Vagabond Club
Vagabond Club fonds. - 1892-1928, 1967-1968.
39 cm of textual records.
13 photographs.
The Vagabond Club (1914-1928) was a Vancouver literary society
for men intended for those interested
in literature and possessing a sharp wit. A member was expected to
verbally "attack" his fellow members in an
amusing way. The Vagabond Club was formed at a time (1914) when
this form of "verbal jousting" was
commonplace. The Club was very much a Vancouver organization with
a distinct focus on British Columbia and Canadian literature.
The fonds consists of biographical material, correspondence,
constitutions, lists, and financial records. It
also contains printed material which includes manuscripts of poetry
and prose, announcements and programmes
for the Vagabond Club (1915-1921), as well as ephemera and
photographs. Also included are sub-fonds relating
to the Comrades Club and Charles Hill-Tout (1892-1944).
Inventory [PDF] available
Vancouver and District Labour
Council
Vancouver and District Labour Council fonds. - 1889-1983.
5.1 m of textual records.
In 1889 the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters called union
representatives together in Vancouver to
discuss the formation of a central council to organize and
represent workers. Formally constituted in 1890, the
Vancouver Trades and Labour Council was funded through fees levied
against its affiliate union members. In
1919 the V.T.L.C. supported the formation of the One Big Union
(O.B.U.), a full-scale industrial union based on
socialist policies. The backlash against radical labour
organizations after the Winnipeg General Strike (1919)
resulted in the revocation of the Council's charter by the Trades
and Labour Congress. Following the decline of
the O.B.U. the Council was reconstituted in 1920. In 1956 the
V.T.L.C. merged with the Vancouver Labour
Congress to form the Vancouver, Lower Mainland Trades and Labour
Council. In the same year, it became the
Vancouver and District Labour Council (VDLC).
The fonds consists of minute books of both regular meetings
(1889-1956) and of the Council Executive
Board (1907-1920) of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council
(V.T.L.C.), affiliated union files and subject files
of the Vancouver and District Labour Council (1956-1983). It also
includes minutes from the B.C.
Federationist (1912-1922), Vancouver Labour Temple Company
(1909-1920), Oil Refinery Workers' Union
(1918-1921) and an address book with clippings from the British
Columbia Federation of Labour (C.L.C.).
Inventory [PDF] available
Vancouver Centennial Commission. Vancouver Centennial Labour History Project
Vancouver Centennial Labour History Project fonds. - [1938]-1989.
90 cm of textual records
The Vancouver Centennial Labour History Project was founded in June 1984 at a meeting of labour representatives and interested persons. The purpose of the Project was to raise public awareness about the history of the labour movement in Vancouver. The Project operated under the Vancouver Centennial Commission and had both paid and volunteer staff.
When the Project office was closed in 1987, the material went to the custody of Bill Darnell, before donation to Special Collections in 1993.
The fonds consists of records created or received by the committees and individuals working for the Labour History Project. Fonds includes minutes, agendas, correspondence, publications, posters, reports, and manuscripts.
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vancouver Cooperative Radio
Vancouver Cooperative Radio fonds. - 1975-1981.
129 reel-to-reel tapes
The Vancouver Cooperative Radio (CFRO-FM), aired programmes on a variety of topics. Programmes on labour issues were aired on Union Made and its predecessor, B.C. Overtime, produced by Howie Smith.
The fonds consists of 129 reel-to-reel tapes relating to the production of radio programmes on labour including the proceedings of the Vancouver and District Labour Council, Oct., 1977 - May, 1981 (32 tapes) proceedings of British Columbia Federation of Labour conventions, 1975-1979 (64 tapes), proceedings of various union meetings or discussion on specific unions (20 tapes) and other topics relating to the activites of labour such as democracy in Chile (13 tapes).
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Vancouver Council of Women
Vancouver Council of Women fonds. - 1901-1987.
4.1 m of textual records.
9 photographs.
In 1889 delegates from the United States, Canada, Great
Britain, France, Denmark, Finland and India met
in Washington, D.C. to establish the International Council of Women
to promote women's rights around the world.
In Canada, Councils were established on the national, provincial
and local levels. The Vancouver Council of
Women was founded in 1894. The goals of the Councils of Women have
been the promotion of social reforms
affecting women and children and the general living standards for
society as a whole through the presentation
of briefs, recommendations and resolutions to government bodies at
all levels.
The fonds consists of correspondence, minutes, scrapbooks,
subject files, reports, briefs, lists, printed
material and photographs pertaining to the activities of the
Vancouver Council and of the Provincial and
National Councils of Women.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Fonds
Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Fonds. - 1976-1995.
1.98 m of textual material. -- 165 audio cassettes.
The Irish Prisoner of War Committee formed in 1981 in Ireland. Following Ireland’s establishment, Irish Prisoner of War Committees surfaced in Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Throughout its operation, the Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee (V.I.P.O.W.C.) held rallies, hosted lectures, organized protests, and campaigned for prisoner rights’ in the pursuit of Irish Republicanism. The V.I.P.O.W.C. also supported other human rights organizations such as Amnesty International.
The fonds primarily consists of the organizational, administrative, and operational records of the V.I.P.O.W.C. and the Irish Solidarity Committee dating from 1977 to 1994. The fonds also includes 165 audio cassettes of “Saoirse Eirleann.” The fonds divides into three series: The Textual Material Series, the “Saoirse Eirleann” Audio Cassette Series, and the Events Material Series.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vancouver Labour Committee for Human Rights
Vancouver Labour Committee for Human Rights fonds. - 1950-1977.
40 cm of textual records.
The Vancouver Joint Labour Committee to Combat Racial
Discrimination was established in 1948. In 1959,
with the merging of the local labour councils, the committee
changed its name to the Vancouver Labour
Committee for Human Rights with the continuing sponsorship of the
Vancouver and District Labour Council.
The fonds consists of correspondence, reports, minutes of
meetings and activities of the Vancouver Labour
Committee for Human Rights.
Vancouver Merchants'
Association
Vancouver Merchants' Association fonds. - 1965-1967.
1 cm of textual records.
The Vancouver Merchants' Exchange was in operation in the late
nineteenth century, having hosted the
St. George's Society celebration in 1895. The Exchange, later the
Vancouver Merchants' Association, made its first
annual statistics report in 1922.
The fonds consists of annual statistical reports for theVancouver Merchants' Exchange (later Vancouver
Merchants' Association) from 1965 to 1967. The reports include
statistics on Vancouver ship arrivals and
departures, commodity exports and imports.
Vancouver, New Westminster and District Union Label Trades Council
Vancouver, New Westminster and District Union Label Trades Council fonds. - 1921-1984, predominant 1939-1979.
2.82 m of textual records and other material
The Vancouver, New Westminster and District Union Label Trades Council was organized in 1939. The objectives of the Council were to promote a greater demand for products bearing the union label and for labour performed by union workers. Activities were promoted on a national scale with the creation of the Union Label Trade Department of the Canadian Labour Congress, in 1956. The Council was superceded by the British Columbia Union Label Trades Council in 1980.
The fonds consists of minutes, financial records, correspondence, subject files, photographs, buttons, badges, and union labels relating to the activities of the Council. Includes records pertaining to Josephine Hallock's involvement with the Council, 1939-1979.
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Includes: 2 books, 59 photographs, 47 photographic negatives, 60 signs and posters, and 20 pins and ribbons.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vancouver Rifle Association
Vancouver Rifle Association fonds. - 1889-1896.
1.5 cm of textual records.
The Vancouver Rifle Association was founded in 1889.
The fonds consists of bound, handwritten minutes of the
Vancouver Rifle Association.
Vancouver Status of Women
Vancouver Status of Women fonds. - 1971-1978.
15.2 m of textual records.
Although not legally incorporated until 1973, the activities
of the Vancouver Status of Women began in
1971. It was organized in response to the Report of the Royal
Commission on the Status of Women set up by Prime
Minister Lester Pearson in 1967. The purposes of the V.S.W. were to
promote action on the Report of the Royal
Commission, to foster public knowledge of women's issues and to
facilitate communication among individuals and
groups concerned with the status of women.
The fonds consists of Vancouver Status of Women office files,
research papers and some correspondence.
The material deals with topics such as abortion, rape, education,
human rights, public relations, sexism, sexual
harassment, publishers, daycare, family health, marriage, and many
others in general, all issues affecting women
in their daily lives. The fonds also includes printed material.
Inventory [PDF] available
Vancouver Town Planning
Commission
Vancouver Town Planning Commission fonds. - 1949-1968.
1.6 m of textual records.
The Vancouver Town Planning Commission was established in 1926
under the provisions of the B.C. Town
Planning Act. The Commission was responsible for advising the
Council on all matters relating to city planning
although none of its recommendations were binding. As Vancouver
grew and the responsibilities of the
Commission increased, however, this arrangement became less
satisfactory. By 1949 it became apparent that the
City Council must provide the Commission with enhanced power and
responsibility for planning or establish a
Civic Planning Department which would relieve the Commission of
technical and administrative functions. The
transfer of the advisory technical responsibilities to the new
municipal organization in 1951 left the Planning
Commission to advise the Council in the more general aspects of
planning the city.
The fonds consists of agendas, minutes and reports generated
by the Planning Commission.
Vancouver Union Label Trades
Council
Vancouver Union Label Trades Council fonds. - 1939-1979.
2.8 m of textual records.
10 photographs.
The Vancouver Union Label Trades Council was organized in
1939. The objectives of the Council were
to promote a greater demand for products bearing the union label
and of labour performed by union workers.
Activities were promoted on a national scale with the creation of
the Union Label Trade Department, CLC, in
1956. The Council was superseded by the British Columbia Union
Label Trades Council in 1980.
The fonds consists of minutes, financial records,
correspondence, subject files, photographs, buttons,
badges, and union labels relating to the activities of the
Council.
Vancouver Vietnam Action
Committee
Vancouver Vietnam Action Committee fonds. - 1966-1972.
60 cm of textual records.
The Vancouver Vietnam Day Committee was formed in 1966 through
an coalition of several organizations
that opposed the Vietnam war. A coordinating committee was
established in 1968 to establish additional
committees and organize demonstrations. A schism in the movement in
1969 led to the formation of the Vancouver
Committee to End the War in Vietnam, which turned its assets over
to the Vancouver Vietnam Action Committee
later that year. At the conclusion of the war, the Committee ceased
operations.
The fonds consists of minutes, correspondence, financial
records and printed material from the various
organizations opposed to the war in Vietnam.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vancouver Women in Focus
Society
Vancouver Women in Focus Society fonds. - 1974-1986.
2 m of textual records.
First organized as part of the Women's Office at the
University of British Columbia, the Women in Focus
Society was established as a non-profit society in 1974. The
impetus for the organization grew out of what its
founders perceived to be the definition of women and women's lives
in the arts from a male perspective. Women
in Focus works to develop positive images of women and their life
experiences through the promotion of female
artists and producers by making their art more visible and easily
accessible to the public.
The fonds consists of office files, financial material,
scripts and related research materials pertaining to
the activities of the Society in the 1970s and 1980s.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vancouver Young Men's Christian
Association
Vancouver YMCA fonds. - 1899-1945.
40 cm of textual records.
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in
England in 1844. The YMCA began
operations in Vancouver in 1886. It has been active in promoting
adult education, physical education, camping,
youth services and international development.
The fonds consists of a typescript history of the Vancouver
YMCA, four volumes of minutes (1899-1921,
1940-1945) and two volumes of minutes of the Y's Men's Club
(1922-1925). Some printed material is interleaved
with the first minute book.
Vancouver Young Women's Christian
Association
Vancouver YWCA fonds. - 1903-1977.
3.2 m of textual records.
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), a world-wide
Christian lay organization open to girls
and women, was founded in England in 1855. The first Canadian
branch was formed in St. John, N.B. in 1870. The
Vancouver YWCA was organized in 1897. The organization offers
women's study courses and craft classes and,
together with the YWCA, operates the Howard Chatwick Residence, a
hostel for young men and women.
The fonds consists of minutes, reports, correspondence, lists,
clippings, scrapbooks and printed material
relating to the works of the YWCA in Vancouver. Included are
minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors,
Advisory Board, Annual Meetings, various committees of the
Vancouver YWCA and National Conventions.
Reports include annual reports and those pertaining to camps and
buildings. The printed material pertains to
YWCA work in Vancouver and beyond.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Vaughan, R.H.
R.H. Vaughan fonds. - 1934-1954.
8 photograph albums
1 sketch book
R.H. Vaughan was employed by the B.C. Department of Public Works throughout British Columbia including Smithers, Duncan, and the Fraser Valley.
The fonds consists of photoprints on his activities as a government employee and the regions in which he worked. He was employed as a draftsman during the 1944 season on the Pine Pass Survey and an album contains 30 prints of activities during the survey. There is also an album relating to his activities in the Fraser Valley, 1934-1938, including photos of the flood of Jan., 1935.
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Verrill, Alpheus Hyatt, 1871-1954
Alpheus Hyatt Verrill fonds. - 1950-1954
6.5 cm of textual records
A. Hyatt Verrill was born in 1838 in the United States. An archaeologist, explorer, inventor, illustrator, Verrill was also a prolific author, writing on extremely diverse subjects such as whaling, travel, natural history and the radio. This writing resulted in the publication of more than 100 books, including several science fiction novels written under the pseudonym Ray Ainsbury. Verrill served as the natural history editor of Webster's International Dictionary in 1896, and invented the autochrome process of natural colour photography in 1902. According to the synopsis for his book Never a Dull Moment, Verrill discovered and described many new species of insects, reptiles, birds and shells, discovered and excavated countless prehistoric ruins and tombs, and devoted almost forty years of his life to exploring the deserts and jungles of Central and South America. He was a boat builder, a member of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, a member of several aboriginal tribes, and has lived through such disasters as shipwrecks, hurricanes and earthquakes. A. Hyatt Verrill died after a series of strokes in November of 1954, at the age of 83.
The fonds consists of the unpublished manuscript for Verrill's book Never a Dull Moment, and several letters.
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Veterans Against Nuclear Arms. Lower Mainland Branch
Veterans Against Nuclear Arms Lower Mainland Branch fonds. - 1984-1995.
12 cm of textual records
The Lower Mainland Branch of Veterans Against Nuclear War was organized in Vancouver in 1984 by local members of the national organization headquartered (and registered as a society) in Nova Scotia. VANA was founded in Halifax in 1982 under the name of Veterans For Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament and chanaged its name in 1986. As of 1989, the Lower Mainland (B.C.) Branch was one of 13 local branches of VANA in 7 provinces.
The fonds consists of material relating to the administration, communication and operational activities engaged in by executive members of the Lower Mainland Branch., both independently and in co-ordination with VANA as a whole. The material consists of correspondence files, publications, records relating to lobbying government, newsletters, records relating to speaking engagements, special event files and appointment scheduling diaries.
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Veterans of the International Brigades. Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, Veterans of the International Brigades fonds. - 1938, 1948, 1971-[1992?].
30 cm of textual records
The Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, Veterans of the International Brigades, also known as the Mac Paps, were founded in 1971 to aid and maintain contact with former members of the Battalion who were involved in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. The first president was Len Norris who also was the editor of the Association's news bulletin, "the Map Pap'er" from 1972-1986.
The fonds consists of records created by President Len Norris, including correspondence; published and unpublished reference materials covering a range of topics relating in some way to the Spanish Civil War and/or its veterans; a number of lists from various sources, bearing the names of members of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades, and a small number of official records of the "Mac Paps."
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Inventory [PDF] available.
Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Company
Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Company fonds. - 1906-1950.
20 cm of textual records.
The Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1889. Original shareholders in the company included William J. Macaulay (Victoria), John E. Glover, William H. Phipps and John A. Humbird. The company's mill was constructed at Chemainus and became one of the largest on the West Coast. Although suffering during the dperession in the early 1890's, the mill generated 100 million feet of lumber per year by 1896. The mill burned down in 1923 but was rebuilt. It ceased operations in 1950.
The fonds consists of an incomplete run of annual reports (1906-1950) for the Victoria Lumbering and Manufacturing Company in Chemainus, B.C.
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