Smith Davidson & Wright were a newly formed company in 1907 established by Fred Smith, William E. Davidson and Francis Wright. They were primarily wholesale stationers and paper dealers, although they seem to have published postcards in their early years. They selected E E Blackmore to design a warehouse for their business to sit on the corner of Homer and Davie Streets, in the newly released CPR lands to the east of Homer (completed in 1911).
Frederick Smith was from Toronto, and took the position of Chairman in the new company. Frances Wright was from Ashburn Ontario and worked at Toronto’s W J Gage, wholesale paper dealers, the same company that Mr Smith had worked for as well. Mr Wright became secretary and treasurer of the firm. We haven’t successfully identified Mr Davidson, or his role in the company.
Our photograph shows the company’s premises in 1921. By 1930, as the magazine advertisment here shows, they had expanded to Victoria, Calgary, Saskatoon and Edmonton. In 1953 the company, still occupying the same premises, became Smith Davidson & Lecky. The substantial terra cotta surround to the warehouse and office entrance, which had the company name inscribed on it, was totally rebuilt in appropriately matching style to reflect the new name of the business.
Although the company no longer exists, the warehouse still operates as an office building with new retail uses on the old rail dock at the back of the building (on Hamilton Street).
Image source: City of Vancouver Archives CVA 99 – 3370, Museum of Vancouver.
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Changing Vancouver 