Virtual Victoria: View from the steeple

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Victoria in 1891
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Image of Victoria in 1891

This web site shows how archival material and digital media can provide a compelling perspective on the past. It demonstrates how interactive panoramas can be created and how historical photographs can be annotated and enhanced as digital image maps.

For this project we used data from 1891 census of Canada. Victoria was enumerated in April that year. We consulted Goad's Fire Insurance Atlas (updated to May 1891) and Williams' British Columbia Directory (compiled in September 1891).

The 1891 census records and directory listings are available at the viHistory.ca web site. Contemporary maps and fire insurance plans are also available there.

The View from the steeple web site was created in 2005 at Vancouver Island University. It was a component in a collaborative teaching and research project with the University of Victoria called Virtual Victoria. We wanted to create a digital environment where students could explore and interact with a Victorian city. This web site was an early step towards that goal.

Revised in 2012, this web site may be useful for local historians and building heritage enthusiasts. It's a good place for exploring "vanished" landmarks and streetscapes in the City of Victoria.

Contact:
Patrick A. Dunae
Web site editor