Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Archives visual records collection
General material designation
- graphic material
Parallel title
General file; Genfile
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the content of the collection.
Level of description
Collection
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
[ca. 1850-1990] (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia Archives
Physical description area
Physical description
ca. 60,000 photographs : b&w and col.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
From 1893 to 1908 all archival functions were performed by the Legislative Library. In 1908 R.E. Gosnell was appointed as the first Provincial Archivist. The original name of the organization was the Provincial Archives, later expanded to the Provincial Archives of British Columbia (PABC). The archives grew alongside the legislative library, and shared the same building and facilities until 1970, and the same individual held the dual positions of Provincial Archivist and Legislative Librarian until 1974. On March 1, 1989, the Provincial Archives of British Columbia was merged with the Records Management Branch of the government of British Columbia to form the British Columbia Archives and Records Service (BCARS). In 1996, BCARS was united with the Information and Privacy Branch of government. The resulting organization was called the BC Information Management Services (BCIMS). This was divided into two sections with Information and Analysis Services providing for records management and information and privacy and Archives and Information Access branch representing the traditional archives as it existed before its merger with the records management branch in 1988. This administrative structure lasted for two years until 1998, when the Information and Privacy Branch was removed and the remaining portions were renamed the British Columbia Archives. This structure existed unchanged until 2003 when the British Columbia Archives was merged with the Royal British Columbia Museum as a branch of the Royal British Columbia Museum Crown Trust.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The Archives photo collection (also known as the General file or genfile) consists of photographs collected by the Archives from around 1908 until the 1990s. The photographs were primarily collected because of their subject matter and little or no information was gathered as to their provenance and type. A single volume, arranged numerically by a classification code, appears to indicate that the first 14,000 or so photographs acquired were arranged by subject groupings.
By 1934, the annual report of the Provincial Library and Archives department noted that the "collection of photographs and prints in the Archives, which is estimated to consist of at least 14,000 items, is rapidly outgrowing the old filing system, and sooner or later the entire collection must be recatalogued and rearranged." In 1935 the new system of applying individual catalogue numbers known as "HP" or "Historic Photograph" numbers had begun. In 1940 the Provincial Archivist reported that half the photographs had been recatalogued. The cataloguing consisted of entering the photographs into registers in HP number order; the first number assigned was HP101 or HP000101. This system of item level numbering continued into the 1990s with over 100,000 photographs entered into the HP accession registers. While most of these photographs continued to be acquired because of their subject matter, selected photographs that formed part of original record groups, were also catalogued with an HP number.
The "original" photographs acquired in this way consist mainly of photographic prints in a variety of sizes and formats, but also include original negatives (both glass and flexible). In many cases, the Archives borrowed and copied photographs from individuals and other institutions. In these cases the "original" is a copy print made by the Archives at the time.
The prints are stored in HP number order in several runs: main run of several hundred boxes, one run of Maynard photographs, two runs of oversized photographic prints and one run of large oversized prints stored in map cabinets. Original negatives are stored by type (glass, nitrate, acetate, polyester etc.), usually by HP number. These original records are often know as "HP originals".
Copy prints were made of many of the prints and are arranged by subject in several runs. Portrait/family files are arranged in alphabetical order; topographic (place name) files are arranged alphabetically by place name and then by subject within the place; and a small set of subject files (including ships) are arranged alphabetically by subject. There are a variety of indexes and lists of files available in the Archives to help determine which general file copy print files are available on request.
Copy negatives (arranged by negative number or photo lab number) were made from many of the prints and original negatives. These records were used for reproductions and are stored in a large negative cabinet.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
While the photographs have been given individual HP numbers, copy negatives were given negative or photo lab (plab) numbers. These numbers were chosen to be the reference code when the Archives began putting photographs online in the 1990's. The individual description of the photograph will have the HP number in the general notes field. A conversion list of HP to Plab numbers exists.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Approximately 60,000 photographs have been described online at the item level. Ca. 40,000 have scanned images attached.
Restrictions on access
Access to HP original prints and negatives may be restricted. Use the available indexes and copy prints.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Photographs that predate January 1, 1949 are in the public domain. Any photographs taken after that date may have reproduction or publication restrictions, including those borrowed for copying.
Finding aids
Associated materials
The majority of the photographs at the archives are linked to archival fonds. Many photographs given individual "HP" numbers are part of a true series or fonds.
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 193501-001; 2009.129.1; 2009.130.1; 95-1854; 95-1977; 198002-017; MS-0392; 197910-004; 198902-003; 197912-021; 91-9578; Maynard; 197901-070; 198207-094; MS-1294; 197901-110; GR-1449; 199011-003; 198303-041; 89-0969; 199205-008; 197812-010; 198312-005; 197912-038; 198105-006; MS-2792; 197901-007; 198401-006; 198809-003; 197909-046; 198905-006; 198905-003; 198203-077; 198502-005; 93-7330; 199508-008; 198202-005; 198205-002; 198704-001; 198608-010; 198608-0001; 198006-027; 198304-008; MS-1962; 198302-030; 198203-001; C/AA/30.J7; MS-1901; MS-455; MS-0089; 198701-001; MS-2685; MS-5; 198503-019