Series MS-3379 - James Island "Explosives Days"

A 1914 Studebaker on Saanichton wharf opposite James Island in 1917 A group from James Island at the Saanichton wharf South end of James Island as it appeared when the island was bought in 1913 Car ferry slip Ready to operate James Island main wharf and incline soon after start of dynamite plant construction Construction camp The "tent city" on the southwest spit of James Island Bi and tri nitrating house Bi & tri nitrating house Bi & tri nitrating plant Mono nitrating house Taken from water tanks, looking down on the office roof Fresh water well on east spit Power line to well The tug Earth fill going into barricades Engineers and draughtsmen Staff clubhouse Typical view on site Bi and tri waste acid, boiler house. Box pack, sulfuric acid concentrator Soda store house Fresh & salt water storage tanks Fresh & salt water storage tanks Fresh & salt water storage Pump house completed Cable laying, she's off Cable laying, 1/4 way across Our wharf, Saanich spit
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Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

James Island "Explosives Days"

General material designation

  • graphic material

Parallel title

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Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the series.

Level of description

Series

Reference code

MS-3379

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

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Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1963 (originally created 1913-1919) (Creation)
    Creator
    Grubb, George C.

Physical description area

Physical description

193 photographs : b&w

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1888-1977)

Biographical history

George Cambridge Grubb, Sr. was born April 1, 1888 in California. He attended the University of California, Berkley. Grubb worked as an engineer for Canadian Explosives Ltd. and was based on James Island between 1913 and 1920-21. He was the Manager, Explosives Division of Canadian Industries Ltd. in Montreal from 1931 to 1946 and then retired to Saratoga California. He died in Saratoga on December 20, 1977 at the age of 89.

Custodial history

In 1963, the Provincial Archives of British Columbia borrowed a photo album from George C. Grubb of California. The photographs in the album were copied and returned.

Scope and content

The series consists of 193 black and white photographic copies made from George C. Grubb's album that he called "Explosives Days" which documents his time on James Island BC between 1913 and 1919. The photographs focus mainly on the construction and operation of the Canadian Explosives Ltd. (CXL) activities during World War I, including the building and transport of homes for the workforce and the construction of various chemical plants for TNT production. Other photos show the wharf, the incline railway, scows, workmen and cable laying.
The copy photographs are arranged in BC Archives historic photo (HP) number order but their original arrangement in the album may have been by the photograph numbers recorded in the alpha-numeric number field.

The photograph captions were provided by Grubb, along with detailed notes about the various activities, recorded on the backs of the photographs. These notes have been added to the scope and content fields at the item level.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

Language of material

Script of material

Location of originals

Originals presumed to be with the George Grubb family.

Availability of other formats

Reference copy prints and photocopies were made and are available in the general photograph files, box 38, James Island.

Restrictions on access

There are no access restrictions.

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Copyright has expired.

Finding aids

Item level descriptions with attached digital scans are available.

Associated materials

For related records, see G/J23/G92 which includes a letter from Grubb to the Provincial Archivist in 1963 as well as three pages of notes about the CXL activities on the island.

Related materials

Accruals

General note

Accession number(s): MS-3379

General note

Archives code(s): Each photograph was given an individual HP number in the range HP054494 to HP054686.

Alpha-numeric designations

The alpha-numeric designations for each photograph may indicate its original placement in the album.

Alternative identifier(s)

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