Ric Hall’s A Little Postcard Trivia!
July 30, 2016
Recently, I came into possession of three photos that have the notation at the bottom “Visit of HRH Prince of Wales Vancouver, BC, Sep 22-23 1919.”
I thought one of them looked familiar causing me to go through my collection of RCMP photos. I found a copy of the attached postcard which is obviously taken from the photograph. The horses and riders are in the same position, even down to the white shabracks. The trees in the background are identical in size and shape. A little colourization and with some clever editing of the bunting in front of the stand (must have been clever in 1919 or thereabouts) you have a postcard.
A little patriotic horsemanship by the RNWMP for the visit of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, at Vancouver in 1919 (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).
The post card of RNWMP members in Vancouver in 1919 (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).
Below are a couple of pictures of the members putting on a riding display for the Prince of Wales. It is interesting to note that there are only two sections, 16 riders and horses, opposed to the normal 32 used for riding displays. It was just a short trot for the riders from Fairmont Barracks to what I believe is the current Hastings Race Way at Hastings Park, originally called East Park.
Photograph of the 1919 RNWMP escort for the Prince of Wales in Vancouver (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).
Photograph of The Prince of Wales chats up the Colour Part of the Guard of Honour. In the background is the RNWMP Escort with our favourite horse “Old Whitey” very visible (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).
Photograph of the Prince of Wales signed from his Canadian visit which appeared in the Vancouver Veterans’ Association Scarlet and Gold magazine (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).
If you have any photographs that Ric can included in a forthcoming webpage, please email him at rshall69@shaw.ca. He will scan the images and return the original to you.
