Category Archives: Public Programming

The Friends of the Vancouver City Archives with the support of Famous Artists, is hosting the Hugh Pickett Gala, Monday, October 16, 2017, at the Sylvia Hotel. It will be an evening filled with live music, bubbly and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and illustrated presentations. Funds raised at this event will go towards the processing and digitization of  long-time Vancouver impresario Hugh Pickett’s records. The records were recently donated to the City of Vancouver Archives by Gordon Boyd, Hugh’s life partner.

Hugh Pickett at home. Reference code pending

The Hugh Pickett fonds is vast and colourful, filled with theatre programmes, scrapbooks, event files and photographs emanating from Hugh’s long and rich career in the entertainment industry. The event files include documentation from an array of touring artists and entertainers ranging from pop singers to comedians, circuses to dance companies, classical and opera performers to country artists. Many of the photographs are of early Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) productions, as Hugh was one of the creators of TUTS. Although not directly related to Hugh’s career, there are rare Spitfire Fund scrapbooks included in the fonds from when his mother was involved with the fund in Vancouver.

Some of the Theatre Under the Stars programs. Photo by Heather Gordon

With a successful fundraising effort, we anticipate being able to make the records available to the public in mid to late 2018 and to have a portion of the photographic materials digitized and available online (as rights permit).

A small portion of the 1000+ photos in the fonds. Photo by Heather Gordon

Tickets are $50 per person, purchased via Eventbrite. The gala runs from 7:00 – 9:00 PM, on Monday, October 16 at the Sylvia Hotel (1154 Gilford Street).

Dress code – dress cool, for as Hugh would say, “Tuxedos are for waiters.”

Hugh with material promoting some of his shows. Reference code pending

The Friends of the Vancouver Archives are holding their annual fall fundraiser October 23rd, 2pm. The Early Bird discount ends Oct. 12. The event will be an illustrated talk with light refreshments.

Vaudeville actors who performed at the Orpheum Theatre, 1914. Reference code AM54-S4-2-: CVA 371-2165.

With its mixed variety of singers, dancers, comedians, musicians, minstrel shows and sing-a-longs, Vaudeville shows crisscrossed North America in the early 20th century. With rail connections to the United States, Vancouver was a major stop on the circuit and Hastings Street was theatre row, home to some of the largest and most glamorous venues in the city.

Join historian John Atkin and artist Tom Carter for an illustrated look at this uproarious era of traveling performers and elaborate theatres. The event will be held at the City of Vancouver Archives in Vanier Park.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite. We hope to see you there!

If you are interested in seeing more about the Friends, they are on Facebook.