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).
"Logging, 1903-1949":
The album contains reminiscences of Frank Gallinger's logging camp; a photograph of old-growth trees; logging camps (various locations) and group photos; photographs of hand logging with the use of springboards and logging with steam donkeys, tractors, power saws and horses (on the John Manson property); photographs of log booms (various locations), logging on Quadra and "haywire" logging on Hernando Island; and a newspaper clipping about horse logging (1984).
"Logging, 1903-1949":
The album contains reminiscences of Frank Gallinger's logging camp; a photograph of old-growth trees; logging camps (various locations) and group photos; photographs of hand logging with the use of springboards and logging with steam donkeys, tractors, power saws and horses (on the John Manson property); photographs of log booms (various locations), logging on Quadra and "haywire" logging on Hernando Island; and a newspaper clipping about horse logging (1984).
Album Seven: Mike and John Manson families, 1895-1957
Contains: an excerpt from a Victoria Colonist article about Mike Manson's steamship "Thistle" [1907]; log of the "Thistle" [1891; history of Mike Manson's steam tug "Stella"; log of the 'Stella' [1895]; excerpts from the diary of John Manson [1902]; an account of John Manson's funeral by Rev. Alan Greene [1957]; photographs of the Manson family at their home on Cortes Island (McKay, Herrewig, and more...
Album Seven: Mike and John Manson families, 1895-1957
Contains: an excerpt from a Victoria Colonist article about Mike Manson's steamship "Thistle" [1907]; log of the "Thistle" [1891; history of Mike Manson's steam tug "Stella"; log of the 'Stella' [1895]; excerpts from the diary of John Manson [1902]; an account of John Manson's funeral by Rev. Alan Greene [1957]; photographs of the Manson family at their home on Cortes Island (McKay, Herrewig, and more...
Album 8, "Harbours and Marinas on Cortes Island", contains photographs of wharves and their surroundings in Whaletown, Manson's Landing, Cortes Bay, Marina Island, Camp/Subtle Island, and other nearby coastal areas.
Album 8, "Harbours and Marinas on Cortes Island", contains photographs of wharves and their surroundings in Whaletown, Manson's Landing, Cortes Bay, Marina Island, Camp/Subtle Island, and other nearby coastal areas.
Album 9: Hernando Island and Squirrel Cove
a) Hernando Island: contains a hand-drawn map of Hernando Island, and photographs of the pier, the locomotive used to haul logs, the logging crew at Stag Bay, the George Freeman home at Stag Bay, the logging camp on Hernando Island, residents of Hernando, and the Manson family when they lived at the George Freeman house.
b) Squirrel Cove: contains photographs of the church, the First Nations reservation and residents including the Dominic family, the Forrest family and their store, the Cowan family, the boat shed, planer shed and sawmill which belonged to Val Nichols, the wharf, and the Squirrel Cove Community Hall.
Album 9: Hernando Island and Squirrel Cove
a) Hernando Island: contains a hand-drawn map of Hernando Island, and photographs of the pier, the locomotive used to haul logs, the logging crew at Stag Bay, the George Freeman home at Stag Bay, the logging camp on Hernando Island, residents of Hernando, and the Manson family when they lived at the George Freeman house.
b) Squirrel Cove: contains photographs of the church, the First Nations reservation and residents including the Dominic family, the Forrest family and their store, the Cowan family, the boat shed, planer shed and sawmill which belonged to Val Nichols, the wharf, and the Squirrel Cove Community Hall.
Series consists of one photograph album containing 150 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict Dorothy Huck, her family and friends, and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the Green Valley area. There are also some photographs from Vancouver and Moose Jaw, Sk. where Dorothy attended school.
1 photograph album, 18.5 x 14 x 4.5 cm, containing 150 black and white photographs.
Physical Condition
Cover is worn; spine is damaged and has been repaired with orange tape and cellophane tape. Photographs are glued onto the black paper pages and show signs of wear such as dirt or wrinkling but are generally very clear. Some photographs are missing and a few have been cut.
Scope and Content
Series consists of one photograph album containing 150 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1916 to 1927. Most of the photographs depict Dorothy Huck, her family and friends, and scenes from Cortes Island, especially the Green Valley area. There are also some photographs from Vancouver and Moose Jaw, Sk. where Dorothy attended school.
Series consists of one photograph album containing 329 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1922 to 1924. The photographs depict Dorothy Huck, friends and family, on Cortes and in Saskatchewan. There are also some commercial photographs of the Rocky Mountains.
Edges of the cover are frayed; the first five, the eighth and the last four pages are broken along the fold and are loose. The photographs are glued onto the black cardboard pages and show signs of rippling, creasing, dirt and wear but most of the images are very clear. Some of the pictures are loose or missing.
Scope and Content
Series consists of one photograph album containing 329 black and white photographs with captions, dating from 1922 to 1924. The photographs depict Dorothy Huck, friends and family, on Cortes and in Saskatchewan. There are also some commercial photographs of the Rocky Mountains.
File contains scanned copies of photographs donated by Jim Palmer for the Carrington Bay exhibit in 2009, depicting the community living in Carrington Bay in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jim Palmer and Jan Gemmel lived in a house on the west side of the log jam between Carrington Lagoon and Carrington Bay. Jim built the house at the property of John and Anna Gregg in Manson's Landing and relocated it onto pilings in Carrington Bay. Jim and Jan later fabricated steel pontoons for it. In 1985 the house was moved onto the floats and towed into Gorge Harbour by Bob Thompson with his boat "Sutil Chief".
File contains scanned copies of photographs donated by Jim Palmer for the Carrington Bay exhibit in 2009, depicting the community living in Carrington Bay in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jim Palmer and Jan Gemmel lived in a house on the west side of the log jam between Carrington Lagoon and Carrington Bay. Jim built the house at the property of John and Anna Gregg in Manson's Landing and relocated it onto pilings in Carrington Bay. Jim and Jan later fabricated steel pontoons for it. In 1985 the house was moved onto the floats and towed into Gorge Harbour by Bob Thompson with his boat "Sutil Chief".