The Uno Langmann Family Collection of B.C. Photographs, donated by Uno and Dianne Langmann and Uno Langmann Limited, consists of more than 20,000 rare and unique early photographs from the 1850s to the 1970s. It is considered the premiere private collection of early provincial photos, and an important illustrated history of early photographic methods. The photographs were taken by a wide range of photographers. Some well-known photographers represented in the collection include William Notman, Charles MacMunn, Frederick Dally, Charles Horetzky, Charles Gentile, Philip Timms, Yucho Chow, R. Maynard, and Leonard Frank.

This finding aid will provide access to the collection in the interim period while UBC Library digitizes the collection. For updates on the collection and its digitization, please visit http://langmann.library.ubc.ca

The fonds consists of records created by or collected by Ian Waddell during his legal and political career. It contains six series: Community law, Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Commission, Federal politics, Provincial politics, Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, and International works.Three series follow Waddell's career path (Community law, Provincial politics and Federal politics). The International work series spans both provincial and federal timelines and therefore is its own series. The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs are series that represent two important landmarks of Waddell's career that dealt with important environmental and aboriginal issues.

Files are often subject focused, although some pertain to meetings, events, and organizations. Subject files typically contain multiple document types, including correspondence, published and draft reports, speeches and lectures, press clippings, published copies and drafts of legislation, notes, news releases, and itineraries and agendas.

These files were received following the completion of Waddell's memoir, which is noteworthy due to the potential influence on his arrangement of files, the contents of some files, as well as the intermittent inclusion of some records well outside the predominant date range of a series or file.

The fonds consists of a 24-page dossier that summarizes operations at the Nanaimo Electric Light, Power and Heating Company through text, photographs, and a map. The dossier was put together prior to the merger of Nanaimo Electric Light, Power and Heating Company with Duncan Utilities Power Limited, forming Nanaimo Duncan Utilities Limited in July 1934.

The fonds consists of annual statistical reports for the Vancouver Merchant's Exchange (later Vancouver Merchant's Association) from 1965 to 1967. The reports include statistics on Vancouver ship arrivals and departures, commodity exports and imports.

Fonds consists of records generated in the course of the merger and in the first months of life of the IEEE (1962-1963), as well as of the documentation of the two previous societies which constitute two sub-fonds: IRE (1950-1963) and AIEE (1911-1963). The fonds consists of minutes of meetings, as well as of annual report and publications and is arranged in three series: series one dealing with minutes of meetings (1963), series two consisting of annual report (1062-1963) and series three being a miscellanea of publications and leaflets (1960-1963). The sub-fonds IRE and AIEE are subdivided in numerous series.

The fonds consists of photographs, documents and unpublished material relating to Swan's career and achievements, to the construction of light railways overseas during World War I, and to the construction of bridges, grain elevators, railway branch lines and other facilities in British Columbia.

The majority of the collection relates to mining in the Sandon, B.C. community and surrounding areas. Documents relating to mining claims and claim disputes are prevalent. Other records include financial books and receipts, business and personal correspondence, newspaper clippings, other legal records and court rulings, leases, payroll records, numerous receipts and invoices and various corporate documents.
Each of Harris’ businesses, Hotel Reco, Reco Mining and Milling Company, Sandon Water Works and Light Company, Star Mining and Milling Company, Slocan Power Company, and Wonderful Mines are represented in this collection. In addition there are records from the British Columbia Mining Association and the Silver-Lead Miners Association of British Columbia.

The W.B. Bailey series and the Clarence Cunningham series are relatively small. The Cunningham records include only financial records ca. 1916 to 1919, and newspaper clippings from 1939. The Bailey records are a grouping of telegrams from 1901 to 1902 with a complete inventory of each supplied by Mr. Barlee.

This fonds consists mainly of records assembled by McPherson over the course of his professional career. Material documenting McPhersons wartime activities predominates. The fonds contains two sous-fonds. One of these includes a scrapbook and from McPhersons father, Ewan. The other contains research, correspondence and interviews conducted by Kay Alsop in the mid 1990s. Alsop, a prominent Vancouver journalist, intended to write a biography of McPherson but was never able to find a publisher for the book. Alsop therefore decided to donate some of her research files as part of the McPherson fonds. The Alsop Sous-Fonds contains important records which McPherson had given to her, particularly those documenting the decision to intern Japanese-Canadians.

The fonds consists of financial records (1934-1953), stock certificates (1899-1901) and correspondence relating to financial matters. It also includes financial records of Ashcroft Irrigated Lands Ltd. (1952-1960), stock certificates (1953-1961) and correspondence relating to the development of East Branch Irrigation (1952-1956), as well as a 1918 report which includes photographs and plans. There are also drawings pertaining to a power house and dam (1949-1953).

The fonds consists of subject files, office files, printed material, videos, photographs, and slides relating to home economic topics such as cooking and kitchen and laundry planning presented by Beatrice Millar on behalf of the British Columbia Hydro Home Service Centre. Photographs consist of slides used in the BC Hydro home economics program, publication production photographs, as well as photographs of BC Hydro and Beatrice Millar in a television studio.

The fonds consists of Holderness' manuscript diary and expense account of a business trip to Canada and the United States in connection with the timber trade in 1837. He took particular note of his means of transport, which included steamer, railroads, schooners, canal boats, stage coaches, wagons, gigs and horses. The diary provides an excellent description of travel in North America at that time.

Fonds consists of records reflecting Fenton’s activities as the president of the Local 213 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in B.C. and the Executive Board representative of the First District of the Pacific District Council of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, spanning approximately from 1912 to 1913. These records are arranged in chronological order. Textual records in the fonds primarily consist of incoming correspondence from the U.S. to E.Tilford Fenton as the president of the I.B.E.W. in B.C., general circulars and reports from Pacific District Council, and administrative documents of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Personal correspondence of E. Tilford Fenton spans primarily from 1914 to 1915. These records are also arranged in chronological order. The fonds is arranged into the following four series: office correspondence; general circulars; administrative documents; and personal correspondence.

The fonds illustrates Terry Simmons’ environmental activism and academic research, and also contains some personal records. Environmental activism records primarily reflect Simmons’ involvement in the ROSS Committee and include memoranda, correspondence, briefs, reports, and other material accumulated during the High Ross Dam Controversy. Academic research records include grey literature, correspondence, notes, and other material arising from Simmons’ research into environmental activism and international ecological issues. Personal records include material pertaining to Terry Simmons himself, and include assorted photographs, artifacts, and other material.

The fonds is arranged into three series: 1. High Ross Dam Controversy records; 2. Academic research records; and 3. Personal records.

The collection consists of documents, archival records, photographs, ephemera and artifacts related to three broad themes: British Columbia history, immigration and settlement and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Included are the archival fonds of the Yip family and Yip Sang Company, the Dart Coon Club and Chinese Freemasons of Victoria, Hugh G. Robinson (regarding the S.S. Greenhill Park Explosion), Rev. MacDonnell (regarding the Clandonald colony of Scottish immigrants in Alberta) and the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service. Includes documents, ephemera and artifacts of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, including records of travelers on CPR rail and steamships.

Series consists of photographs attributed to J.D. Whitham. Series consists of photographic slide transparencies depicting subjects such as boats and water, trains, and various scenic locations around British Columbia with additional coverage of other locations in Canada.

The Cassiar Gold Rush collection contains materials related to the Cassiar gold rush which occurred in the late 19th century, prompting an influx of transportation, industry, and resource extraction in the northwest region of British Columbia known today as Cassiar County.

The records in the collection contain information relating to working and living conditions, business transactions, weather reports, and transportation; particularly that of the steamship industry.

Record types include receipts, advertisements, correspondence, legal affidavits, post cards, and newsletters.

The Mavis Hall collection comprises of a variety of printed and photographic materials collected by Margery McCuaig, Hall’s mother, during a trip to Japan, sponsored by the Japanese Tourism Ministry and the Japanese Government Railways, from July-August, 1939.

The collection contains commercially-produced slides, postcards and souvenir photographs, as well as Board of Tourism publications, prints, and a few personal items and memorabilia of McCuaig, such as a passport, scrapbook, and autograph book. McCuaig also collected ephemera from the time she spent on the cruise ship, including daily ship menus, news bulletins, travel brochures, and entertainment programmes, that exhibit her experiences onboard.

The fonds documents the company's activities in the ship building and maintenance business from ca. 1960 until the closure of the business in 1984. The fonds is arranged in four series containing invitations to tender, specifications, and drawings from various marine architects and government agencies, as well as invoices, advertising and technical publications from various suppliers.

The fonds consists of a bound scrapbook with press cuttings of G.V.W.D. calls to tender (1957-1975). The clippings record the various projects and staff members associated with the department.

The fonds consists of agendas, minutes and reports generated by the Planning Commission.

The fonds consists of records relating to the organization of and labour relations activities of Transport Labour Relations and its predecessor, the Automotive Transport Relations Association (1960-1984). Records include minutes of the Board of Directors, briefs, reports, agreements (both proposed and ratified), legal documentation, and correspondence.

The fonds consists of diaries, scrapbooks, and correspondence spanning the period 1910-2003 and related to the professional and personal lives of three generations of the Bamford family—William Blackley Bamford, his son William Blackley Stanley Bamford, and his grandson William Huestis Bamford—as well as to members of the Lasell and Ord families, related by marriage to William Huestis Bamford. Diaries in the fonds include concise “five year” or “line a day” diaries, as well as more detailed daily journals and many cover aspects of the Bamfords’ professional and personal life.

Scrapbooks in the fonds, which contain newspaper clippings, ephemera, correspondence, photographs, notes, and other material, primarily reflect the Bamfords’ personal interests, but also interests their chosen professions and employers, including the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and the Bank of Montreal. Beyond the incoming and outgoing personal and professional correspondence included in the scrapbooks, the Esther Adelina Lasell Bamford series contains incoming correspondence related to a branch of the Ord family living in New Zealand.

The fonds is arranged into four series by family member: William Blackley Bamford; William Blackley Stanley Bamford; William Huestis Bamford; and Esther Adelina Lasell Bamford.

The fonds consists of records reflective of W. Randle Iredale’s career as a professional architect, spanning approximately 1955 to 2000, predominant between 1960-1970. Specific projects that are reflected in the records include: the Portage Mountain Development Project, Hydro Tourist Lookout, Downtown Stadium Centennial, Westcoast Transmission Building, UBC Sedgewick Undergraduate Library, Vancouver Downtown Stadium, Vancouver’s Park Site 19 Project and St. Francis Construction Project.

A large portion of the material is reflective of the Portage Mountain Development Project, a large hydro-electric project at Portage Mountain in north-east British Columbia. The following projects, which were all part of the Portage Mountain Development Project, are reflected in the fonds: the Portage Mountain Lookout Building, Portage Mountain Control Building, Portage Mountain Power House, Hudson’s Hope Housing and George W. Pearkes Elementary School.
Records are arranged generally according to project, keeping the original filing system of the creator.

The majority of the fonds consists of photographs, negatives, slides and architectural drawings pertaining to project sites, spanning primarily from the 1960s to the 1990s. Textual records in the fonds primarily consist of correspondence, publicity material and publications pertaining to the projects completed by Rhone & Iredale Architect and the Iredale Partnership.

The fonds is arranged into the following series: Portage Mountain Lookout Building; Hydro Tourist Lookout; Downtown Stadium Centennial; Westcoast Transmission Building; UBC Sedgewick Undergraduate Library; Vancouver Downtown stadium; Vancouver’s Park Site 19 Project; Hudson’s Hope Housing and School; and architectural drawings.

The fonds reflects Bernard and Jean Webber’s functions as leading members of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, teachers and education administrators, and advocates for local arts, history and Indigenous cultural regeneration. The fonds is comprised of 4 series; Political Papers series, Correspondence and Biographies series, Education and Employment Records series, and Community Activities series. Materials related to Indigenous arts, education and reconciliation are found throughout the fonds. Correspondence is its own series and is also found throughout, including copies of outgoing business correspondence.

Record types include newspaper clippings, correspondence, articles, scrapbooks, speeches, notes, drafts, reports, teaching materials, subject files and other material.

The fonds reflects the efforts of Bob Williams’ political and business career. Records in the fonds relate to Williams’s various roles: teacher, M.L.A., community planning consultant, Minister, chair of ICBC, and Secretary of Crown Corporations. As such, the records relate both to Williams’ personal career as well as British Columbia's governmental systems of resource management, transportation, forestry, energy, housing, and recreation. Correspondence is featured throughout the fonds; other records types include reports, studies, speeches, notes, legal agreements, bills, acts, notebooks, daily journals, travel memorabilia, presentation materials, photographs, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, optical discs, news clippings, scrapbooks, and transcripts of interviews. The fonds is comprised of four series; Alderman and Member of Legislative Assembly records, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Water Resources Records series, Crown Corporations Records series, and Business, Personal, and Academic Records series.

The Alderman and Member of Legislative Assembly Records consists of material related to Williams' roles as Alderman of the City of Vancouver and later as M.L.A. for East Vancouver. Records include letters, faxes, telegrams, newspaper clippings, reports, speeches, notes and other related material.

The Ministry of Forests Lands and Water Resources Records series relates to Williams's time spent on the provincial cabinet working under the government of Dave Barret. Records consist primarily of correspondence, especially between Williams and major corporations and individuals in the forest industry. Other records include reports, studies, news clippings, bills and acts, speeches, presentation materials, and transcripts.

The Crown Corporations records series is comprised of documents stemming from Williams' activities as chair of ICBC, and his work in the Crown Corporations. Many records relate to the construction of Surrey City Centre. Record types include correspondence, reports, legal documents, and news clippings.

The Business, Personal and Academic Records series contains records related Williams’ business career, personal memories and diaries, pictures and travel memorabilia, and his experiences meeting other politicians. Record types include planning consultant studies, correspondence, interviews, and materials from his academic career including course outlines and reading lists.

The fonds consists of photocopies of letters, reports, memorandums, maps and telegrams created and received by Robert L. Borden in his capacity as the Prime Minister of Canada. The fonds has been divided into four series: Politics, Railway Systems and Policies, Union Government and World War One.

The fonds consists of the Simson family tree, a history of Calvert Simson, a typescript entitled To Shear the Dark Shores (1973) by Peter Trower and Joe Simson, notes on logging on Vancouver Island and the North Shore, a typescript of taped interviews about Vancouver and various personalities of the era before 1900, a typescript of a taped interview by David Conn with Jim Campbell regarding the Coal Harbour marine industry, documents of the Simson (Calvert) family including commissions, correspondence, indentures, other legal documents and death certificates.

The fonds consists of an album entitled "Caravaning to the Land of the Golden Twilight, June 13 - July 1, 1930," assembled by Miss J.E. Denison. It includes a description of a motoring trip from Blaine, Washington to Hazelton, B.C., then to Vancouver, B.C. The caravan trip involved groups from the United States, Alaska and British Columbia. The B.C. party included Premier S.F. Tolmie, Minister of Mines W.A. Mackenzie and Lieutenant-Governor R.R. Bruce. The purpose of the caravan was to investigate the proposal for an Alaskan highway which would join up with the B.C. highway network.

The collection consists of correspondence, financial records and ephemera. There is correspondence from employees (managers) of the Kettle Valley Railway Co. (K.V.R.) and the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. (C.P.R.) relating to derailment, Chinese labour and housing and the building of railway lines. C.P.R. Superintendent Thomas Daly's letter press book includes outgoing letters from Daly to various C.P.R. employees pertaining to operations in the Nicomin area, east of Lytton in the Fraser Canyon, ca. 1881-1882. In addition, there are journals which describe railway employment and travel in 1910 and 1911. The activity and pay logs, coupon ticket books, pilot house log books and time books relate to certain aspects of the railway industry in Penticton, York, Okanagan Landing, Vancouver, and Victoria.

The fonds consists of subject files, correspondence, financial records, plans, maps, specifications, contract rates and related material pertaining to contract 602-R for the building of submarines in Vancouver by British Pacific Engineering and Construction Company Ltd. (1917).

The collection consists of ship logs bound into two separate volumes, spanning the years 1882-1885. The logs document multiple voyages of three British battleships sailing the coast of North and South America.

The logs were kept by C.F. Henderson, F.A. Hodge, and possibly other crew-mates, as in some instances the recorder of the log is not named. They contain a meticulously detailed account, written and layouted in script, of the routinized and often eventful day to day lives of mariners who sailed South America, the west coast of America, and the Pacific west to the Hawaiian Islands.

Interleaved between the daily record of the voyages are manuscript charts and detailed diagrams of the ships themselves. There are charts delineating parts of South America, the Hawaiian Islands and the western coastline of America, including Vancouver Island and vicinity in detail. All the charts bear the manuscript tracks of the ships. Many of the diagrams and drawings of the ships and their parts are in color and show profile and sectional views of machinery and artillery as well as plans of the ships as a whole.

The manuscripts are bound with twine, and canvas wrapper over marble boards.

The voyages documented in the logs, including destination and date range are as follows:

Volume 1:

Log I: HMS Swiftsure. Commanded by Captain R.C. Atchinson. July 1882 –January 1884. Kept by C.F. Henderson. Rio de Janerio to Montevideo to Sandy Point to Coquimbo to Callao to Pisco. Pisco to Callao. Callao to Chimbote to Pacasmayo to Paita to Galapagos Islands to Honolulu to Esquimalt to San Francisco to San Diego to Acapulco to Panama (Tobago Island) to Callao to Pisco to Arica.

Log II: HMS Sappho. Commanded by Commander Bouverie F. Clark. January 1884--Feb 1884. Kept by C.F. Henderson. Pisco to Arica to Iquique to Coquimbo to Valparaíso.

Log III: HMS Swiftsure. Feb. 1884-July 1884. Kept by C.F. Henderson. Valparaíso to Caldera to Iquique to Callao to Honolulu to Esquimalt.

Volume 2:

Log IV. HMS Swiftsure. Kept by F.A. Hodge March 1883-June 1884. Galapagos to Honolulu to Esquimalt to San Francisco to San Diego to Acapulco to Panama. Port La Union to Panama Bay to Callao to Pisco to Arica to Iquique to Coquimbo to Valparaíso to Coquimbo to Caldera to Iquique to Callao to Honolulu.

Log V. HMS Mutine. Commanded by Captain Edwards. Kept by unknown. June 1884-July 1884. Honolulu to Esquimalt.

Log VI: HMS Swiftsure. Commanded by Captain R.C. Atchinson. Kept by unknown. July 1884-Aug 1884. Esquimalt.

Log VII: HMS Swiftsure. Commanded by Captain Guy Mainmariny. Kept by unknown. Aug 1884-October 1884. Esquimalt to English Bay. Burrard Inlet to Esquimalt.

Log VIII: HMS Swiftsure. Commanded by Rear Admiral Baird, Captain F.S. Brand. October 1884-June 1885. Esquimalt to San Francisco to Mazatlan to San Blas to Acapulco to Panama to Payta to Callao to Mollendo to Arica to Coquimbo to Valparaíso to Coquimbo.

The fonds comprises the operational and accounting records of Hoffmeister Electric Company from 1898 to 1959. Records are arranged in two series: Operational records and Accounting records.

The Operational records series features the following record types: correspondence; catalogues and reference books from electrical and automotive equipment suppliers; rental contracts, requisitions, and orders from clients; ledgers recording Hoffmeister employees’ work for various clients; electrical permits from the City of Vancouver; and miscellaneous ephemera and objects, likely belonging to Reinhart Hoffmeister.

The Accounting records series includes the following record types: personal income tax records from Reinhart Hoffmeister; corporate tax records; monthly time books for employees; various bank books; samples of bills paid to maintain the company’s premises; insurance policies, leases, and deeds for various Hoffmeister properties; duplicate copies of client invoices; and ledgers.

Landscapes showing developing infrastructure in the interior of British Columbia in the later 19th and early 20th century, with especially robust coverage of the construction of railroads and bridges, as well as some mining operations. Features group portraits of work crews.

The fonds consists of predominantly of photographs. Photographic coverage includes: N.R. “Buck” Crump as President of the CPR, CPR employees, the 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche, wrecks, fires, steamers, engines, stations, and scenery.