What's inSight Summer 2015

Summer 2015

GUANGZHOU CHINA AN INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR JACK LOHMAN OUR LIVING LANGUAGES UNSPOKEN MESSAGES, UNEXPLORED PATHS INTANGIBLE HERITAGE CELEBRATES THE ENERGY OF LIFE

$3.95

SUMMER 2015

MANAGING EDITOR

FEATURE Intangible Heritage Celebrates the Energy of Life

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FEATURE Guangzhou China: An Interview with Professor Jack Lohman

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Species at Risk Travelling the Province

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Gold Rush! Developing the Exhibition

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FEATURE Our Living Languages Unspoken Messages, Unexplored Paths

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Aboriginal Cultural Festival Returns to Royal BC Museum

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Jennifer Vanderzee Marketing & Sales Manager MAGAZINE COORDINATOR Kathryn Swanson Membership & Marketing Coordinator EMBERSHIP M EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

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Celebrate a Season of Sesquicentennials 12 at Barkerville Historic Town

Gerry Truscott Publisher

Facing the Front Line 14 Centennial Trench Exhibit

Jenny McCleery Graphic Designer

GOING DIGITAL 15 Volunteers Help Transcribe Historical Records

Shane Lighter Photographer

A CLOSER LOOK 16 A Puzzling Gap

Gold Rush! Comes Alive 21 Revelstoke – A Kiss in the Wind 22

David Alexander Head of New Archives & Digital Preservation Erik Lambertson Corporate Communications Officer

Raise a Glass for the Miners 13

Rushing to New Lands 18 Early Chinese Immigration

Erika Stenson Head of Marketing & Business Development

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STAFF PROFILE 23 Ann ten Cate Speakers’ Bureau Preview 23

What’s inSight is an electronic magazine released four times annually, in March, June, September and December, by the Royal BC Museum.

In the interest of keeping our administrative costs low – and our carbon footprint small – this print version is provided to members without computer access only.

ONE MORE WAY TO GO GREEN Contact Kathryn Swanson to request a digital version of What’s inSight 250-387-3287 membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Cover Image

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Professor Jack Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum, Mr Ni Jun-Ming, Associate Librarian of the Sun YatSen Library of Guangdong Province, and Ms He Le, Administrator of the Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province, examining documents held within the Library’s vault. March 3, 2015.

Dear Friends, We all know that extinction is a natural process and the fate of all species over time, but around British Columbia and the world at large, species are currently going extinct at an alarming and unnatural rate. Biologists, paleantologists and archaeologists are working together to relate mass extinctions of the past to the trends we see today.

Our new travelling exhibition called Species at Risk looks at the subject of extinction and provides a very personal encounter with rare, threatened and endangered species in British Columbia. It highlights all shades of rarity, from Barn Swallows to the flowering Pink Sand Verbena, a species that stands truly on the edge of extinction. And we showcase species from across British Columbia with a focus on the southern part of the province where the effects of human habitation are highest. Can you do anything? It turns out that you can – the exhibition presents ideas that we hope will empower visitors to make some small but significant changes in their lives. Small changes can have a big impact in every community and on the thousands of species living in British Columbia.

We are all connected in some way, and this travelling exhibition will tour the province to connect you to the species in your region that need our help. See our website for the exhibition tour dates and learn more about Species at Risk in British Columbia.

Yours,

Professor Jack Lohman, CBE Chief Executive Officer, Royal BC Museum

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Intangible Heritage Celebrates the Energy of Life

By Nicholas Tuele, Art Consultant

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rthur Vickers’ mother was a Canadian of English ancestry and his father was First Nations of Tsimshian and Heiltsuk lineage. He spent his childhood in the Tsimshian village of Kitkatla on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia.

It was here he was taught about his native heritage from his grandfather, a fisherman and canoe carver. Arthur learned to carve as a youngster, and after some years as a fisherman and carpenter, he began his artistic practice full-time in 1989. As an artist, Arthur has mastered many media, from carving and serigraphy to one-of-a-kind creations using a variety of materials, such as gold leaf and “grey ghost” cedar.

The Leadership Desk is an example of the latter. In 2009 the artist gifted the

Province with an astonishing and unique desk for the Premier’s office. After years of searching for recovered old growth red cedar or “grey ghost” cedar, Arthur created the desk in the shape of a very large bentwood box. All the surfaces are covered with First Nations’ iconography, painted in red and black, which reference the responsibilities of leadership, not only for the current generation but for generations to come. When the desk was gifted, the artist said, “In my creations I draw from my experiences of living in BC and I am always inspired by the signs of nature that so often guide us.”

All of Arthur’s work, regardless of medium, is inspired by what he calls “the signs of nature” and he espouses a profound knowledge of nature and the

interconnectedness of all life. Recently Arthur was asked to talk to Royal BC Museum staff about his work Intangible Heritage which had been selected by CEO Professor Jack Lohman and Deputy Director Kathryn Bridge for inclusion in the exhibition Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC. The staff and a few guests sat and listened raptly as Arthur, the storyteller, recounted stories his grandfather had told him when he was a child.

When he was about six years old he was at a feast sitting on his grandfather’s knee. Prior to eating, drums started beating and in came dancers wearing beautiful button blankets. The chief wore a stunning headdress and an eagle blanket depicting who he was and what family he came from. Arthur recalls saying, “Grandfather I want a blanket just like that.” To which his grandfather replied, “Grandson, when you were born the creator gave you a blanket. You just can’t see it. Yours is really beautiful. It goes all around your body and it’s gold.

He gave you that blanket for a purpose.

And that purpose is to keep all the good thoughts and feelings inside you and all the bad ones out.”

This was a profoundly important episode in Arthur’s early life, although it would be much later before he fully understood the implications of his grandfather’s wisdom and insight. The elder had introduced his young charge to the idea Arthur Vickers with Intangible Heritage in the Royal BC Museum’s Paintings, Drawings and Prints vault.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist.

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Detail of 24K gold leaf used in the creation of Intangible Heritage.

of “aura,” or the invisible emanation or field of energy believed to radiate from a person or object. Arthur commented that many cultures feel everything has an energy. For example, in philosophy “chi” is the circulating life energy inherent in all things, something the artist firmly believes. Arthur went on to say he has spent his life thinking, feeling, visualizing and trying to make manifest the energy or aura of human beings. Intangible Heritage is the result. He feels that this work of art encompasses all the heritage we learn in our childhood and continue to learn as adults.

Over all, Intangible Heritage is a reference to a button blanket covered with various figures and design elements, with a Coast Salish cedar hat at the top. Arthur identified the iconography of Intangible Heritage starting with the three frogs in the hat. Frogs play a prominent role in First Nation’s lore. When the frogs stop talking at the start of winter and go to sleep, it’s time for the people in the Big House to begin the ceremonial season. Frogs are able to live in two worlds, that is, on land and in the water, and by extension they live in the spirit or ancestor’s world and the world that royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

we experience through our five senses.

They are the conduit between these two worlds.

Directly below the frogs is the Greatest Grandparent who expresses satisfaction that Mother to the right and Father to the left pull a tight button blanket around the central figure – a representation of you and me. And then there is a little boy and little girl representative of the next generation. Arthur gives us a visualization of the continuity of heritage from our ancestors through our parents to us and then to our children. Note that the little girl is on the opposite side of the composition to her grandmother and the little boy is across from grandfather.

The viewer is reminded, as we look at the intersection from left to right and vice versa, we all have aspects of the feminine and masculine within us and that these opposites should be in harmony.

As our eyes move over the form lines, we discern other aspects of the iconography in Arthur’s work. Upper right there is Eagle, ruler of the sky, who mates for life and thus symbolizes lasting spousal dedication. Upper left we see Raven,

Intangible Heritage by Arthur Vickers.

bringer of light, and amongst other attributes, he teaches us about life and right from wrong. Note, too, the double eyes of Halibut below Mother and Father.

In some First Nations’ lore, Halibut is believed to have thrown off its skin and fins to emerge as the first Human after the Great Flood subsided. The final design element is a secondary one portraying two upside-down birds.

Intangible Heritage is a compelling work of art deeply significant in the richness of its design and meaning. Arthur has visualized something that at one level is so palpable and yet cannot be touched.

He has presented the viewer with an image of wholeness, of human beings living in the world that is shared with all the living things. And there is another world where Greatest Grandparent is the origin of all knowledge, customs, history and culture. We become who we are through the teachings of our ancestors as transmitted through our parents and we have a responsibility to pass this on to the next generation.

See Intangible Heritage in the Gold Rush!

El Dorado in BC exhibition, on now until October 31, 2015.

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Professor Jack Lohman and Mr Ni Jun-Ming, Associate Librarian of the Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province, examining documents held within the Library’s vault. March 3, 2015.

Professor Jack Lohman and Dr Wu Heng, Director, International Affairs, touring the temporary exhibitions of Nanjing Museum. March 6, 2015.

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Guangzhou China: An Interview with Professor Jack Lohman H

ow did the March 2015 trip to China come to be?

We have been collaborating with China and its museums for some time now, through research, dialogue and mutual participation. Our Curator Dr Tzu-I Chung has been instrumental in this. I was delighted to work with Fudan University a few years back and more recently to chair a conference in Shanghai for UNESCO. This type of cultural exchange is a multidirectional process of collaboration that leads to very fertile relationships.

And it makes sense to share our collections and see how others view them. Our collaboration with China is not about exporting and importing culture but about genuine engagement.

Travelling to China sounds expensive; how was the trip paid for?

I am most grateful to the BC Ferries Exhibition Fund for supporting this work.

Why is the Royal BC Museum’s relationship with China so important?

We don’t lack information about China and its cultures, and China does not lack information about British Columbia, but that does not necessarily translate into better understanding or a greater knowledge. By taking our archival photographs to Guangzhou, we are allowing members of the public, through empathy and imagination, to enter into the subjective life of those Chinese who came to Victoria. This type of exhibition opens up understanding and presents the experience of emigration to Canada royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

and how that shaped displacement. It shows what happens to culture when people move to another place and how happiness was envisaged in British Columbia by new immigrants. There is, of course, a much bigger reason why we are involved with China. We all know China will emerge as the largest and most powerful economy in the world.

This is something that will affect all of us and our future economic partnerships.

The soft power of culture will play an increasingly vital role in giving meaning to economic relationships.

envisioning a “good society” and a better or different life.

Will the Royal BC Museum be doing more with the Sun Yat-Sen Library?

We have agreed to continue our collaboration and we have planned joint publications, conferences and exhibitions.

What was your favourite part of this trip?

Every exhibition opening is a special event, a moment to celebrate the work that often takes many years. As our first exhibition in China, Tradition in Felicities, which opened at the Sun Yat-Sen Library, has particular significance. This is not the sound of one hand clapping but an orchestration of work on both sides of the Pacific.

While the country is very familiar to me (I have been working with museums in China for more than a decade), China still fascinates me – I never grow tired of its pace of change. I am particularly taken, like everyone else, by its deep classical traditions and how the country continues to search its ancient history for connections to the present. Visiting the vault in Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-Sen Library, where China’s oldest printed books are kept, is really something special. Turning the scroll of the Diamond Sutra, a sixth century Buddhist text, is nothing short of breathtaking. It is the context of cultural sharing that has the greatest effect on me personally.

How was the exhibition received by visitors in Guangzhou?

What’s next for the Royal BC Museum in China?

It will be interesting to gauge the feedback from 20,000 visitors a day in due course, when the exhibition closes, but from the reactions of those visiting when I was there it was clearly seen as engaging. And in conversations with visitors I sensed that they were conscious of our efforts to increase the awareness of the experience of those Chinese who had come across the Pacific to Canada

We open our exhibition in the Guangzhou Metro in October this year to mark the anniversary of the twinning of Vancouver and Guangzhou. Our Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition opens in the Museums of Chinese Living Abroad in Guangzhou in November 2015.

The Tradition in Felicities exhibition was the first Royal BC Museum exhibition to open in China. Why was this such a special event?

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Species at Risk Travelling the Province

By Chris O’Connor, Family and Schools Program Producer

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hat would you save? This is one of the questions we’ll be asking as the Royal BC Museum’s Species at Risk exhibition – a three-year pilot project – hits the road this summer. In a province so rich in biodiversity, there are an alarming number of species threatened with extinction (when a species is gone for good) or extirpation (when a species is no longer found in BC). Habitat loss, competition from invasive species, over-harvesting, pollution and climate change are pushing the survival of certain species to the brink. What can we do about it? Why should we care?

Usually with a travelling exhibition, you pack up crates of objects and text panels and send them to a particular location.

The host then puts them up, and that’s that. What we envision with Species at Risk is a little bit different.

This summer the exhibition will be housed in an eye-catching teardrop-

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shaped trailer, and driven by skilled and personable interpreters to the Okanagan, north Vancouver Island, and the lower mainland. At each stop, interpreters will lead summer camps for kids and weekend and evening events for learners of all ages. We are working together with local museums and community centres to cocreate event and learning opportunities.

Approaches to learning will also be shaped in unique ways. We lead by asking questions, large and small, inviting participants to inquire, study, consider, make meaningful connections and wrestle with the big questions of responsible stewardship and environmental sustainability. In this way, we create a ‘community of learners’ who all have something to contribute and something to learn.

Species at Risk is an opportunity to engage with ideas and work together for change.

So, what would you save?

Learn more about this exhibition at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/speciesatrisk Powered by Supported by the John and Joan Walton Innovators Fund.

We believe that education is key to ensuring the safety of our species at risk. This travelling exhibition helps us educate people across the province.

If you would like to support the Royal BC museum so we can continue to develop outreach programs like this, visit us online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support, email us at donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call us at 250-387-3102.

Examples of species at risk that will be featured in the exhibition. Visit the learning portal at learning. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca to learn more.

Gold Rush!

Developing the Exhibition

By Dr Scott Cooper, Vice President, Exhibitions Innovation

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ou may have explored Gold Rush!

El Dorado in BC already but have you ever wondered what it takes to create a feature exhibition? You need three things. The first is a compelling story of the past that resonates in some way with the present. From mass migration and resource extraction, to the loss of ancient territories and the making of a new province – Gold Rush! encompasses issues that we continue to rehearse to this day, and though the story is over a century old it could hardly be more relevant.

The second is a remarkable collection.

In this respect Gold Rush! is astonishing with objects on loan from more than 20 separate institutions and private lenders, including 137 spectacular examples of pre-Columbian treasures from the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Colombia.

The third is a committed and energetic team, and again the museum and archives is fortunate in employing a remarkable group of curators, writers, collection managers, project managers, interpreters, registrars, designers, conservators, artists, technicians and fabricators, all of whom have worked as one to bring the exhibition together.

To give you a sense of behind the scenes of Gold Rush! here’s a snapshot of what went on during the final weeks leading to opening:  T he arrangement of every showcase was precisely mapped on layout drawings

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Exhibition Fabricators work together to place a stagecoach, on loan from Historic O’Keefe Ranch, on its customized plinth.

 Graphic panels were printed and fabricated  Showcases were assembled and walls constructed  Multimedia productions were created including three animated shorts, two live action films and a host of computer interactives  Elegant mounts were hand-made for over 300 remarkable objects  Recording sessions were arranged to capture gold rush era songs  Marketing signs, banners, leaflets and digital media were produced  A dedicated exhibition “microsite” was created  Learning resources were created for the Royal BC Museum’s Learning Portal  A book was published that features articles and essays from Royal BC Museum curators and other worldleading scholars

 Public lectures were coordinated and guided tours developed And even before the exhibition opened, arrangements were made for its relocation to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec in 2016.

Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC is on now until October 31, 2015.

Visit the Gold Rush! microsite at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/gold In Collaboration With / En Collaboration Avec

Gold Rush! El Dorado in British Columbia is organized by the Royal BC Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada, in collaboration with Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, QC, Canada Ruée vers l’or! El Dorado en Colombie-Britannique est réalisée par le Royal BC Museum, Victoria, Colombie-Britannique en collaboration avec le Musée canadien de l’histoire, Gatineau, Québec

Lead Marketing Partner

Sponsored by

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In partnership with

Our Living Languages UNSPOKEN MESSAGES, UNEXPLORED PATHS

By Michelle Washington, Our Living Languages exhibition manager for First Peoples’ Cultural Council

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s Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC celebrates its one-year anniversary this month, it is important to reflect on where we have been and to use those learnings to create a path to where we are going. It is a good time to share how this work has touched visitors from around the world, as we look forward to the next two years of its run.

Inspired by a new global focus on the importance of intangible heritage, and with BC identified as one of the world’s five language hotspots for linguistic diversity, the Royal BC Museum embarked on a partnership with First Peoples’ Cultural Council, which holds the Provincial mandate for Heritage, Language and Culture. This collaboration was to begin a new era and framework for change in how we celebrate the living knowledge systems and the true richness of First Nations languages and cultures found nowhere else on earth. The Royal BC Museum provided a wonderful space to host the work of 34 language groups, their beautiful languages, and the work of cultural advisors, writers, producers and artists, who generously shared content from their unique perspectives.

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The proposal for this exhibition listed important legacies for the next decade including “a revitalized Royal BC Museum mandate and way of working with a model for shared curatorial authority and authorship.” Part of this legacy is that First Nations will begin efforts to support museum and archives professionals in a variety of areas, to not only enhance the exhibition, but to reimagine the First Peoples Gallery and the visitor experience and education overall.

This idea came from the realization that First Nations are the experts in their teachings and protocols, and knowledge comes from generations of a deeply personal understanding of their cultures and territories that cannot be replicated.

In the quest to create a powerful, engaging experience for our visitors, we chose the stories carefully. It was all about balancing representation, and finding a way to make people understand we are still here and we are still connected to our culture and our territory; we’re not just artifacts to be studied or objects to be collected.

Our stories have remained unspoken for too long. This First Nations world view

belongs beside the settler history that has been taught in this province, to depict a full picture of our current realities and our future path together.

In this time of environmental change, globalization and social media, it is even more critical that organizations address the “neutral territory” concept: even though we are in the middle of a city, our languages connect us to our ancestral lands and to the responsibilities we bear as custodians to our territory. Place names mark the owned areas where the ancestors of a people have existed for thousands of years. That is still as important here as it is to cultures around the world. Imagine visiting another country without finding out a little about their customs, culture and history and all that goes with it.

During the build of this exhibition, a great Songhees elder told me “protocols have become something people write on an agenda as a formality. They are really teachings passed down about our responsibility to each other and how we respect the customs of the Nation whose territory we do business on. It is our responsibility to teach our young ones to

respect this teaching wherever their spirit carries them.”

We wanted visitors to connect with the message and the similarities in their own experience; to create a dialogue and not be afraid to ask honest questions of each other. Many visitors have shared they were initially drawn here by other exhibitions, but ended up loving Our Living Languages the most. Some have seen for the first time what the current political and cultural realities are for First Nations beyond the headlines. Many have asked that this remain a permanent exhibition that continues to be updated for educational purposes, both locally and internationally.

Many school groups have come specifically to see the exhibition to assist in their curriculum delivery. Our Living Languages has been described as a template for partnership.

Aboriginal Cultural Festival Returns to Royal BC Museum

By Paula Amos, Director, Partnerships & Corporate Initiatives, Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC

The Royal BC Museum will host the outdoor event, which will feature a main stage for more than 30 scheduled performances, including those by three-time hoop dance world champion Alex Wells. Performers will gather from around British Columbia to showcase their unique styles.

In addition to the main stage cultural performances, the festival will also feature an artisan craft fair, showcasing arts and crafts certified by the Authentic Indigenous Arts Program. The ever-popular culinary options are returning for 2015, with an outdoor dining area where visitors can purchase food including West Coast clam chowder, wild Sockeye salmon and salad and fry-bread.

As this country struggles with how to acknowledge the mistakes of the past and how that has shaped the present reality – what will change in our path towards a mutually respectful shared future?

Museums have a large role in creating accessible spaces for awareness, real connections and opportunities to rethink what we know. Culture and language are resilient and evolving and I think this is a journey worth continuing to learn from. Emawheega (Until we meet again) Siemthlut (Michelle Washington) was the Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC exhibition Manager for First Peoples’ Cultural Council and now continues work with the Royal BC Museum Learning Department as Cultural Program Coordinator.

Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC is the winner of the 27th Annual American Alliance of Museums Excellence in in Exhibition Competition.

Generously sponsored by

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Three-time hoop dance world champion Alex Wells will be performing at the 2015 Aboriginal Cultural Festival at the Royal BC Museum.

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he provincial capital will again host the Aboriginal Cultural Festival, a three-day celebration of Aboriginal peoples, arts and culture, beginning on Friday, June 19 and wrapping up on Sunday, June 21 – National Aboriginal Day. The festival is hosted on the traditional territory of Esquimalt and Songhees Nations in Victoria.

Along with hosting the Aboriginal Cultural Festival, the Royal BC Museum is featuring the Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC exhibition, which celebrates the resilience and diversity of First Nations languages in the face of change. Visitors are encouraged to learn more about what First Nations communities throughout the province are doing to help their languages survive and flourish.

The Aboriginal Cultural Festival was created in partnership between Aboriginal Tourism BC, the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, the Royal BC Museum, Tourism Victoria, the Robert Bateman Centre and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority.

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Royal BC Museum Supporters April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015

$500,000+ Royal BC Museum Foundation

The Royal BC Museum greatly appreciates the vital and ongoing financial support of the Province of British Columbia, the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and the Royal BC Museum Foundation. Their core support makes our work possible.

This past year, 58 percent of our operating budget came from the Province, and another 25 percent came from memberships and admissions.

This meant we needed to raise the remaining 17 percent – approximately three million dollars – from other sources, which included donations, grants and sponsorships.

With the help of our supporters, we were able to undertake vital conservation work on precious objects in our collection (one of the largest collections in Canada); open the award-winning exhibition Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC; open overseas exhibitions in England and China; create learning programs for 35,000 school children, and make important research discoveries.

Together, we are building a world-class museum and archives – a dynamic forum for exploring both our shared history and future.

Please join us in thanking the following individuals, corporations and foundations for their generous contribution to our work.

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$100,000 – $499,999 CHEK Media

Government of Canada – gouvernement du Canada

Teck Resources Limited $25,000 – $99,000

Anonymous Humberto and Gretchen Bauta BC Transit Black Press Community News Media

Clipper Vacations CTV Vancouver Island Helijet HSBC Bank Canada Immediate Images Inc

The Francis Kermode Group Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Lamar Advertising Company Pattison Outdoor Advertising $5,000 – $24,999

Andrew Mahon Foundation The Bay Centre Black Ball Ferry Line Gary and Susan Braley Canadian Geographic Enterprises Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Canadian Museums Association Garth Evans George Fetherling Franny’s Cultured Cow Products Ltd Global BC Goldcorp Inc.

History Channel IMAX Victoria Bob and Marjorie Johns Elizabeth Kennedy Lyall and Susan Knott Stefan and Magdalena Opalski Gwendolyn Page Save-on-Foods $1,000 – $4,999

Eric and Leonda Adler Patrick and Anne Anderson Anonymous (2) Howard Armstrong in memory of Ronald Armstrong Art Gallery of Ontario Hannes and Claudia Blum Jocelyn Braithwaite Canada’s History

Joyce Clearihue Daphne Corbett Heidi Dale-Johnson and Kareem Allam Derek Ellis Flight Centre Andrea Henning The Honourable Darla Hunter and Chuck Wilson

Insight Vacations Robert and Devi Jawl Professor Jack Lohman CBE Ron and May Lou-Poy Tommy Mayne John McAslan and Partners, Ltd Mountain Equipment Co-op Paul Merrick and Sabine Orlik $500 – $999

Anonymous BC Ferries Daphne Baldwin Helen Buck Paula Carey and Nick Wemyss William and Jean Cave James and Jean Cosgrove Carol Cullimore

Fernand and Suzanne Ellyin Robert and Marianne Eng The Fairmont Empress Jean E. Field and Roy A. Richford Barbara Fields Joyce Folbigg Joe and Linda Harvey

Hemlock Printers Limited Susan Herman Hotel Grand Pacific Audrey Johnson Tiit Kõdar in memory of Jean Elizabeth Kõdar Susan K. McMillan C.N. and M.J. Moser

If you have been inspired by this list of dedicated supporters, and want to make a financial contribution to support the important work of the Royal BC Museum, please contact us at donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or 250-387-7222 to donate today. Thank you!

Gifts to the Collections Tourism Victoria

W. Garfield Weston Foundation

W. Anthony and Darlene Southwell Telus Times Colonist The Victoria Foundation

John and Joan Walton Innovators Fund

Memorial Centre Shaw Media Inc Société francophone de Victoria Vancity Savings Credit Union Veterans Affairs Canada Victoria Airport Authority

Viking Air Limited Jack and Bev Wallace John Walton Westerkirk Capital John and Susan Williams

Jim and Isobel Merston David and Dixie Obee Raymond and Sheila Protti Provincial Employees Community Services Fund Pauline Rafferty and Bob Plecas Suromitra Sanatani and David Turpin

Silk Road Tea Sharon Smith Tricom Canada Victoria Symphony Orchestra Rene and Allison Weir Angela Williams

Sandy Pratt Matthew Rainsberry Shelley Reid Ernest and Adele Roberts Royal Scot Hotel and Suites Donald and Anne Russell John and Fern Spring Mark and Elizabeth Taylor

Betty Thacker Alan Tompson in memory of Anne Tompson Trudy Usher Angela Wesley WildPlay Element Parks

Every effort has been made to ensure our supporters are recognized accurately. If you notice an error or omission, please call the Royal BC Museum Development Department at 250-387-7222.

Many of the items in our collections are accessioned as gifts from generous museum and archives supporters who want to see a favourite piece live on forever and impact future generations. The Royal BC Museum is grateful for objects that help us further our provincial mandate to advance new knowledge and understanding of British Columbia’s natural and human history.

Acquiring a new object is just the beginning of the story. Through professional conservation, protection measures and display consultations, our highly-skilled conservation staff ensure that each piece is properly cared for and preserved. Conservation efforts are at the core of the important work we do, and the end result is that another integral piece of British Columbia’s history is shared with the world.

We wholeheartedly thank those who generously donated to the collection during the past fiscal year.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Andrea Carol Anderson Bruce Archibald BC Conservation Data Centre Rob Cannings Bruce Chambers Caroline Cook Claudia Copley Jim Cosgrove Nancy Dekelver Pauline Dempsey Joseph Lloyd Dobbie Harry R. Easton Matthew Fairbarns Barbara Fields Ralph A. Fowler Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team Society Raymond Graham Gavin Hanke David Harrison Gord Hutchings Rick James Ken Johnson Grant Keddie Roy and Karen Leeson John Livingston

Frank Lomer Yvonne MacKenzie Joshua McInnes Sandy McLachlan Nancy Meyer Melanie Miller Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Heritage Branch Ministry of Environment Dean Nicholson Harold Page Sally Pankratz Robin Patterson June Plint Rick Ross Douglas S. Ruth Bob Snyder Sue Stackhouse David Starr Leah Suntok Steve Suntok Olivia Thornburn Rosita Tovell Bob Turner John Veillette Gordon Wille-Stewart 11 Aaron Zelmer

Celebrate a Season of Sesquicentennials at Barkerville Historic Town

By James Douglas, Manager, Visitor Experiences, Barkerville Historic Town

Barkerville Interpreters.

Photo by Thomas Drasdauskis.

doing so help keep the spirit of British Columbia’s earliest days prosperous and full of life.

Barkerville Historic Town is gearing up for an eventful 2015 season filled with education, entertainment, and three sesquicentennial celebrations: the 150th anniversaries (1865-2015) of Barkerville’s Cariboo Sentinel newspaper, the Cariboo Amateur Dramatic Association’s first public performance (in a saloon) and completion of the legendary Cariboo Wagon Road from Yale to Williams Creek.

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y the time English boatman-turnedCariboo prospector William ‘Billy’ Barker arrived at the boomtown of Richfield in summer of 1862, all the good ground was gone. Refusing to believe Williams Creek had proved up all of its bounty, Billy and his crew staked their claims below Black Jack Canyon. They sank test shaft after test shaft until, on August 17, 1862, 50 feet of worthless gravel gave way to the biggest gold nugget bonanza British Columbia had ever seen. Barker & Co. struck it rich, and the gold rush settlement of Barkerville was born.

Three years later, Billy’s namesake city was considered by some to be the largest north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. It was a wooden metropolis in the wilderness, and before long

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Barkerville’s multicultural community was making culture of its own. The Cariboo Sentinel newspaper printed its first edition in June of 1865. One week later the Cariboo Amateur Dramatic Association presented its first play.

The Cariboo Wagon Road from Yale to Richfield was completed in November of that same year, bringing even more population, industry and opportunity to the goldfields of BC’s central interior.

It also paved the way for Barkerville’s physical preservation. Declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924, and later a Provincial heritage property in 1958, Barkerville is now the largest “living museum” in western North America. Tens of thousands of people from all over the world still travel the Gold Rush Trail every year, and in

But that’s not all. The Royal BC Museum’s exhibition Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC will bring tales of unfathomable Barkerville riches (along with Billy Barker’s very own pocket watch) to nearly half a million visitors in Victoria between May and October before heading out to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec and several additional ports of call in 2016 and beyond.

“We are very pleased to have partnered with the Royal BC Museum on its Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition, and look forward to future collaborations,” said Barkerville CEO Ed Coleman. The Royal BC Museum and Barkerville Historic Town have signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding.

“As bookends to British Columbia’s Gold

Cariboo Amateur Dramatic Association.

Photo by Thomas Drasdauskis.

Rush Trail, Victoria and Barkerville have been integrally connected for more than 150 years,” he added. “By exploring and promoting this relationship, both provincially and internationally, we bring our communities closer together despite our perceived geographical distance.”

Never one to miss a party, Barkerville Brewing Co. of Quesnel, BC has produced a special Mucho Oro lager to commemorate the Royal BC Museum’s Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition, and partial proceeds from the sale of

each bottle will benefit both the Royal BC Museum and the Barkerville Heritage Trust, the stewards of Barkerville’s modern-day legacy.

With its unique streetscape of more than 130 heritage buildings, authentic displays, satellite museums, restaurants, shops and accommodations, Barkerville has so

much to explore. With three significant anniversaries at hand, this season looks like the perfect time to plan a visit.

Royal BC Museum members receive 20% off admission to Barkerville Historic Town and more than 25 cultural organizations. To view the entire list visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/reciprocalpartners

Raise a Glass for the Miners

By Shawn Embree, Sales Coordinator

W

hen the Royal BC Museum began curating for the Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition, we followed the historic gold rush trail in search of rich partnerships. It wasn’t long before we found our first nugget in the form of a craft brewery in Quesnel. The idea was hatched to partner with Barkerville Brewing Co. to create a signature beer for our feature exhibition and Mucho Oro lager was born.

Based in Quesnel, near the center of the province, Barkerville Brewing is a craft brewery whose beers tell the story of the historic Cariboo gold rush. The original Barkerville Brewery was built in the 1860s, located in a hotel between Barkerville’s drugstore and Masonic Hall.

More than 150 years later, the brewery has risen again, in a downtown Quesnel building that has seen many incarnations over the years: restaurant, pool hall, nightclub, gas station and shelter for 40 tree planters.

Staking claim to the opportunity to be

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

the only craft brewery in the Cariboo, this latest iteration of the Barkerville Brewing Co. was opened February 4, 2014 by entrepreneur Russell Ovans and head brewer Troy Rudolph. Featuring a lineup of ales that includes 52 Foot Stout, Hound of Barkerville Brown, Prospector’s Peril Blonde, and Wandering Camel IPA, Barkerville’s beers are available throughout the province of BC. Within a few short months of opening, their flagship 18 Karat Ale won a silver medal at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards.

The brewery operates a storefront tasting room at 185 Davie Street, where patrons can sample the beers, fill growlers, tour the brewery, and buy Barkerville Brewing-branded merchandise.

Yes, there was Mucho Oro to be found in the Cariboo, but no one said it would be easy to get. Just like the elusive gold nugget, however, this easy drinking golden larger is worth the effort. Brewed in honour of this formative historic event, raise one for the miners who suffered,

Mucho Oro is a New Caledonia Common summer style, pale lager. Design by Bully Creative Co.

sweated and sinned their way to “a whole lot of Gold.”

Stake your claim to BC’s historic beers and share a taste of the past while making future memories that last. Look for Mucho Oro in liquor stores around Victoria and all the way up the gold rush trail. Like the gold rush there’s only a finite amount to go around. Mucho Oro will only be produced through the duration of Gold Rush! May 13 – October 31, 2015. Ten per cent of the profits of Mucho Oro sales will be donated to the Royal BC Museum Foundation and Barkerville Heritage Trust. Always drink responsibly.

13

Facing the Front Line CENTENNIAL TRENCH EXHIBIT

By Guy Black, McKnight Centennial Trench Volunteer, Port Moody Station Museum

O

ne thousand volunteer hours and 1,000 sand bags have gone into what might become one of Canada’s most unique and authentic exhibits to commemorate the centennial of the First World War. An unused back yard with compost piles, overgrown bushes and a garden shed at the Port Moody Station Museum has been transformed into 70 feet of corrugated metal and wood-reinforced communication and firing line trenches.

Facing the front line is no man’s land, complete with an extensive barbed wire defensive field pitted with shell craters,

scattered debris and torn earth.

The Centennial Trench exhibit began with much research and planning, relying on a 1921 Manual of Field Works as an indispensable guide. Construction started on September 20, 2014 and took six months to complete with volunteers digging, moving soil, filling sand bags, laying timber walls and building special features such as a concealed observation post, metal roofed elephant shelter, firing step and an endless path of trench boards.

The exhibit, on now, is something very

special and a tribute to everyone who contributed to it including those who donated their sweat and aching muscles, and those who provided essential materials, like Mill and Timber and Tree Island Industries.

It is also an important and tangible way for Port Moody residents to commemorate WWI and remember one of our first town engineers, Lieutenant Augustus McKnight, who was fatally wounded in Belgium on August 11, 1916.

Learn more at portmoodymuseum.org/ trench

Cadets of the 6 Field Engineers, North Vancouver, assist with the fortification of the McKnight Centennial Trench. Photograph by Jim Millar.

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GOING DIGITAL

Volunteers Help Transcribe Historical Records

By Meagan Sugrue, Web & E-Commerce Specialist

T

his spring the Royal BC Museum launched Transcribe, a crowdsourcing website that allows the public to transcribe valuable historical records. The project aims to improve the museum and archives’ public accessibility by turning handwritten, audio and video records into searchable data. By donating their time to transcribe letters, diaries, journals and other materials, volunteers can help share BC’s history from the comfort of home.

Crowd-sourcing is an increasingly popular way for archives and museums to harness audiences to improve the accessibility of their collections. The concept behind Transcribe is simple – the Royal BC Museum provides digital photographs of archival materials alongside a blank text area, and users type exactly what they see. Anyone with access to the Internet can participate; volunteers simply visit the website, choose a collection and start transcribing, all on their own time. Once the finished transcriptions have been approved by Royal BC Museum staff, the data will become searchable on the Transcribe site.

The project was initiated by the New Archives and Digital Preservation department and Archivist Ann ten Cate. “We wanted to enlist the help of volunteers to make our collections more accessible,” said Ember Lundgren, Preservation Manager. “There’s a huge, untapped resource of talented and enthusiastic volunteers just waiting to help out. Transcribe will help us use that resource. Plus, it’s fun!” Lundgren is quick

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Lieutenant Arthur Douglas Crease and J.C. Bridgeman in France. July, 1917.

Arthur Douglas Crease. 1890.

Photographer: Elsden and Son.

to point out that visitors are not obligated to transcribe work; they will also have the option to view the materials as an online exhibition and browse existing transcriptions.

Another notable collection presents the lively correspondence of Deborah Florence Glassford. Between 1914 and 1919, Deborah received hundreds of letters and memorabilia from more than 20 friends and acquaintances involved in the war effort overseas. Many of these friends came from Vancouver’s elite and most of the men were officers, with notable names including Francis Egerton Grosvenor, 4th Baron Ebury, Arthur Hussey Fitzgerald, James Pemberton Fell and Clarence Marpole.

The site currently features diaries, letters and other materials from WWI. As the project grows, new collections and media will be introduced. The first batch of images includes the letters of Victoria lawyer Arthur Douglas Crease, who described the war in letters to his family.

In one particularly poignant letter, Crease writes “it seems doubtful if I shall ever be able to write or talk about what we have been through on the Somme. You know I came out the only officer in our company out of six. The battalion is covered with glory and wounds.” Arthur survived the war, and his letters became an important part of BC’s history.

In late February, the Friends of the BC Archives helped test the new site, providing valuable feedback. If you didn’t get a chance to participate, don’t worry: we would love to hear from you.

Send your feedback to webmaster@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Learn more at transcribe.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 15

A CLOSER LOOK

A Puzzling Gap

By Dr Ken Marr, Curator of Botany, Dr Richard Hebda, Curator of Botany and Earth History, and Dr Erica Wheeler, Botany Collection Manager

E

ach summer, Royal BC Museum biologists make collections to understand the distribution of plants and animals in British Columbia. Each year some surprising discoveries are made, as is to be expected in this vast, diverse and unique province. Royal BC Museum field collections contribute to the knowledge needed to provide sustainable stewardship of the remarkable plants and animals that share British Columbia with us.

For the past 13 years, Royal BC Museum botanists have made collections from rarely visited mountains and plateaus of northern BC, places so remote that some mountains remain unnamed.

Vegetation may appear sparse in these alpine habitats, but more than 400 vascular plant species live here. We have collected more than 15,000 specimens from over 80 mountains, most from alpine sites never investigated by botanists.

In 2014, several significant collections were made during a two week fieldtrip to four Provincial Parks in the northern Rocky Mountains, north of Williston Reservoir. One of the most interesting plants found was Icegrass (Phippsia algida), 200 kilometres east of any previous collections and the first from the Rocky Mountains. In 2004 we made the first collection from BC of this species.

Since it has been found in 12 locations (Figure 1). Icegrass has a more or less continuous distribution in northern BC and northwards. In southern BC and southwards, there are large gaps in its occurrence (Figure 2), even though suitable habitat is available. That habitat 16

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Summer 2015

is quite specific, but common: mossy seeps below melting snow.

At least 12 other species have a similar geographic distribution. Each of them occurs in northern BC and northwards, and then far south in the Beartooth Plateau, at the Montana-Wyoming border and most occur in the alpine heights of Colorado. Among the other species are Oeder’s lousewort (Pedicularis oederi) (Figure 2), and Alpine avens (Geum rossii) (Figure 3).

Other species also have significant gaps in the southern portion of their distributions, although their southern occurrences differ from the 12 above.

Pink campion (Silene repens) (Figure 4), an endangered species, is one such species. Our 2014 collection documents only the third known population from BC (Figure 4). Hopefully, as more surveys are completed, more populations of this showy species will be found.

What is the explanation for this puzzling gap in the distribution of these alpine plants? Is it complete chance, or are there underlying, historical causes for the similarities in these species’ distributions?

One possible explanation is the seeds of these species were dispersed by wind or animals great distances from one population to the next site of occurrence.

This seems unlikely because most of them do not have seeds adapted for dispersal across such great distances.

And in any case, why would they all have spread to the same area leaving a gap inbetween?

A more likely explanation is these species once ranged continuously in western North America, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years ago but their habitat and range was disrupted, leaving the current pattern. Fossil pollen and other remains reveal that species distributions vary over time, usually in response to changes in climate. Our species of interest are tundra plants of cold, open and, for some, somewhat moist habitats. During cold periods of the Ice Age, these species must have spread widely when tundra-like habitats occurred at low elevations and mid latitudes. For example we know that tundra occurred as far south as Arizona as recently as the end of the Pleistocene 13,000 years ago. Tundra zones were certainly disrupted and even obliterated by expanding continental ice sheets.

Following the end of the most recent ice advance, more tundra habitat was lost with warming climate and expansion of forests and deserts.

This second explanation doesn’t fully explain why these species do not occur in southern BC, an area from which there is a good record of plant distributions.

Why do some other tundra species such as moss campion and mountain sorrel, occur continuously from the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, northwards to the Arctic Ocean? There is much more to learn about the flora of British Columbia and to do so we must visit those regions that have been poorly collected.

To put this work in a modern perspective, past changing geographic patterns show how important climate is in shaping the distribution of plants and animals. At this time of global climatic change we are likely entering a major re-organization of the distribution of plants on the globe.

Field work supported by Teck, Lead Partner in Biodiversity.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Icegrass (Phippsia algida), growing in Northern BC. Map: Distribution of Icegrass in western North America.

Oeder’s lousewort (Pedicularis oederi) growing in Redfern-Keily Provincial Park.

Map: Distribution of Oeder’s lousewort in western North America.

Figure 3

Figure 4

Alpine avens (Geum rossii) growing near Cascade Lake, north of Dillingham, Alaska.

Map: Distribution of Alpine avens in western North America.

Pink campion (Silene repens), growing in Redfern-Keily Provincial Park.

Map: Distribution of Pink campion in western North America.

Legend Recent collections made by the Royal BC Museum

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Previously documented occurrences

17

Rushing to New Lands EARLY CHINESE IMMIGRATION

By Dr Tzu-I Chung, Curator, History

Kwong Lee & Co. store on Cormorant Street in Victoria, BC, next to the Chinese arch in honour of Governor General The Earl of Dufferin’s visit in August 1876.

I

n the spring of 1858, news of gold in the Fraser Canyon transformed Fort Victoria from a quiet fur trade outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company into a booming town.

Hop Kee & Co. of San Francisco played an instrumental role in the first wave of Chinese to Victoria. On June 24, 1858, it commissioned Allan Lowe & Co. to ship 300 Chinese men and 50 tons of merchandise to Victoria at the cost of $3,500. Most men departed for the gold 18

What’s inSight

Summer 2015

fields soon after arriving. Throughout the summer of 1858 and 1859 Chinese immigrants continued to arrive from the United States and by 1859 clipper ships were bringing hundreds more directly from Hong Kong.

Initially, unlike Californians, British Columbians were tolerant of the Chinese.

Few Caucasians perceived the Chinese as a threat to their wellbeing; some regarded them as useful or valuable members of the communities who shared

the goal of making money, often providing useful services such as restaurants, laundries and fresh vegetable grocers, and whose presence might lead to the growth of a profitable trans-Pacific trade.

When Victoria was incorporated as a city in 1862, 300 people, about six per cent of the city’s total population, were Chinese.

Since 1858, Victoria had served as the major port between Canada and Asia and had the second largest Chinese

population in North America. After the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885, Vancouver was established as its western terminus, and economic activities gradually shifted to Vancouver.

wealthy enough to have his family join him. On February 29, 1860, his wife and two children arrived in Victoria; Mrs Lee Chang became the first Chinese woman to settle in Victoria.

A few Chinese, however, benefitted from the booming trans-Pacific trade and Victoria’s Chinatown also prospered, along with a network of subsidiaries and agencies in the gold rush towns of BC.

Lee Chang also represented the Chinese community before government.

On March 7, 1860, Lee Chang and two other Chinese merchants went to see Governor James Douglas after hearing a suggestion to impose a poll tax on Chinese immigrants. When Governor Arthur Kennedy arrived in Victoria in April 1864, Lee Chang, Tong Kee and Chang Tsoo called on him to express concern about the unfair treatment of the Chinese and the government’s plan to modify the colony’s free trade policy.

The trans-Pacific network enabled Chinese to contribute much to the building of British Columbia. In the 1860s and 1870s, besides mining, Chinese men also worked on many public projects such as erecting telegraph poles, constructing the 607-kilometre Cariboo Wagon Road, building trails, digging canals and reclaiming wastelands.

Lee Chang, manager of Kwong Lee & Co., was one of the few Chinese immigrants

In the late 19th century, one of the main complaints against the Chinese presence was the perception that they

were sojourners who contributed little to the local economy before moving on to another gold field or back to China. Yet, as the example of Lee Chang shows, for some the gold rush migration pattern of the Chinese paralleled that of European settler communities along the Pacific Rim. The pioneer merchants helped write a significantly transformative chapter in trans-Pacific and Chinese Canadian history and demonstrated not all Chinese were labourers or sojourners. Many of these early migrants contributed to the building of British Columbia.

Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC is open through October 31, 2015. To learn more visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/gold Dr Tzu-I Chung is a Curator of History at the Royal BC Museum, specializing in the multicultural and intercultural history of BC.

Above: Kwong Lee & Co. advertisement from the British Colonist, April 6, 1864.

Left: Nan Sing, a fresh produce grower and provider in the Cariboo, circa 1880–1900.

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

19

New Book from the Royal BC Museum N

ew Perspectives on the Gold Rush presents 10 insightful essays by historians, curators and heritage professionals offering different views on familiar stories about gold and the Fraser River gold rush. The authors introduce new ways of examining this pivotal time in Canada’s history, and they explore how the people who stayed behind after the gold rush helped build the province of British Columbia.

Catch Gold Fever! For the ultimate golden experience, be sure to get a IMAX/Royal BC Museum combination ticket.

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What’s inSight

Summer 2015

New Perspectives on the Gold Rush Edited by Kathryn Bridge $24.95 Paperback, colour and b/w photographs, 192 pages.

Order online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/ shop or purchase from the Royal Museum Shop or your local bookstore.

Inside the world famous Royal BC Museum (250) 480 4887 Imaxvictoria.com

Gold Rush! Comes Alive

By Kim Gough, Adult Learning Developer

O

ne of the Royal BC Museum values is to work in partnership. Through thoughtful collaboration, we can facilitate meaningful programs and experiences, providing multiple perspectives and unique access to expertise from around the province. Finding our partners is an interesting alchemy of intent, luck and timing.

Adams, well-known for his Discover the Past Tours, will help create these experiential tours around Victoria that will put participants in the shoes of early gold rush characters and have them making choices that will affect their fate. Tempt fate and join us this July and August as John’s talented team delivers these one-of-a-kind tours.

a fascinating insight in an interactive informal atmosphere. Topics will include the vital multi-cultural story, women on the trail, arrival stories and hardships revealed. The presentations will include examples of music and poetry from the time and much more. Quench your thirst with gold rush inspired beverages and sit back and enjoy the rounds.

Last June, an advertisement for a “tin-type photo booth” in a local paper caught my eye. Turns out this analogue photo booth is just one of the many opportunities offered by LUZ Studio for people interested in historic camera techniques. The creative team of Quinton Gordon and Diana Millar use historic methods such as wet plate collodion process, silver gelatin and photopolymer gravure printing to produce modern works of art.

Continuing into the fall, we will work with a variety of partners to present a fastpaced, evening event called the BC Gold Rush Fact Fest. This lively event gives leading experts three minutes to reveal

See our events calendar online for details on these and other Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC events and programs.

Visitors gold panning at the Royal BC Museum.

Following a visit to their studio, Quinton and Diana came to the Royal BC Museum to meet with me and our Curator of Images, Don Bourdon, to discuss how we could work together to illuminate not only the art but the process of early gold rush photographers.

Gold Rush Photographers: A Living History on June 2 will be a talk and demonstration presented by Don and LUZ Studios. Don will highlight the best gold rush images in our collection and Quinton and Diana will demonstrate the technology used to capture the images.

By combining both expertise participants, we will reveal a more complete story of these historic photographs.

Another partnership has us collaborating on Gold Fever Trail Walking Tours. John royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

21

Revelstoke – A Kiss in the Wind A JOURNEY IN THE BC ARCHIVES

By Beverly Paty, Access Specialist

A

t his home in Italy, researcher Nicola Maruzzi discovered letters written by his great-grandfather, Angelo Conte, and sent from British Columbia at the turn of the century. These letters describe his life and working conditions in BC and his love for his wife back in Italy.

in the process, record his journey. The result is a documentary called Revelstoke – A Kiss in the Wind, partly filmed on location at the BC Archives last year. The documentary will be completed later this year, but you can watch the teaser here: vimeo.com/82448782.

The letters prompted Maruzzi to investigate further. Maruzzi’s family knew little about what happened to Conte after he emigrated, but after an email to the BC Archives and assistance from an Access Specialist, Maruzzi discovered his great-grandfather died at the age of 28 working on the CPR’s Connaught Tunnel near Revelstoke. Conte’s death registration revealed that a coroner’s inquest had been performed and a copy existed on microfilm at the BC Archives.

After receiving copies of all of the records, Maruzzi decided to visit BC to retrace his great-grandfather’s steps and,

This story is only one of hundreds we hear every year. Archives can be a treasuretrove of information for the budding genealogist. Vital event registrations, city directories, newspapers, probated wills and divorce orders are only a few of the documents waiting to be found. A simple start on any genealogy journey would begin with searching the Genealogy database on our website. If a relative was born, married or died in BC within a certain time period, their vital event registration might just be found in the database. Registrations can contain a wealth of information as they often

Death Registration of Angelo Conte.

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Summer 2015

provide addresses, marital status, next of kin and occupation. Find out more at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/genealogy

Did you know that the Royal BC Museum also includes provincial archives? Help us keep our archives strong so that people all over the world can learn about their heritage, just like Italian film maker Nicola Maruzzi was able to do. If you would like to support the Royal BC Museum visit us online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support, email us at donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call 250-387-7222.

Coroner’s inquest into Angelo Conte’s death.

STAFF PROFILE

Ann ten Cate

By Ann ten Cate, Archivist

I

’ve worked in a number of different types of archives across Canada (municipal, religious and provincial), most recently as a Reference Archivist at the BC Archives. I’m now assisting with the development of the upcoming exhibition Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC, and continuing my outreach work.

Working on identifying archival items for the Gold Rush exhibition has been an exciting chance to look at records I’ve never seen before – like a sad little diary written by a man called Samuel Hathaway, who died trying to get out of the Cariboo in 1862 before the winter

snow trapped him. These types of records are so evocative of a time, place and a man’s struggle to survive in a very hostile environment – they draw you in.

I felt like I was with Samuel every step of that horrible journey. And of course, these records are primary sources – the diary you will see in the exhibition is the actual diary that was found on his body. My passion for archives began as a kid when a package of tea from Sri Lanka arrived at our home, wrapped in crumpled and torn pages from an old tea plantation ledger. I painstakingly taped it all back together with Scotch tape

(apologies to all paper conservators out there!) and felt enormously proud of my efforts to preserve an archival record. I have learned to leave that sort of work to the professionals, but have never lost my enthusiasm for archival records, and what they can tell us about the past.

Speakers’ Bureau Preview

By Erik Lambertson, Corporate Communications Officer

O

ne of the best things about working at the Royal BC Museum is having day-to-day contact with smart, passionate colleagues and hearing what they’re up to. While you’re riding the elevator, sitting in the lunchroom or walking to meetings you learn about topics as varied as recent research in Alpine fields, the conservation challenges of sweat stains and the uses of cold storage.

These are usually unscripted, chatty updates about what folks are working on. But sometimes museum and archives staff build fascinating narratives out of these vignettes, creating really interesting connections to the big picture, which is always about furthering our

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

understanding of BC’s human history or natural history.

My feeling is that these stories are worth telling to a broader audience – and worth listening to.

Happily, we’re aiming to launch an online Royal BC Museum Speakers’ Bureau later this year. With an easy-to-use design, you’ll be able to see who at the Royal BC Museum is able to talk about specific topics. You’ll be able to book a speaker online. And then you’ll be able to enjoy unfettered, in-person access to a lecture from the specialist of your choice.

Available topics range from Preserving Your Family Photographs to the Invasive

Plants of BC, from Museum Collections: Their Significance and Value to a Salmon Walk and Talk. As experts from every area of the museum and archives have been invited to participate, the breadth and depth of expertise available to you is impressive.

As the Speakers’ Bureau program grows, we will continue to add speakers and speaking topics. For the time being, the range of the speaking engagements will be limited to South Vancouver Island, but we may find a way to use technology in the future for remote access presentations – no matter where you live.

We’ll keep you posted!

23

What’s on EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL Summer-long Event Royal BC Museum May – October LUNCH | BEER | DINNER | WINE royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/foodtrucks Plant ID Workshop: Parts 2&3 June 6 | 1 – 4 pm June 13 | 1 – 4 pm $90 per person for both sessions Field Trippers: Beach Seine June 14 | 9 – 11 am Free | Willows Beach 2015 Aboriginal Cultural Festival June 19 – 21 | 11 am – 6:30 pm Presented in partnership with

For a full listing of what’s happening at the Royal BC Museum pick up our 2015 Program Guide at the box office or view our calendar online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/calendar SUMMER HOURS: Open daily 10 am to 5 pm and open late to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays from June to late September.

Summer Camps: Gold Rush!

July 6 – 10 | 9 am – 4 pm July 20 – 24 | 9 am – 4 pm July 27 – 31 | 9 am – 4 pm August 10 – 14 | 9 am – 4 pm August 17 – 21 | 9 am – 4 pm $224 per person | Ages 7 – 11 Gold Fever Trail Walking Tour July 11 | 10:30 am – 12 pm July 25 | 10:30 am – 12 pm August 8 | 10:30 am – 12 pm August 22 | 10:30 am – 12 pm $15 per person per tour Field Trippers: Dragonfly Trip August 23 | 1 – 3pm Free | Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park

British Columbia Remembers: The Great War On Now Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC May 13 – October 31, 2015 BC Archives on Display On Now During regular hours of operation, enjoy public access to authentic, original records which help tell British Columbia’s story. Displays have included some of the world’s most unique and historically significant items from the provincial collection.

SPECIES AT RISK EXHIBITIONS AND INSTALLATIONS

Indigenous Languages in the House of Memory June 24 | 7 – 8:30 pm $16 per person

Helmcken House Open Daily | 12 – 4 pm June – September Included with admission or by donation

Canada Day Old-Time Penny Carnival July 1 | 1 – 3 pm Free with admission or membership

Our Living Languages On Now In partnership with

Royal BC Museum Send-off June 28 | 1 – 3 pm Penticton Museum July 10 – 19 Princeton Museum July 20 – 26 Merritt Recreation Centre / Nicola Valley Museum July 27 – August 2

Kelowna Museums August 24 - 28 Check local museum websites for the confirmed dates and times you can view Species at Risk at these locations.

Powered by TELUS. Supported by the John and Joan Walton Innovators Fund. In partnership with the Robert Bateman Centre.

EMILY CARR HOUSE Fulfill the Moment: Carry On Select Mondays throughout the Summer Actress and vocalist: Karen Lenz Presentation includes light refreshments For details visit emilycarr.com ecarr@shaw.ca (250) 383 5843

IMAX® FEATURES Gold Fever Humpback Whales & more!

For full film information, upcoming films and current schedule, visit us at imaxvictoria.com or call (250) 480-4887

Oliver Museum August 3 – 9

Provincial Heritage Fair July 5 | 10 am – 3 pm Free | Clifford Carl Hall

Summerland Museum August 17 – 23

Osoyoos Museum August 10 – 16

Information correct at time of printing. Subject to change. Please see website for most up-to-date information. Prices do not include applicable taxes.

It pays to be a member! Royal BC Museum Members get 10% OFF Royal BC Museum event tickets.

FEATURE PARTNER

The Bay Centre T

he Bay Centre is a proud long-time supporter of the Royal BC Museum.

By partnering with the museum and archives, The Bay Centre is able to bring a sample of outstanding exhibitions to locals and tourists alike.

You may have participated in our dinosaur

hunt, when prehistoric beasts were scattered throughout Victoria, including a display at The Bay Centre. Or perhaps you took a picture at the Viking ship in Centre Court. These are the types of opportunities that arise when like-minded community partners come together to create a more vibrant downtown and a stronger community base.

Visit The Bay Centre, downtown Victoria’s premier shopping destination and curate your own summer collection. With more than 90 shops to choose from, our fashion galleries are always changing, bringing in new treasures to discover daily. thebaycentre.ca

Become a Monthly Donor Admission fees and membership combined only cover 21 per cent of our operational costs. Becoming a monthly donor helps fill the gap so that we may continue to provide care for the collections and tell BC’s stories.

Please consider being a monthly donor today.

How Being a Monthly Donor Benefits YOU!

By Shaun Cerisano, Annual Campaign Manager

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aving worked for non-profit charities around the country, I’ve come to realize the best strategy a charitable organization can implement is one that is donor driven.

All gifts are eligible for a tax receipt. Please send my charitable tax receipt to: (Please print)

This is yet another reason why I’m so proud to be part of the Royal BC Museum family. We truly value the support we receive from our donors and strive to ensure we provide a simple and easy donation process.

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Our Monthly Giving program is our most cost effective way to collect and process donations and is also the most seamless avenue for you to send your donations to us.

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 Customize: You choose how much you’d like to give monthly.

 I would like to learn more about leaving a gift in my will

 L ess work: Transactions are automatically made from your credit card each month.  S ave: Reduce postage costs and save time with automatic transactions.  F lexibility: Donors can easily increase, decrease or stop their gift at any time.  Keep Organized: A cumulative tax receipt is issued annually.

Please consider being a Royal BC Museum monthly donor so that you can enjoy these great benefits. This type of donation also helps us keep our postage and administrative costs down. To join our Monthly Giving program, simply fill out the form to the right, call me at 250-387-3102 or email me at scerisano@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

for the Royal BC Museum Foundation. Please contact me to confirm that my wishes can be honoured.

Thank you for supporting the Royal BC Museum.

Please return this form, along with your donation to: The Royal BC Museum Foundation 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC V8W 9W2 For more information please Phone: 250-387-7222 Email: donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support Royal BC Museum Foundation Privacy Policy We want to keep you updated about the museum and archives. At the same time we value your privacy.

The personal information collected on this form is collected under the authority of Section 4 of the Museum Act (SBC 2003, c.12) and will only be used to maintain our list of members and donors, process payments, and provide you with the latest Royal BC Museum news. If you have any questions about your privacy please contact the Manager of Information and Privacy, 675 Belleville St., Victoria, BC, V8W 9W2; privacy@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or (250) 356-0698.

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