Born in Alkmaar, Netherlands, Jan (John) Vanderpant (1884-1939) lived in New Westminster where he operated Columbia Studio, a commercial photographic studio from 1919-1927. Vanderpant followed the pictorialist style, focusing on balanced composition, soft focus, and the play of light. During his time in New Westminster, the New Westminster School Board hired Vanderpant to take school class photos, some of which are part of New Westminster’s archival collection. Growing dissatisfied with the direction of his work, Vanderpant decided to explore modernism and in 1927 he moved his studio to Vancouver and aligned himself with avante garde artists.
