillac, this time a 1911. Notice the front door - this is not a foredoor model, but rather an open front touring with aftermarket front door added. Also notice the wraparound tire studs, possibly for traction in the park's muddy roads.
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I think this could be a 1910 Mitchell - can anyone confirm that? The man wearing the hat is Vancouver Mayor Louis D. Taylor. Could that be W.H. Taft in the back seat? (Vancouver archives picture CVA 1477-204)
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That does not look like Taft to me. Similar, but not President Taft. These do look like a bunch of VIP's though. Thanks, Doug.
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