Union Club

Painting

-

The Union Club of British Columbia

Union Club, 1996. Watercolour on paper by Ben Turner

Name/Title

Union Club

Entry/Object ID

2018.08.39

Description

Painting This is an image of the façade of the Union Club at 905 Gordon Street at Humboldt showing a transparent canopy structure over the front steps and entrance, with a Canadian flag flying overhead and The Empress Hotel in the background to the right. Founded in 1879, The Union Club of British Columbia is a landmark institution in the heart of downtown Victoria., B.C., considered the foremost business, social and cultural club in the city.

Artwork Details

Medium

Watercolour on paper

Subject Place

Region

Pacific Northwest

Continent

North America

Context

This Union Club building was recognized as nationally significant in 1995 by the joint federal, provincial and territorial administered registry, Canada’s Historic Places. And in 2017, The Union Club of British Columbia was declared a National Historic Site by the Government of Canada. The Union Club, completed in 1913, earned the prestigious status for its important early history and outstanding architecture of Beaux-Arts Italian Renaissance Revival Style. Designed by noted San Francisco architect Loring P. Rixford (1870-1946), plans for the building were drawn up with the help of prominent Victoria architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury (1867-1935). Of note, in addition to the building's elegant design, is it's juxtaposition with The Empress Hotel (1908), a nationally significant Château-style hotel, built for the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Belmont Building (1912), significant for its early use of concrete frame construction and as a gatepost to Victoria's commercial core. Together these buildings form a backdrop of historic places in the northeast corner of the Inner Harbour, and mark the entrance to Victoria's Old Town District. In 2017, an extensive $4 million five-year building renovation project was completed, including exterior restoration. The restoration of the exterior terracotta was documented and the photographs now form part of the Club's collection. See 2018.06.01 - 2018.06.15.

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Ben Turner

Role

Painter

Date made

1996

Time Period

20th Century

Notes

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY A Benson Turner is listed in the "FINE ARTS '96" exhibition catalogue, Sooke, B.C. Further research is needed.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Signature, Date

Location

Signed and dated lower right: Ben Turner '96

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Visible image

Height

43.8 cm

Width

48.3 cm

Acquisition

Notes

Detail unknown

Web Links and URLs

The Union Club of British Columbia, Canada's Historic Places Register - Union Club of British Columbia, Parks Canada National Historic Site of Canada - Union Club of British Columbia