Recording is an oral history interview of Duncan Robertson by Oonagh O'Connor (Part 2 of 2). Topics covered include Dunc's children Ann (Dewar) and Lynn (Summers); oysters; the Whaletown store; early telephone system; mining; the Robertson family; the ferry; changes in wildlife population he has observe over the years; and logging practices. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Recording is an oral history interview of Duncan Robertson by Oonagh O'Connor (Part 2 of 2). Topics covered include Dunc's children Ann (Dewar) and Lynn (Summers); oysters; the Whaletown store; early telephone system; mining; the Robertson family; the ferry; changes in wildlife population he has observe over the years; and logging practices. There is a short summary of the interview, written by May Ellingsen, in the cassette case.
Recording consists of an interview with Frank Tooker, done to gather information for the "Windows on Whaletown" exhibit. (see also 1999.004.033, for Part 1)
Recording consists of an interview with Frank Tooker, done to gather information for the "Windows on Whaletown" exhibit. (see also 1999.004.033, for Part 1)
Photograph labelled on the back: "Rendezvous Patrol. Dr. B. Hall and Dr. R. Rose, the dentist, with their black bags, getting ready to go aboard the "Rendezvous". They are being taken to Whaletown for their monthly visit to the Mission clinic."
Photograph labelled on the back: "Rendezvous Patrol. Dr. B. Hall and Dr. R. Rose, the dentist, with their black bags, getting ready to go aboard the "Rendezvous". They are being taken to Whaletown for their monthly visit to the Mission clinic."
Series consists of nine albums (binders) holding 554 photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island, with accompanying descriptions and with additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. The majority of the photographs are copies, as indicated by the numbers assigned to them by the Campbell River Museum & Archives. There are 72 original photographs in the albums.
Nine photograph albums (binders) holding 554 photographs with accompanying descriptions.
Custodial History
May Ellingsen put this collection together in the mid 1980s. She collected hundreds of old photographs from 30 donor families which were then copied and catalogued by the Campbell River Museum in 1985, with funding from the Canada Council and Canada Works. (see "Musings", a publication of the CR Museum & Archives Society, Vol. IV #1, March 1985) The Campbell River Museum made negatives and two copies of the photographs; the originals were then returned to the donor families. One copy of each photo was given to May, who arranged them in albums and added her commentary. She continued to add to the albums through the 1990s, adding 72 original photographs and more descriptions. She kept the albums in the library in the Manson's Hall and then in the Cortes Museum when it opened in 1999. The albums were officially donated to CIMAS in 2004.
Scope and Content
Series consists of nine albums (binders) holding 554 photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island, with accompanying descriptions and with additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. The majority of the photographs are copies, as indicated by the numbers assigned to them by the Campbell River Museum & Archives. There are 72 original photographs in the albums.
Item level finding aid is available for the 72 original photographs.
Copyright
The Campbell River Archives has negatives for the copied photographs in the Collection and makes prints on request for a charge according to their policy and according to the wishes of the donors. Donor/source cards were filled out by each family donating photographs and include restrictions on use in some cases. They are on file at the Campbell River Archives.
CIMAS holds the copyright on the 72 original photographs in these albums.
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
Ten photograph albums (binders) containing 152 original photographs and 482 reproductions.
History / Biographical
May Ellingsen was born on March 13, 1914 to George and Robina Freeman. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Manson, was the first person to pre-empt land on Cortes Island, claiming a quarter section on Gunflint Lake in 1886. May spent her childhood on Hernando Island, where her family homesteaded and logged, and on Cortes Island, where she attended the log school at Manson's Landing.
In 1936 May married Elmer Ellingsen. They spent the next ten years in the Loughborough Inlet/Phillips Arm area while Elmer worked for his father's logging operations. During those years their children, Shirley, Bruce and Andy, were born. In 1946 the family moved to Von Donop Creek, where Elmer was logging. In 1950 they moved their float house, built at the time of their marriage, to Manson's Landing Lagoon and two years later, to its present permanent location on Hague Lake.
May and Elmer devoted much time and energy to building their community. Amongst her many community activities, May ran the library at Manson's Hall. She had a strong interest in local history, researching the history of land pre-emptions on the island, collecting and annotating photographs from pioneer families and recording interviews with old timers. She was a founder of the Cortes Island Museum and Archives Society; the archives reading room is named in her honor. Historical materials and artifacts gathered by May formed the kernel of the museum's collections and archives.
Custodial History
May Ellingsen created the albums in the 1980s, and kept adding to them throughout the 1990s. She kept them at the Manson's Landing library and then at the museum from 1999. She officially donated them to CIMAS in 2004.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of ten photograph albums (binders) compiled and annotated by May Ellingsen. The albums contain both original and reproduced photographs of Cortes Island and nearby islands, including Twin Islands and Hernando Island. They are accompanied by captions and additional textual information such as pre-emption records, reminiscences and newspaper clippings. Most of the photographs date from the early decades of the 20th century, depicting homes and buildings, pioneer families, community activities, schools, wharves, boats, logging and marine activity. Fonds consists of two series: Series 1 (The May Ellingsen Historic Photograph Collection, Vol. 1-9, Accession 2004.003) and Series 2 (The Manson Family Album, Accession 2004.002).
Photograph of Violet Stoney, Bob Groochy (or Gruchy) and Margaret Middleton (Pete) standing on the steps of the Church Hall in Whaletown after the wedding of Bob and Margaret. (Identified by Doreen Huck Thompson.)
Photograph of Violet Stoney, Bob Groochy (or Gruchy) and Margaret Middleton (Pete) standing on the steps of the Church Hall in Whaletown after the wedding of Bob and Margaret. (Identified by Doreen Huck Thompson.)
Photograph of four young women pulling a wooden rowboat onto the shore, Gorge Harbour. Left to right: Dorothy Huck, Joyce Allen, Marge (?) and Jean Cornell. Identification comes from a photograph from the collection of Meg Robertson Shaw in the "Whaletown to 1930" album created by Doreen Huck Thompson.
Photograph of four young women pulling a wooden rowboat onto the shore, Gorge Harbour. Left to right: Dorothy Huck, Joyce Allen, Marge (?) and Jean Cornell. Identification comes from a photograph from the collection of Meg Robertson Shaw in the "Whaletown to 1930" album created by Doreen Huck Thompson.
Photograph of the Church Hall in Whaletown, which stood in front of the old cemetery at the corner of Carrington Bay and Harbour roads. It served the community as both church and a venue for social events for almost forty years. The original Whaletown school became its kitchen, and a sleeping place for tired children.
Photograph of the Church Hall in Whaletown, which stood in front of the old cemetery at the corner of Carrington Bay and Harbour roads. It served the community as both church and a venue for social events for almost forty years. The original Whaletown school became its kitchen, and a sleeping place for tired children.
Meg Robertson, Margaret Middleton,and Dorothy Huck, all wearing bathing suits and caps in the lagoon beside the Robertson's home at Burnside in Whaletown. Rankin Robertson's feet are sticking up out of the water at the right.
Meg Robertson, Margaret Middleton,and Dorothy Huck, all wearing bathing suits and caps in the lagoon beside the Robertson's home at Burnside in Whaletown. Rankin Robertson's feet are sticking up out of the water at the right.
Photograph depicts several men standing on the platform of the Gorge Hall at the start of construction. From the caption to this photo in June Cameron's memoir (p. 169): "Among a crew of volunteers who built the Gorge Community Hall in 1933 were Ed Tooker, George Beattie, Charlie Allen, Elsie Beattie and Elsie's baby Margaret. (Margaret Schindler photo)" (Cameron, June. "Destination Cortez Island". Surrey BC: Heritage House, 1999 - page 169)
This photograph was given to the Whaletown Community Club in 2008 by Margaret Schindeler, a granddaughter of George Beattie, the donor of the land the Hall stands on.
Scope and Content
Photograph depicts several men standing on the platform of the Gorge Hall at the start of construction. From the caption to this photo in June Cameron's memoir (p. 169): "Among a crew of volunteers who built the Gorge Community Hall in 1933 were Ed Tooker, George Beattie, Charlie Allen, Elsie Beattie and Elsie's baby Margaret. (Margaret Schindler photo)" (Cameron, June. "Destination Cortez Island". Surrey BC: Heritage House, 1999 - page 169)
Photograph of Trude Albright next to a large cake she has made to celebrate the completion of an addition to the Gorge Hall. The cake is in the shape of the fireplace constructed by Andy Ducasse in the new lounge.
Photograph of Trude Albright next to a large cake she has made to celebrate the completion of an addition to the Gorge Hall. The cake is in the shape of the fireplace constructed by Andy Ducasse in the new lounge.
