Showing 26 results

archival descriptions
CA UVICARCH AR425 · Collection · 1996 - 1998

The Lesbian and Bisexual Women in English Canada audio history collection consists of audio histories conducted for the 2001 University of Victoria Department of History doctoral dissertation The Spreading Depths: Lesbian and Bisexual Women in English Canada, 1910-1965. The Spreading Depths is the basis for Cameron Duder’s subsequent monograph Awfully Devoted Women: Lesbian Lives in Canada, 1900-65, published in 2010 by UBC Press.

The collection consists of 12 interviews (21 recordings in total as some were in multiple parts) conducted by Duder from 1996 to 1998. 27 women were interviewed for the dissertation research, and Duder also drew on interviews recorded in the 1980s for the Lesbians Making History Project. 12 of the women interviewed by Duder consented to their interviews being housed in the University of Victoria Archives. 10 of the 12 women requested to be identified by pseudonym.

Duder's dissertation, The Spreading Depths, examines lesbian and bisexual women’s formation of subjectivity in pre-1965 English Canada, a time when the terms and identities “lesbian” and “bisexual” were not widely discussed in society. Duder considers the existing historical information about the lives of women in same-sex relationships, in English Canada, before the social, political and sexual liberation movements of the 1960s. The interviews conducted by Duder provide information on what had been a neglected group in previous research on lesbian and bisexual women: the interview subjects are lesbians and bisexual women from lower-middle class and working class families. Duder argues that discourses on 19th and 20th century history of sexuality have reflected the documentation of the politically active and socially privileged, namely activist persons or organizations and women from upper middle class families whose histories were documented in public archives. Duder argues for a class-specific lesbian subjectivity in the decades before 1965, a subjectivity which does not always adhere to the forms of the “romantic friendship” and the “butch-femme relationship” which have dominated the discourse.

Duder adds a Canadian perspective to the large literature on the transition in women’s relationships from the romantic friendship to the modern lesbian. The Spreading Depths reveals that before the Second World War, women in same-sex relationships were influenced by the language of sexology. Their relationships were also much more explicitly sexual than were those of earlier generations of lesbians. Duder suggests, however, that we should not assume great expansion in the discussion of sexuality, because well into the 1950s and 1960s Canadians lacked information about sexual desire and sexual practice. The interview testimonies complicate the picture we have of women in the mid-twentieth century being much more sexually aware than women of previous generations.

The interviews reveal that lesbians and bisexual women shared heterosexual women’s longing for intimate relationships, their joy at finding a partner, and their pleasure in coming to an awareness of sexuality, but they also reveal that same-sex relationships held the same risks of infidelity, domestic violence, and alcohol abuse as existed for heterosexual women. Relationships with family were also mixed. Duder posits that because of the lack of public discussion around women’s sexual subjectivity, and therefore a lack of terminology that could be used to define and reject women living outside the heterosexual norm, women in same-sex relationships during the period under study may have had somewhat better relationships with their families than lesbians after 1965. Finally, The Spreading Depths discusses the Canadian lesbian community of the 1950s and the 1960s and contrasts the social world of lower-middle-class lesbians with the public bar culture of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The interview testimonies reveal the views held by these women towards the bar scene and the women who regularly socialized in the bars. The interviewees describe alternative ways they found to socialize with one another so as to avoid exposure.

Initially, the project intended to include heterosexual women as a part of its analysis of women in English Canada. Duder sought interviewees through advertisements in regular media and lesbian and feminist media, and consequently the text of these advertisements differed: for regular media, women 55 and older, who lived in British Columbia or Ontario for a minimum of 5 years between 1910 and 1955, were sought to speak about personal relationships and social life, all types of friendships, romantic relationships, courting and marriage; advertisements in lesbian and feminist media sought lesbian/gay and bisexual women 55 and older, who lived in British Columbia or Ontario for a minimum of 5 years between 1910 and 1955, willing to speak about personal relationships and social life, and the lives of lesbian and bisexual women. The dissertation was later narrowed to consider lesbian and bisexual women only.

Interviewees were offered use of pseudonyms, given the option of an audio recording of the interview or written notation only, and for those selecting the audio recording, the choices of destruction, preservation of the recording in an archives, or preservation of a transcript. Regarding access restrictions, participants choosing preservation of the recordings could select: no restriction, access with written consent, access after death of the participant, closure until a specified date, or other specifically stated restrictions.

The interviews were preceded by an informal meeting where Duder and the interviewee discussed the research and interview proposal. The guiding interview questions were organized into the following categories and general subjects (summarized from Appendix B of The Spreading Depths). Not all questions were asked of all interviewees:
Biographical background – of the interviewee and immediate family members, including birthplaces, nationalities, places lived, education and occupations;
Childhood – enjoyed or not enjoyed; feelings towards parents and siblings; family strictures; church attendance; playmates and racial characteristics of neighbourhood; school experiences; adolescence; reading habits; clothing worn; drinking and smoking habits; and special friendships;
Socializing and sexual knowledge – extent and location of socializing; types of socializing; friends and acquaintances; frequenting of clubs or bars; any secretiveness concerning activities and location; extent and source of knowledge of human anatomy, sex, pregnancy, masturbation, and same sex relations; awareness of and interaction with homosexual women or men;
Personal sexuality – sexual preference; words used to describe preference; early physical and emotional attractions; feelings associated with attraction; extent of intimate relationships; perceptions of mixed race relationships.

Additional questions were available to guide further discussion of relationships and sexuality. The following is a sample from these questions (excerpted Appendix B of The Spreading Depths). Questions may not have been required depending on the course of interview:

  • How would you describe the way you felt about sex in those relationships?
  • Were there any occasions where one of you wanted to do something different and the other refused? How did you feel about that?
  • Did you know from the beginning what you would like and dislike or was that something you learned about yourself over time?
  • Is there anything else that you would like to tell me about your sexual relationships?
Charles Palmer fonds
CA UVICARCH AR288 · Fonds · ca. 1895-1997

The fonds consists of the following series: Personal records, 1925-92; Correspondence, 1928-97; Programs and reviews of performances, 1949-87; Photographs, ca.1895-97; Certificates and medals, 1924-95; Instrumental music scores, 1930-92; Secular choral music scores, 1929-93; and Sacred choral music scores, 1932-38.

Palmer, Charles
Bernard James Naylor fonds
CA UVICARCH AR098 · Fonds · 1888-1984, predominant 1924-1984

The fonds documents Naylor's life and work as organ scholar and composer. The fonds consists of correspondence to associates, friends and family, 1935-1984; miscellaneous programs, scrapbooks, ephemera, newspaper clippings, and photographs; manuscript choral, instrumental and vocal scores of Naylor's work, and others, 1924-1983; sound recordings of folk songs, chamber music, instrumentals and interviews, and recordings of other composers' work.

Naylor, Bernard James
Archie H. Wills fonds
CA UVICARCH AR394 · Fonds · 1890-2004

The fonds consists of records relating to his career as a journalist and to his family life in Victoria. It has been arranged in two series, Autobiography and Writing. The Autobiography series consists of Archies autobiographical works, which document his service in World War I and his family life and career. It has been arranged into three sub-series: All in A Lifetime, My Life in the Army, and Travel. The Writing series consists of his published and unpublished work, and background material for it. The series shows his interest in making new generations of Victoria residents aware of their citys history and aware of World War I history. It has been arranged into two sub-series: Articles and Stories, and Broadcasts. Records include typed manuscripts, clippings of Archies published articles, photographs including photograph albums, diaries, scrapbooks, war medals, and ephemera.

Wills, Archie
CA UVICARCH AR281 · Fonds · ca. 1854-1950

The fonds consists of 4 series: the Frank Sylvester series, ca. 1862-1908; the Cecelia Davies Sylvester series, ca. 1854-1928; Family ephemera series, 1867-1918, and Photographs, ca. 1870-1950. The Frank Sylvester series includes: cannery contracts, legal invoices, lecture manuscripts, and a diary. The Cecelia Davies Sylvester series includes: an autograph book, and scrapbooks containing clippings, photographs and ephemera. The Family ephemera series includes: biographical information, documents, pamphlets and publications. The Photographs series includes: photographs, negatives, and glass plate negatives.

Sylvester, Frank and Cecilia (family)
Mona Morley fonds
CA UVICARCH AR095 · Fonds · 1931-1994

The fonds consists of diaries and correspondence. The diaries (personal diaries, travel diaries, "Novice Ruth" diaries) provide an extensive record of her personal reflections on her activities and views from 1931-1950, after which time they become less comprehensive. The correspondence includes some inward correspondence, and transcribed copies of outward correspondence from 1949-1955.

Morley, Mona
Mary Wallace Hamilton fonds
CA UVICARCH AR064 · Fonds · 1904-1942

The fonds consists of the following series: academic diplomas, 1907-1914; personal correspondence from Hamilton to her family during a trip to Europe, 1921-1922; and photographs of her European travels; other photographs documenting Hamilton's time at Victoria College, 1909-1950.

Hamilton, Mary Wallace
Barbara Ann Roberts fonds
CA UVICARCH AR342 · Fonds · 1974-1998

The fonds consists of sixteen series: university employment; 1977-1996; university teaching, 1974-1988; grant applications, 1980-1995; publications, 1975-1997; conference papers, 1978-1991; presentations, 1980-1997; unpublished papers, 1975-1995; Gertrude Richardson research, 1985-1996; Leicester Peace Society research, 1992-1993; women's movement, 1983-1996; peace movement, 1986-1997; miscellaneous correspondence, 1979-1998; family correspondence, 1987-1997; illness and death, 1998; photographs, 1986-1993, and Canadian women peace activists oral history interviews, 1987-1989. The university employment series includes curricula vitae, job applications, and self evaluation files which document Roberts employment history and her publications and committee work, etc. The university teaching series includes course outlines, take home exams, and student handouts which shed light on her approach to teaching. The grant applications and publications series together provide an overview of the range and direction of Roberts' research interests. While most of the series are based on record type, the Gertrude Richardson research and Leicester Peace Society Research series are arranged by subject and contain correspondence and grant applications; the Gertrude Richardson Research series also contains conference papers. The Women's movement and Peace movement series both contain correspondence, although some correspondence pertaining to them will be found in the miscellaneous and family correspondence series. While the miscellaneous and family correspondence series consist almost entirely of inward correspondence, both contain a few printouts of e-mail correspondence or letters from Roberts which shed light on her daily life and research projects. The Canadian Women Peace Activists series contains interviews about and with Canadian women who were peace activists before 1960.

Roberts, Barbara Ann
Byron Johnson fonds
CA UVICARCH AR074 · Fonds · 1916-1964

The fonds consists of records documenting Johnson's political and business careers, including constitutions and bylaws of political organizations, trade agreements, political cartoons and clippings; business records including correspondence, daily journals, financial records and contracts; personal family correspondence and insurance records, Johnson's army diary, and records relating to Byron's father, Oliver Johnson; photographs of the Johnson family and of Johnson with his cabinet and colleagues; correspondence regarding Johnson's work with the RCAF; publications, including newsletters, magazines, journals, annual reports and copies of speeches, some of which are annotated by Johnson or contain photographs, articles or obituaries about him; records regarding the visit of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to Victoria, October 1951, including invitations to functions and photograph album of the visit prepared by the Daily Colonist newspaper.

Johnson, Byron Ingemar
Lara Gilbert fonds
CA UVICARCH AR247 · Fonds · 1981-1995

The fonds consists of records documenting Gilberts thoughts and experiences from childhood to early adulthood. The fonds have been arranged in four series: 1) academic and employment records; 2) correspondence; 3) journals; and 4) unbound prose and poetry.

Gilbert, Lara
CA UVICARCH AR397 · Fonds · 1928-1993

The fonds consists of two series: biographical and subject. The biographical series includes resumes, recommendations, certificates, pilot's licenses, schooling correspondence, interviews, memoirs, articles and portrait photographs.;The subject series includes correspondence, publications, reports, operational documents (TCA), pilots logs, and photographs relating to: B.C. Airways, ca. 1928-1933; B.C. Air Lines Ltd., 1956-1959; Canadian Airways Ltd.,1933-1938; Trans-Canada Air Lines Ltd. (Air Canada), 1937-1994; Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), 1954-1992, and B.C. Airlines Ltd., 1956-1960.

McGregor, Frederick Maurice
Henry Drummond Dee fonds
CA UVICARCH AR041 · Fonds · 1922-1949, 1966

The fonds consists of certificates and diplomas of Provincial Normal School military physical training and University of British Columbia degrees; typescripts of song lyrics and poems presented at a reception held in Victoria in honour of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dee, 1966.

Dee, Henry Drummond
Etholine Clearihue fonds
CA UVICARCH AR377 · Fonds · 1912-1913

The fonds consists postcards written to Etholine from friends, featuring scenes from Victoria. Postcards include: Bridge at the Gorge, Victoria B.C.; C.P.R. Office and Wharves, Victoria Harbor, B.C.; C.P.R. "Princess Victoria", Victoria Harbor, B.C.; Olympian Range and Race Rocks Light House, near Victoria B.C.; Mount Baker, near Victoria B.C.; C.P.R. "Empress Hotel", Victoria B.C.; C.P.R. Docks and Parliament Buildings, Victoria B.C.; Cadboro Bay Summer Resort, near Victoria B.C.

Clearihue, Etholine, d. 1937
Logan family fonds
CA UVICARCH AR085 · Fonds · 1753-1970

The fonds consists of records of the Logan, Small and Wadsworth families, including photographs of Logan family members; financial records, high school and teachers certificates, autograph book and photographs of members of the Small family; and Wadsworth family records, including diaries, personal and business correspondence, legal documents, marriage settlements, postcards, notebooks, unpublished poems and drawings.

Logan (family)
CA UVICARCH AR353 · Fonds · 1999-2001

The fonds consists of case files of each interviewee. Each file contains a tape summary, biographical information, a personal photograph, and an audiocassette tape of the interview. Also included is a file with a sample copy of all the forms used in documenting the project.

University Women's Club of Victoria. Oral History Project
Andy Bigg fonds
CA UVICARCH AR351 · Fonds · 1930-1995

The fonds consists of the following series: Correspondence, 1947-1995; Autobiography manuscripts, 1948-1995; Photographs, 1948-1980; Writing, 1940-1996; Subject files; Newspaper subject files; Newspaper reprints; Newspapers, 1958-1978; Scrapbook of B.C. provincial campaign, 1975; Recording of meeting with Andy Bigg and staff of Cowichan Pictorial regarding joining Union, 1973. The Newspapers include: a complete set of the Western Advocate, 1958-1959, and a complete set of front covers of the Cowichan Pictorial, 1966-1978.

Bigg, Andy, 1915-
John Edward Brant fonds
CA UVICARCH AR018 · Fonds · 1912-1958

The fonds consists of a certificate of service in the Royal Navy, 1912-1922; genealogical records of John Brant and his family, including certificates of birth, marriage and death of Brant and his wife Elsie Reed Brant, and his father John Ojijatekha Brant-Sero, 1914-1958; and a typescript of a family history by Brant-Sero, "Some Descendants of Joseph Brant."

Brant, John Edward
CA UVICARCH AR032 · Fonds · 1888-1974

The fonds consists of records relating to Clearihue's activities: McGill University, 1910-11; Oxford University, 1912-14; World War 1, 1916-18; Victoria College, 1948-63; Victoria College Development, 1945-56; University Development, 1959-66; University of Victoria, 1964-76; University of Victoria Foundation, 1973-76; Awards, medals and pins; Personal records, 1888-72; Travel ephemera, 1913-20; Photographs, 1908-1919; and microform of correspondence relating to Victoria College and University of Victoria, 1952-62.

Clearihue, Joseph Badenoch
Daniel Marshall Gordon fonds
CA UVICARCH AR060 · Fonds · 1910-1971

The fonds consists of two notebooks of notes from Gordon's classes at Victoria College (B.C.) on constitutional law and English literature, 1911-1912; diploma and citation for Honourary Doctor of Laws degree awarded to Gordon from the University of Victoria; and scrapbook with oil pastels of outdoor scenes drawn by Gordon.

Gordon, Daniel Marshall
David Mcrae fonds
CA UVICARCH AR334 · Fonds · 1781-1800

The fonds consists of promissory notes to David Mcrae (1783-1786); land titles (1781-1782); Account of Antoine Plant, nd; and inventories of goods, property and debts due to the estate of David Mcrae (1800).

Mcrae, David, d. 1800
Donald W. Munro fonds
CA UVICARCH AR309 · Fonds · 1925-1996, predominant 1972-1993

The fonds documents Munro's activities as a diplomat and Member of Parliament, personal research interests, and ongoing political concerns, and include correspondence, memoranda, manuscripts and research materials. Research subjects include Abortion, the Canada/Alaska Boundary Dispute, the Canadian Constitution, External Affairs, Eugene Forsey, the Middle-East, the National Debt, Sidney, B.C., and South Africa. The fonds consists of the following series: Member of Parliament speeches and other material (1972-1990); External Affairs correspondence, manuscripts and research (1955-1990); correspondence relating to research subjects and political concerns (1961-1996); research materials (1967-1995); manuscripts (1946-1993); and personal correspondence and other materials (1925-1993).

Munro, Donald W.
Herbert H. Murphy fonds
CA UVICARCH AR097 · Fonds · 1952-1959

The fonds consists of a diary and correspondence. The personal diary, 1952-1957, discusses weather, family and social activities, and some medical activities, and includes enclosures of programmes, invitations and clippings. The correspondence, 1954-59, is regarding publications and a journalism course.

Murphy, Herbert H.
Healey Willan collection
CA UVICARCH AR194 · Collection · 1937-1981

The collection primarily consists of memorabilia and newspaper clippings, collected by Willan's son, Patrick Willan. Files include correspondence and minutes of the Healey Willan Centennial Celebration Committee, 1978-1980; programmes, 1936-1980; clippings, 1936?-1965; programmes and clippings of Willan's opera, Deirdre; obituaries and memorials, 1968; Church of St. Mary Magdalene, 1979-1980; Willan Centenary, 1980; articles on Willan, 1980-1981; memorabilia, 1968-1979; and photographs of Willan with family and musicians.

Percy Scott fonds
CA UVICARCH AR360 · Fonds · 1929-1951

The fonds consists of correspondence and household finances, 1931-1951; Scott's 11 published scores, 1929-1931; Scott's 17 manuscript scores, 1931-1937; records of the Victoria Plectral Orchestra, 1935-1946; music students register, 1930-1949; diaries, 1931, 1934-1951. The diaries include short daily entries about weather, students, appointments and household activities. On occasion, the back page of annual diaries contain a list of items such as orchestra compositions and rents paid. The donation also included a tin sign for Scott's music studio: "Percy Scott Studio: mandolin, guitar etc."

Scott, Percy
Lee Hung fonds
CA UVICARCH AR080 · Fonds · [ca. 1920-1930]

The fonds consists of Lee Hung's correspondence to his sons, Nai San, Nai Chu, and Nai Yin.

Lee, Hung