Name/Title
Chinatown [Victoria, B.C.]Entry/Object ID
2016.01.11Description
Drawing
This black and grey image depicts buildings, rooftops and a courtyard with skeletal winter trees in Chinatown in Victoria, B.C., the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America after San Francisco's. It is a bold and minimalist image with a strong use of positive and negative space, flat planes in multiple dimensions, dark and light, and the juxtaposition of horizontal and vertical lines with the decorative irregular shape of the tree branches.Artwork Details
Medium
Pen and ink wash on paperSubject Place
Region
Pacific NorthwestContinent
North AmericaContext
Victoria's Chinatown was once the major entry port for Asian immigration, mostly from southern China, to British North America, later Canada. From the late 1850s into the 1860s, it was the main entry point for thousands of Chinese miners, and others, heading to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, the Cariboo and other B.C. goldfields in pursuit of their fortunes. Later in the 1880s, it was the main entry point for some 15,000 Chinese labourers who came to work on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Chinese citizens also immigrated over time by reason of famine and war back home, as well as family connections and new opportunity.
This Chinatown also served as an important gateway to the development of Chinese communities across Canada. From the late 1800s into the early 19th century, it was the largest Chinese settlement in the country and produced the earliest clan, language and social organizations and associations that helped to support new immigrants. New labourers arrived and goods, services and news from home were all supplied to the new Chinese communities across B.C. and beyond, along the Canadian Pacific Railway.
And, in spite of the implementation of the anti-Chinese Head Tax (in effect 1885-1923) and the Chinese Immigration [Exclusion] Act (in effect 1923-1947) and numerous other obstacles, Victoria's Chinatown continued its active efforts to challenge Chinese racism and segregation and effect reform related to voting rights and immigration. It was the birthplace of many Chinese-Canadian leaders in politics and other sectors who engaged with and influenced Canadian political, business and social communities. In 2006, the Canadian federal government apologized for the head tax and its other racist immigration policies targeting Chinese people. In 2009, Canada paid financial compensation to around 800 Chinese Head Tax payers.
Like other neighborhoods, Victoria's Chinatown was, and continues to be, home to people of varied backgrounds, religious beliefs and political convictions.
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Victoria’s Chinatown was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995.
"Victoria’s Chinatown is an identifiable neighbourhood of tightly built primarily two and three-storey mixed-use brick buildings in a three-block area of downtown Victoria, British Columbia. Focused on Fisgard Street, its interior is accessed by a distinctive layout of alleys and passageways. The cohesive grouping of buildings adapts standard forms found elsewhere in the city, decorated with flared temple-style roofs, inset and projecting wrought-iron balconies, interior courtyards and brightly hued tiled overhangs. A ceremonial entry arch was erected as part of a 1980s revitalization program. The official recognition refers to two nodes comprising some 33 buildings and the open spaces between them."
Extract from Canadian Register of Historic Places. See Web Links below.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Vicky Husband (Ciccimarra), OBC, OCRole
ArtistDate made
1973Time Period
20th CenturyNotes
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Born in Victoria, Vicky Husband (Ciccimarra) is one of British Columbia’s best-known environmentalists, as well as an artist. She has been a leader in numerous conservation debates, such as the protection of the ancient rainforests of Clayoquot Sound and Vancouver Island, the Great Bear Rainforest, South Moresby/Gwaii Haanas, and the Khuzeymateen grizzly bear sanctuary. Her conservation work, all done on a volunteer basis, has earned her numerous honours including the Order of British Columbia in 2000, the Order of Canada in 2001, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Victoria and a United Nations award for environmental achievement.
She was married to artist Richard Ciccimarra (1924-1973), one of the founders of The Limners, a Modernist art group founded in 1971 to foster the arts community in Victoria. Members included painters, printmakers, writers, sculptors, and ceramics and textile makers. Husband exhibited at the Women Photographers of British Columbia exhibition in 1985.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
Signature, DateLocation
Signed and dated lower right: V. Husband '73Dimensions
Dimension Description
Visible imageHeight
33 cmWidth
43.2 cmRelationships
Related Entries
Notes
2016.01.11 Chinatown [Victoria, B.C]
2016.04.06 Chinatown, Victoria, B.C.![Chinatown [Victoria, B.C.], 1973. Pen and ink wash on paper by Vicky Husband (Ciccimarra), OBC, OC](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/5457/a6d404d0-d3ca-11ec-b228-51d82028998f-vQWgO2a.lg@2x.jpg)
