Myth-busting the “Cows On Campus” Photograph
[This is an expanded version of an article originally published in Alumni UBC’s Grad Gazette in 2010] One of the enduring legends from the history of the University of British Columbia is that the Faculty of Agriculture’s dairy herd was once allowed to graze along Main Mall. But did this really happen? It is true that, during […]
New to the website
Recent additions and enhancements to the University Archives’ website include: Revised and enhanced our Indigenous Peoples Historical Resources – this includes a link to Verna Kirkness’ memorial tribute to the late Justice Thomas Berger, who together with Dr. Kirkness was instrumental in establishing the First Nations House of Learning Update to our list of faculty deans […]
The early Chinese-Canadian presence at UBC
One of the projects undertaken by our colleagues at UBC Rare Books and Special Collections during the COVID-19 shut-down of on-campus operations has been to develop a new on-line guide to Chinese-Canadian materials in their collections. One of the subjects being researched for this project was the identity of the first Chinese-Canadian graduate of UBC. […]
An Archival Science student jumps at an opportunity
[The following was written by Manfred Nissley, currently working for the UBC Archives in the Work Learn student employee programme] A year after starting at the University of British Columbia as an archival science and library science student, a work-learn position opened up in University Archives. I applied for this position because I saw it […]
Enhanced access to our historical photographs
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 […]
First Nations Historical Resources At UBC Archives
The University Archives has launched a new on-line resource: an annotated list of First Nations-related historical resources held in the Archives. This is an overview of resources maintained by the Archives which may be relevant to research on First Nations history and contemporary issues. It includes references to relevant materials in our various collections and […]
University Archives images now featured on Flickr
This year the University of British Columbia marks the 100th anniversary of its opening for classes and research in 1915. To help commemorate the centennial, the University Archives has undertaken several social media initiatives utilizing its extensive historical collections. The most recent such project has been to set up an account on the photo-sharing social […]
UBC Archives Scrapbook Collection
Just before the grandstand of the old stadium at the University of British Columbia was torn down in 1968, a collection of old scrapbooks of uncertain origin was rescued from a storage room. Fortunately, instead of being thrown in the trash, they were recognized as valuable historical artifacts and sent to the Library. The scrapbooks […]
UBC Buildings & Grounds
(This is another in an occasional series of introductory guides to UBC Archives’ collections and services) Another resource for researchers maintained on the University Archives’ website is the Buildings & Grounds page. Listed at the top is an index to UBC’s buildings, dating from 1911 to the present-day. It is presented in both chronological and […]
New: UBC Legacy Video Collection
The newest addition to UBC Library’s Digital Collections is the UBC Legacy Video Collection. These videotaped interviews are the product of an on-going project to document the personal experiences of people affiliated with the University. The University Legacy Committee has conducted interviews and created a repository of video recordings of personal histories. Interviewees have been […]