Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Chow, Yucho
Parallel form(s) of name
- 周耀初
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Chew, You
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1876-1949
History
Born in China in 1876 in the [開平 Hoiping / Kaiping] county of 廣東 Guangdong province, Yucho Chow arrived in Vancouver in 1902, paying the head tax. Little is known about his early years in Vancouver; he offered translation and interpretation services and may have worked as a house servant.
Chow established his photography studio at 68 West Hastings Street in 1907, photographing families, individuals, and organizations, many of whom were recent immigrants to Canada. Chow welcomed clients from any background, and as such, his work documents diverse communities that have traditionally been excluded from dominant narratives of Vancouver’s history.
Chow operated the studio with assistance from his seven children, working out of 68 West Hastings Street from 1907-08, 5 West Pender Street from 1909-1913, 23 West Pender Street from 1914-1929, and 518 Main Street from 1930 until his sudden death in 1949, leaving his sons Peter and Philip to take over the business. Yucho Chow was recognized in Chinatown as a community leader and philanthropist. A community archive collection of his photographs is housed at the City of Vancouver Archives.