2020 | BC Parks
I was contacted by BC Parks to submit a proposal for the replacement of an old series of interpretive panels located in the Windy Joe Fire Lookout Tower in Manning Park. The concept was to update the aging original paintings, both in looks and to use a more robust material.
These panels are mounted above the 360º windows that surround the fire lookout tower
I began my research looking for archival images of the lookout. When showing a real landscape and features nothing would be more accurate that a photograph. I also though illustrating each panel by hand would be too time consuming and make the project have an infeasible budget.
I was extremely lucky to find in the BC Archives a series of photos taken from that exact lookout in 1952. I worked with The Royal BC Museum to acquire the rights to use these photos for this project.
These photos add an interesting interpretive element, letting people compare the seventy plus year old photos to what they see today. Some trees have grown, some have been cut down. Is the snowpack larger? What new features have been developed, etc?
One of the original hand painted panels, with rodent damage.
Taking the text from the original panels I updated the typography to make them more consistent and easy to read. Not using all-caps for example.
Working with the photos was more work than it may seem. First because the panels are 30 inches wide the photos had to be enlarged, without losing detail and becoming blurry. Then the photos had to be stitched together because they did not necessarily match up with how the panels are divided. I also had to adjust for different exposure and light levels in the original photos.
I had to then match the landmarks by looking at the paintings. I even discovered one mountain peak had been mislabelled in the original panels.
They wanted to have the BC Parks logo on the bottom of every panel. But I recommended that this wold be overkill on the logos. I created one panel with a larger text box that could have a short interpretive text as well as the BC Parks logo.
The gold colour used on the panels is a standard colour from the BC Parks Signage Standards.
There was one panel where clouds in the 1952 photos were obscuring some of the mountains that needed to be shown, so I overlayed some imagery from google earth to seamlessly blend into the black and white photos.
The original photos were black and white. I could have colourized them, but there are some advantages to displaying these panels in black and white. The don't take away from the real panoramic view that people will see out the windows of the fire lookout. They also make the gold colour really stand out. And when people see black and white photos they imply that they are archival photos.
The labels are standard map labels with a line pointing to the exact feature.
These panels were printed on dye sublimated aluminum panels, with countersunk screw holes in each corner. The image will wrap around the edge of the panel for a polished look.
These panels are meant to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations and will not fade, chip, or be chewed on by rodents, like the original paintings.
I think using the photos turned out very well. Adding more detail than the original paintings. I think the new panels are much easier to read and pleasing to look at. Also more interesting because you can compare the landscape to photos taken over years ago.
Archival photo of the Windy Joe fire lookout tower in 1952.
I love these original BC Parks wooden routed signs.
