The University Archives has added a feature to our website that enhances access to our historical photograph collections.
Most of our photographs are acquired as part of a distinct fonds or collection. As the records are arranged and described, each photograph is given a distinct catalogue number or “identifier”. Each identifier has two parts, a collection number and an item number, separated by a forward slash. For example, this photograph has the identifier “UBC 3.1/52”, showing that it belongs to collection UBC 3.1 (part of the Department of University Extension fonds) and is image 52 of that collection.
Our new UBC Archives Photograph Collections page lists those collections which include photographs, by collection number and title. This allows researchers to easily limit their searches by specific collections, instead of having to compile an Open Collections “advanced search“. For example, a researcher wanting to search for images from UBC’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (now Land and Food Sciences) simply clicks on collection number 24.1/. Similarly, images acquired as part of a photo album created by UBC student Albert E. “Ab” Richards (B.A. 1923) can view them by clicking 158.1/.
Researchers can also still search the entire historical photograph database, if they wish.