Smilin' Buddha Sign Gains Companion at Vancouver Museum

The Museum of Vancouver recently added a Smilin’ Buddha piggy bank to its collection, placing it alongside the iconic neon sign from the former Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret. The cabaret, a Vancouver hotspot from the 1960s to 1980s, hosted early performances by Jimi Hendrix and later became a punk rock venue. KC Stogran donated the ceramic piggy bank, a souvenir he purchased for 50 cents in 1973, after contacting the museum while planning to scatter his brother’s ashes in Vancouver.

The museum’s collection of approximately 80,000 items also grew this week with donations including a “Ladies” neon sign from the Royal Hotel, a B.C. tartan coat belonging to activist Bruce Eriksen, and a registration card for Barry Chin issued during a period of restricted Chinese immigration to Canada. Curator Wendy Nichols receives daily offers of donations, seeking objects that tell the story of Vancouver.

The museum continues to build its holdings, preserving pieces of the city’s cultural history for future generations.