The fonds contains 14 of John Smiths diaries, starting on July 14th, 1892, and running until December 19th, 1949. (There are no diaries for the periods between March 1, 1901 to May 31, 1903 or February 24, 1912 to December 31 1922.) The first diary records his emigration to Canada and purchase of his homestead. The rest record daily activities and weather conditions relating to operation of his farm, the community, and family life.;A separate diary was kept by Smith when he traveled to the Yukon from March 15 to August 31, 1898. This diary was transcribed by his daughter Olga in the late 1940s. In 1952 this diary was published in the British Columbia Historical Quarterly, with an introduction and annotations by Walter N. Sage. The diary was thought to have been donated to the provincial archives, although no record of the donation exists. A copy of the published article by Sage is included in the fonds. During Smiths absence, his wife Rose maintained the diary recording the daily events of their homestead. The fonds also contains four letters patent appointing Smith to public office, and one letters patent rescinding one of these appointments.
The fonds consists of subject files, correspondence, photographs, book reviews and research notes arising from the work on his book First Man West: Alexander Mackenzie's Account of His Expedition Across North America to the Pacific in 1793.
The fonds consists of transcripts of documents from and pertaining to the Deutsche Groenland (Greenland) Expedition of 1930-1931 headed by Alfred Wegener and, more specifically, pertaining to his death while attempting to bring desperately needed supplies of petroleum from Weststation to Eismitte. There are also ten photographs.
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 fonds consists of photographs, mainly pertaining to Barclay's activities in China (1900s-1920s), Oregon (1920s), and B.C. (1930s-1950s) as well as related correspondence, memorabilia and clippings.
The fonds consists of photocopied typescripts of Shearer's notes on his travels from Montreal to Europe (1893), Montreal to Agassiz, B.C. (1893-1897) and his ports of call while serving naval duty in the Mediterranean, Red and Black Seas (1899-1903).
The fonds consists of Weeks' writings which primarily relate to British Columbia history and historical figures. These include "Heroes of Victoria's Streets", "Outposts of Empire: Victoria B.C." and several about Captain Vancouver. The fonds also includes pictures of historical figures and of British Columbia scenery.
The fonds consists of a translation of an arctic diary kept by missionary Miertsching. He was forced to abandon his original diary with the ship "Investigator" in Mercy Bay. He later reconstructed it and added notes from the log of Captain McLure. The manuscript translation is of the reconstructed diary which was written in German.
The fonds consists of Steelquist's aerial views of Nootka Sound and Friendly Cove, as well as a map of the area, pertaining to Captain James Cook's voyage there.
Fonds consists mostly of cartographic materials relating to reconnaissance trips taken by R.C. Harris. The maps are both historic and those drawn up by Harris for his trips, incorporating old trails on current maps. While the inclusive dates of the map collection are from 1835 - 1981, the majority of these maps were created from 1880 -1930. They are organized according to a personal classification system maintained by R.C. Harris. The remainder of the fonds consists of surveys, plans, photos, correspondence, topographical notes, magazine and newspaper clippings, Harris research notes, books, reports, brochures, photocopies, and book reviews.
The fonds consists of corporate records, a research collection of Seaboard historical material used in the preparation of a corporate history, John A. Humbird's journals of his overseas trips for Seaboard (1937-1945) and photographs of Seaboard personnel, delegations, ships, ports, logging operations, and sawmills.
The fonds consists of postcards acquired in her travels, mainly in Europe and including Vienna, Paris, and various locations in Italy as well as Canada, United States, New Zealand, Japan, and Barbados. There is also a small amount of correspondence.
The fonds consists of an unpublished original manuscript (including 80 photographs) of a train trip from New York to Los Angeles, Vancouver, Winnipeg and then back to New York via St. Paul, Minnesota (1907). Also included is an unpublished typewritten manuscript on three weeks in Glacier Park, Montana (1919).
The fonds consists of materials generated during the period that the creator visited the B.C. Interior. Fonds includes photographs, sketchbook, and offprint of articles describing the sojourn.
The fonds consists of Work's handwritten diary of a trip from Fort Simpson to the Queen Charlotte Islands (May 13-26, 1851) to investigate the reported gold discoveries there.