John Cooper Robinson collection
Robinson, John Cooper
Agriculture
Arts and culture
Buildings and structures
Business and commerce
Children and youth
Community life
Japanese
Education
Environment
Events and celebrations
Exploration, discovery and travel
Family and personal life
Government
Forestry
Mining
Military
Forests
Minerals
Religions
Sports, recreation and leisure
Transportation and utilities
Women
Fonds consists of over 4,600 photographic prints, negatives, glass lantern slides, and postcards, the majority of which were either taken or collected by Robinson. Many of the photographs relate to Robinson’s work as an Anglican missionary in Japan in the 1890’s through the 1920’s. These photographs document a unique time in the Japan’s history: the Meiji-Taisho period when the country was transitioning away from being a feudal society and beginning to open up to the West. This collection is one of the few comprehensive records of this time period. Subject matter of the photographs includes everyday life, work, and scenery in Japan, as well as the lives and works of missionaries.
Also included in the collection are photographs from Canada and the Robinson family’s travels around the world, as well as reproductions of missionary and religious texts or graphics.
While many of the photographs were taken by Robinson, others were taken by his children, professional photographers, or unidentified individuals.
The fonds also includes 10 maps of Japan used during Robinson’s missionary work, some with annotations of proposed Canadian jurisdictions in Japan.
[1870] – [1955]
ca. 4400 photographs : prints, negatives, and glass lantern slides*
ca. 2 cm textual records
ca. 200 postcards
ca. 20 objects
10 maps
*ca. 1350 film negatives, ca. 700 glass lantern slides, ca. 875 glass negatives, ca. 1500 prints
https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca//john-cooper-robinson-collection
RBSC-ARC-1757
https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca//university-of-british-columbia-library-rare-books-and-special-collections
University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections