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June2016FriendsoftheBCArchivesNewsletterVol.15,No.4
BCArchivesReferenceRoomRefreshDavidAlexander,HeadofArchives,Access,andDigital-RoyalBCMuseum
After many years, the BC Archives Reference Room is getting a refresh.We have allocated capital
budget thisyear for somechangesandweare currently costingoutwhat thatmight look like.The
refresh will potentially include some necessary cosmetic changes such as new carpets, compact
shelving,andreplacementof thedesk in thecentreof theroomwithsomethinga littlesmallerand
less obtrusive. It’s a large room, one of the largest in theRoyal BCMuseum, andwewould like to
encourage programming and events in the space during off-hours. We will be adding a projector,
movingsomeofthecabinets,andpurchasingmodularfurniturethatcaneasilybemovedaroundor
outoftheroom.Onceplanshavebeenfinalized,wewilldevelopatimelineandsharethiswithusers.
Therewillbesomedisruptionintheroom,eitherfullorpartialclosuresbutwewillworktominimize
thisasmuchaspossible.Itisabeautifulroombutlongoverdueforanupdate.Iamexcitedtoseethe
transformationandlookforwardtoinvitingyoutoeventshereinthefuture.
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BCArchives:ResearchNoteTheFBCABoardwasrecentlyinformedthatusersoftheBCArchiveswillnolongerberestrictedto
usingRBCMpricedandsuppliedUSBstickswhenscanningmicrofilmedmaterial.RememberyourUSB
stickonyournextvisit!
Congratulations!
Thewinner of the Lieutenant-Governor’sMedal for HistoricalWritingwas FBCA Treasurer Ronald
Greene for his book, Carlo Gentile, Gold Rush Photographer, 1863-1866 (2015). The award was
presentedbyHerHonourJudithGuichon,attheAwardsBanquetoftheBCHistoricalFederationheld
May 28, 2016 in Revelstoke. Ron spoke to the Friends on the subject at our April 2015 public
presentation.
Source:http://greenefrogge.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Front-Cover.jpg
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RecentFBCAEventsReturningFrenchCanadianstoVictoria’sandBC’sHistory/LesCanadiensfranҫaisaucouerdel’histoirefranco-colombienne(April17,2016)
TheNewcombeAuditoriumwasfilledtocapacityforapresentationbyJeanBarman,oneofCanada’s
mostdistinguishedhistorians.Dr.Barmandrewuponresearchfromheraward-winningbook,French
Canadians,Furs,andIndigenousWomenintheMakingofthePacificNorthwest(2014),butfocussedon
localandregionalthemesforanappreciativeaudience.ThiseventwasajointventureoftheFBCAand
L’Association Historique Francophone de Victoria. Professor Barman, who retired from the
EducationalStudiesDepartmentatUBC,explainedhowFrenchCanadianswerevitalinthefurtrade.
In the1830s, French Canadians comprised 60 per centof theHudson’s Bay Companyworkforce in
present-day Oregon, Washington, and BC. As they had done elsewhere, they established intimate
relationswithFirstNationswomenandsubsequentlycreatedculturalbridgesbetweenFirstNations
peoplesandnewcomersofEuropeandescent.After theOregonBoundary settlement in1846,many
French Canadians and their families moved north from theWillamette Valley to Fort Victoria. The
VictoriaVoltigeurs,amilitiaunitofFrenchCanadianmen,bolsteredthedefenceofVancouverIsland,
whileFrenchCanadiansprovidedabulwarktoAmericanexpansionduringtheFraserRivergoldrush.
Indeed,ProfessorBarmanargued,FrenchCanadianswerecrucialinestablishingaBritishcolonyanda
CanadianprovinceonthePacificslope.ShealsodrewattentiontothelegacyofFrenchCanadiansand
theirfamiliesinVictoriaandintheCowichanValley,withaslideshowthatwasillustratedwithimages
fromthecollectionsof theBCArchives.Theafternoonwasenrichedbyaposterprovidedbyourco-
sponsorsandartifactsfromthecollectionsoftheRoyalBCMuseum.ProfessorBarmangavethevery
first public lecture sponsored by the newly-established Friends of theBritish ColumbiaArchives in
October2000.WelookforwardtoherfuturecontributionstothestudyofBritishColumbia.
-PatrickDunae,President,FBCA
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MoosehidecartridgebeltandjacketmadeintheMétiscommunityofKellyLake,BC.AgifttoschoolteacherGeraldSmedleyAndrewsfromlocaltrapperMiltonCampbell.RBCM2014.199.
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DavidMattisonwasanarchivistwiththeBCArchivesuntilhisretirementin2010.Hespecializedin
photographs,managingtoputsomeorderintothemillionsofarchivalphotos,agoodnumberofwhich
arenowavailableonline.Aswellaswritingaward-winningarticlesinjournalsandgivingconference
papers, he also developed a searchable database, CameraWorkers, a directory of BC, Alaska, and
Yukonphotographsandphotographersfrom1858-1950.
At May’s Friend’s talk, David presented his accumulated and most recent work on one of the
photographers listed inCameraWorkers - a littleknown,but importantearlyBCphotographer,C.S.
Bailey (1869-1896). Bailey was the first Vancouver photographer specializing in landscape and
marinephotography.DavidshowedusmanyofBailey’spanoramasandrooftopviewsofaveryyoung
Vancouver.Interestingly,wewereabletopickoutsomerecognizablebuildings–especiallysincethe
site lines were more open than they would be today. Bailey also travelled into the interior to
photographtheactivityinthatareaandalongtheCanadianPacificRailwaytracks.Healsotravelledto
Hawaiiand imagesfromhisphotographicportfoliocanbefoundinthestatearchivesthere.Bailey’s
short life ended in Kamloops,where he died of tuberculosis at the age of 27. His legacy is a large
collectionofvaluabledocumentationof earlyBC.Onehas towonderwhathemight haveproduced
hadhelivedalongerlife.Thank-youtoDavidforsharingwithusthislittleknownmaterialfromthe
BCArchivesandothermunicipalcollections.
-DeidreSimmons,BoardMember,FBCA
AnArtistofRareAbility:TheLifeandPhotographsofC.S.Bailey(May15,2016)
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TheFriendsPrograms are held in the Newcombe ConferenceHall at the RoyalBritish Columbia
Museum, 675Belleville Street, Victoria, from2:00 - 3:30p.m. on Sundays. Formore information
about these events contactRonGreene, Treasurer of the Friends of theBCArchives at 250-598-
1835.Eventsarefreeformembers,$5.00fornon-members,payableatthedoor.
Pleasecall(250)356-7226inadvanceforinformationaboutaccessforpersonswithdisabilities.
FBCAContactInformation
Email:[email protected]
Website:https://friendsofbcarchives.wordpress.com/
Twitter:@BCArchives
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofTheBCArchives/
Address:FriendsoftheBritishColumbiaArchives,B.C.Archives
RoyalBritishColumbiaMuseum,675BellevilleSt.Victoria,B.C.V8W9W2
MembershipDues
A friendly reminder thatmembershipdues for2016-17arepayable inSeptember.Thank-you toall
FBCA members for another successful year of engaging talks and support for BC’s documentary
heritage.
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