Vitality: Iconic Images, Hidden Stories

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Fred Herzog, “Man with Cane,” 1961

archival pigment print (Courtesy of The Estate of Fred Herzog and Equinox Gallery, Vancouver) © The Estate of Fred Herzog, 2025

Vitality: Iconic Images, Hidden Stories, an exhibition that drops visitors into a world where resilience meets creativity, and history collides with the present.

Pairing the legendary photography of Canadian Fred Herzog with untold stories of the Vancouver Chinatown community, Vitality is a sensory deep-dive into Vancouver’s Chinatown of the 1950s to 1970s—a kaleidoscope of vivid Kodachrome colors, layered with the voices of those who lived and shaped it. Herzog’s lens captured a side of Chinatown that goes beyond postcards. It’s a gritty, electric energy that vibrates through its streets, its people, and its culture.

But the untold stories are the heartbeat of this exhibit. Crafted in close collaboration with the community, Vitality unpacks what it meant to thrive in Chinatown amidst immense challenges. Together, the photos and stories amplify a central theme that ripples across generations—hope.

The Vision Behind Vitality

The idea behind this exhibit began when Equinox Gallery owner and director Andy Sylvester invited Carol Lee to curate an exhibition of Fred Herzog’s photography for the 2025 Capture Photography Festival. Lee proposed hosting a parallel exhibition at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre to explore the hidden stories behind the photographs, highlighting Chinatown's history, drawing visitors, and supporting its revitalization.

“Herzog’s photography of Chinatown and Historic Hastings radiates a central theme: hope. That's why showcasing this work at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre is a full circle moment for us,” said Carol Lee, Chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. “These images tell a story about what two of Vancouver's most iconic neighbourhoods were, and also what they can be again."