City Bus on Vancouver Street (about mid-1950s)
Distinctive industrial design reveals itself in many ways and, when done well, can be a genuine pleasure to take in. While the specialness of such design is often difficult to see in our contemporary surroundings, its otherwise subtle impact jumps out when looking back at vintage images. A case in point: the humble municipal bus, operated in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and other cities across Canada. Over this period theses buses began to display a very mod sensibility as they evolved from the severe boxiness of earlier 1930s and 1940s versions to later, during the 1950s through the 1970s, being adorned with more rounded contours, sleek curves and very stylized lines and chrome elements.
O' Canada 
Gazooks! That means I am vintage. Those buses look very familiar.
Me too! 🙂
I remember those model of buses and how uncomfortable and smelly they were. Too hot in the Summer and cold and wet in Winter.
The good with the bad.
Seems odd that we went away from those electric buses and back to diesel.
Especially since electric vehicles are now very much the thing!
YES! Don’t you think it’s odd that they got rid of them? I guess they took up too much space on the road. I was always amazed at how they managed to pull in and out of traffic to allow passengers on and off.
🙂
Oh, how I wish buses looked like this these days. Granted, I wouldn’t be caught dead in the germ’s paradise of Hep C claptrap public transportation we have here, but I wouldn’t mind looking at it as it drove past. P.S. nice blazing bonfire in the last pic.
True on both counts about the bus. That does look like a bonfire but I think it’s one of the big waterfalls near Vancouver. (Another amusing sighting: in the first Vancouver bus photo the theater marquee shows that “Devil Girl From Mars” was then playing, which has since become a campy cult classic.)
The photos brought back all the years I used the Calgary and Vancouver bus to get to work or go shopping. I prefer buses to driving in a crowded city.
Yes, you can read or just take in the activity on the street.
HI Brett, these images are lovely – I remember the more mod buses of Edmonton – and miss them! Here’s a link to some images you might enjoy: https://www.edmonton.ca/ets/ets-historical-photos.aspx
Best,
S
Hi, Sydney, thanks for this link — the images of the buses are terrific!
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Love the styles of the older buses, especially photo number 14.
Yes, that one’s very cool!
The style reminds me of VW vans in the old high school days. I liked the different details you gave us, Brett. Information I would not have known had you not written this post. Smiles, Robin
Hi, Robin, yes, the old VW vans are very cool with their curves and other funky style.Best, Brett
Totally love these buses!
They’re pretty cool!
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