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BC Provincial Museum : correspondence of the director

  • GR-0544
  • Series
  • 1919-1967

The series consists of correspondence files created by the Director of the Provincial Museum between 1919 and 1967. The director from 1919 to 1940 was Francis Kermode and from 1940 to 1967 it was Dr. G. Clifford Carl. The files contain letters both to and from the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary, written by the Director and senior curatorial staff at the Provincial Museum. They are arranged chronologically from 1919 to 1967 with the addition of a final file that specifically covers Centennial Committee correspondence from 1956 to 1959.
The correspondence mainly deals with administrative and financial matters but also includes information about museum security, the acquisition and collections of specimens, artifact loans and various reports on activities, equipment and staff.

British Columbia Provincial Museum

BC Provincial Museum correspondence inward and other material

  • GR-0512
  • Series
  • 1921-1922

7 Letters inward from George Fraser to Dr. C.P. Newcombe concerning botany, including photographs and clipping. Typewritten transcripts prepared by Botanical Division, B.C.P.M.

British Columbia Provincial Museum

British Columbia Provincial Museum films, videotapes and audio recordings

  • GR-3355
  • Series
  • 1939-1986

The series consists of film material (and some videotape copies) of films produced by or for, or accumulated by, the British Columbia Provincial Museum. This material comprises a large amount of natural history films, footage and out-takes, mainly shot by curator G. Clifford Carl, as well as much smaller accessions of footage from the vertebrate zoology, exhibits, modern history and archaeology divisions. Also included is a copy of a documentary video production on the history of the museum, produced in 1986 to mark the museum's 100th anniversary.

The series also includes 48 audio recordings of interviews.

British Columbia Provincial Museum

Department of Anthropology records

  • GR-3662
  • Series
  • 1909-1975; predominant 1950-1968

The series consists of operational records of the Department of Anthropology at the British Columbia Provincial Museum and it's predecessor, the Provincial Museum of Natural History and Anthropology. The records are often referred to as the Wilson Duff Papers, as a significant portion of the series consists of original research notes made by Duff, curator of Anthropology at the museum from 1980-1965, in the course of his work with Indigenous communities in British Columbia. Some field notes of other museum anthropologists are also included, as well as correspondence, subject files, and records relating to totem poles in British Columbia.

Staff of the Department of Anthropology conducted research work documenting the history, culture, and languages of Indigenous communities in British Columbia. Records include field notes, maps, transcripts of interviews, correspondence, subject files, and copies of published and unpublished works.

The series has been arranged into the following five sub-series:

A: Wilson Duff research notes
B: Administrative records and correspondence
C: Totem poles 1950-1975
D: Subject files 1945-1968
E: Ethnology field notes

British Columbia Provincial Museum

Provincial Museum correspondence

  • GR-0078
  • Series
  • 1912-1939

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Museum between 1912 and 1939. Records include letters inward and responses to Francis Kermode (Director), William A. Newcombe (Asst. Biologist), or Ian McTaggart Cowan (Asst. Director) concerning the collection and acquisition of birds, mammals and other biological specimens.

British Columbia Provincial Museum

Provincial Museum correspondence inward

  • GR-0111
  • Series
  • 1897-1970

The series consists of correspondence inward (with responses) to the director, assistant director, curators, and other personnel of the Provincial Museum. The correspondence is with collectors, amateur and professional naturalists, museum officials, and federal and provincial government departments and agencies and was created between 1897 and 1970.

The files include correspondence with the museum's first three directors (called "Curators" prior to 1913): John Fannin (1886-1904), Francis Kermode (1904-1940), and G. Clifford Carl (1940-1969). However, very little of the correspondence generated during Fannin's tenure has survived, while most of the Kermode files date from the post-1918 period.

The series also includes index cards created between 1925 and 1937 which records index details about letters in A-Z, and letters out, A-R.

British Columbia Provincial Museum

Provincial Museum visitor registers

  • GR-0147
  • Series
  • 1887-1951

Series consists of 15 volumes of Provincial Museum visitor registers. Each volume contains the name of the visitor, the location of the visitor's residence, and the date of visit.

British Columbia Provincial Museum

Research notes of Wilson Duff

Referred to as the Wilson Duff Papers, these records are microfilm copies of primarily the original research and field notes of Wilson Duff who was curator of Anthropology at the British Columbia Provincial Museum from 1950 to 1965 and deal with the ethnology of aboriginal peoples in British Columbia. Some field notes of other museum anthropologists are also included. The original papers consist of approximately 1.5 meters of textual records. The majority of them were microfilmed in order to make the contents available to clients of the then British Columbia Archives and Records Service. The Royal British Columbia Museum retained the original papers including some maps, typescripts and oversize material that were not microfilmed.

Wilson Duff received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a Masters Degree in anthropology from the University of Washington (Seattle) in 1951. From 1950 to 1965 he served as Curator of Anthropology for the British Columbia Provincial Museum (now the Royal British Columbia Museum). He also directed the British Columbia Government Anthropology Program from 1960 to 1965. From 1965 until his death in 1976 he was a Professor of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. During his term as Curator of Anthropology with the Museum, Wilson Duff conducted the research work documented in these papers. The papers are a diverse collection of material, consisting of field notes, maps, official and unofficial records, and copies of published and unpublished works. Records of later museum anthropologists also form a part of this collection. The Wilson Duff Papers document many aspects of Indigenous history and culture, and include important linguistic information. They also document the activities of Wilson Duff and other staff of the Provincial Museum.

British Columbia Provincial Museum