This Week in History, 1903-8: Vancouver Archives dusts off some of its cool, old letterhead designs

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Vancouver companies really went to town with their letterheads.

A classic example is the design for the International Ice and Storage Co. at Gore Avenue and Railway Street in Japantown. The company name appeared in capital letters in several typefaces, curving over and beside a circular illustration of the inner workings of the facility.

To impress viewers it was frigid inside, the words “Storage Co.” are topped with ice that droops down the letters, like icicles.

“Ice manufactured from distilled water,” the letterhead explains. “Cold storage, ammonia process.”

There’s an illustration of a cow on the right, over top of the declaration: “Clarified and pasteurized pure milk cream (and) fresh creamery butter manufactured daily.” At the top there’s a list of the company directors and, on the left, the location and “Phone 415.” The three numbers indicate its age: the letter was sent April 14, 1903.