The Chinese Canadian Museum is bringing new layers of history and artistry to Vancouver this fall with the launch of two captivating exhibitions: Montréal Chinois: The Lost Decades / Les décennies perdues Photography 1945–1960s and Collector’s Corner: Roger Lee.
Running now until May 10, 2026, Montréal Chinois unveils a rarely seen archive of photographs capturing the lives, friendships, and spirit of Chinese Canadians in Montréal from the mid-1940s through the 1960s. Presented in collaboration with Montréal’s McCord Stewart Museum, the exhibition showcases the work of five self-taught photographers whose images reveal Chinese Montrealers as central figures in the city’s postwar cultural awakening.
“These images pulse with memory and style,” says Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. “They show Chinese Montrealers as vital contributors to the city’s rhythm, not as outsiders, but as participants in its transformation.”
A Rare Glimpse Into Montréal’s Chinese Past
The exhibition features the work of Arthur and Samuel Lee, Peter Wong, Chuck Yip, and Chong Hong Ho, photographers who quietly chronicled their communities through candid portraits, social gatherings, and everyday scenes. Their photographs capture moments at the beach, ski trips, and family dinners, revealing a world of style, pride, and connection.
Arthur Lee, the eldest son of early migrants from Toisan, balanced entrepreneurship with creativity, documenting his community alongside his brother and friends. Chuck Yip — the grandson of Vancouver pioneer Yip Sang, whose Wing Sang Building now houses the museum, continued that legacy through meticulously annotated albums.
“At the McCord Stewart Museum, our mission is to preserve and present the diverse histories that shape Montréal,” says Anne Eschapasse, the museum’s President and CEO. “This partnership shines a light on a vibrant yet often overlooked community whose stories deserve to be seen.”
Collector’s Corner: Celebrating the Passion of Roger Lee
Launching alongside Montréal Chinois is Collector’s Corner: Roger Lee, the first in a new evolving series spotlighting collectors whose personal archives shape the understanding of Chinese Canadian identity and heritage.
This inaugural edition focuses on Roger Lee, a Vancouver-born art historian and Canada’s first Chinese Canadian art history professor. Lee’s fascination with Yixing teapots, elegant, porous clay vessels renowned for their craftsmanship, led to a remarkable collection now shared with the museum and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
“Roger approached these teapots with a Western-trained eye, but his passion was deeply rooted in his Chinese heritage,” says Dr. Lee. “That intersection of scholarship and identity is what makes this exhibition so special.”
Connecting Vancouver’s Present With Its Past
Since opening its permanent home in Vancouver’s historic Wing Sang Building in 2023, the Chinese Canadian Museum has become a cornerstone for storytelling and cultural preservation. These new exhibitions continue its mission to connect generations and communities through shared history and creativity.
For more information or to plan your visit, head to chinesecanadianmuseum.ca.
