Postcards from Vancouver: 1940s Indian Totem Poles in Stanley Park

Tired of the typical tourist shop momentos? Finding something different than the normal "I love Vancouver" t-shirt takes a little work, but can be much more rewarding. Here's how I do it.

While traveling, I always find it fun to stop in an antique shop or two to see if I can find cheap historic souvenirs. Antique shops are like mini-museums. You can see the items that local people have used throughout the last several decades.

I look for some local postcards, magazines or artwork. The momento needs to be small and fit in a suitcase, so paper artifacts are usually the first choice. Also, look for local handcrafted pieces made from wood in Vancouver. If you cannot find anything small, that's ok. There will be another day (or just find something on eBay when you get home).

Pictured is a postcard I found for $1. It is postmarked 1949 and has a 3 cent Canada stamp on it. The caption on the front is "Indian Totem Poles, Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C., Canada." The totem pole site in Stanley Park looks different today and there are now several more totem poles on display.

The back of the postcard has a message from a traveler who visited Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada and then went on to visit Vancouver Island in B.C., Canada.

At another antique shop I found a cheap $20 oil painting of Spirit Island in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It's a one of kind painting from the 70s. Nothing fancy, but the perfect momento that easily fit in my suitcase.