"Granite and Fossils" is a compilation of informatioin about Cortes Island fossils created by Christian Gronau for the Cortes Island Museum in 2002 and updated in 2016 and 2023. It has been digitized as Volume 1 and Volume 2.
Christian Gronau studied palaeontology and geology in Germany. He came to Canada in 1972 and
worked in the mining sector in the N.W.T. (among other places), where he met Aileen.
Christian and Aileen (C&A) moved together to Cortes Island in 1978, where they lived for 34 years on a
water-access-only property, without hydro or telephone (Swamp’s Edge), supporting themselves as beach-
only shellfish farmers (Last Farm Oysters). Throughout, C&A have been avid naturalists, continuing this
tradition from their present home at the south-end of Cortes Island (Tanglebank).
Scope and Content
"Granite and Fossils" is a compilation of informatioin about Cortes Island fossils created by Christian Gronau for the Cortes Island Museum in 2002 and updated in 2016 and 2023. It has been digitized as Volume 1 and Volume 2.
A group photograph taken in front of the white canvas house built by Walter Robertson on Hernando Island. The house was a bare framework covered by heavy Powell River canvas.
L to R, back row: Flossie (Manson) Kenny, Gwen (Manson) Campbell, Ralph Kenny
L to R, row 2: Mrs. Niven, Mrs. Jane Manson, Muriel Hurren
L to R, row 3: Audrey Kenny, Eileen Kenny, and Calvin, Minerva and Lorne Campbell
L to R, seated: Thelma Campbell, Dorothy Manson, Bill Niven and Ralph Kenny Jr.
A group photograph taken in front of the white canvas house built by Walter Robertson on Hernando Island. The house was a bare framework covered by heavy Powell River canvas.
L to R, back row: Flossie (Manson) Kenny, Gwen (Manson) Campbell, Ralph Kenny
L to R, row 2: Mrs. Niven, Mrs. Jane Manson, Muriel Hurren
L to R, row 3: Audrey Kenny, Eileen Kenny, and Calvin, Minerva and Lorne Campbell
L to R, seated: Thelma Campbell, Dorothy Manson, Bill Niven and Ralph Kenny Jr.
Summer visitors to Stag Bay, Manson relatives, seated on the steps of Wilfred and Jean Manson's home.
On the left, top to bottom: Mr. Lammie, Isabella and Mary Jane Lammie, Mrs. Liz (Percy) Renwick and son
Behind the dog 'Ruff', Mrs. Lammie, Mrs. Neen, Tom Renwick, Mike Manson
On the right: John Renwick, Mrs. Jean (Wilfred) Manson
Summer visitors to Stag Bay, Manson relatives, seated on the steps of Wilfred and Jean Manson's home.
On the left, top to bottom: Mr. Lammie, Isabella and Mary Jane Lammie, Mrs. Liz (Percy) Renwick and son
Behind the dog 'Ruff', Mrs. Lammie, Mrs. Neen, Tom Renwick, Mike Manson
On the right: John Renwick, Mrs. Jean (Wilfred) Manson
Ruth Clark and Jean Robinson (nieces of Margaret Trenanan) and Wilfred Manson seated in an old car, with Jean Manson sitting on the running board. The former cookhouse of the Stag Bay, Hernando Island logging camp is in the right background. To the left are the storage shed, former camp manager's home and commissary building, part of which has been made into a garage for the car.
Jean Robinson was born in the Yukon in the house that Robert Service lived in when he wrote "The Trail of '98".
Ruth Clark and Jean Robinson (nieces of Margaret Trenanan) and Wilfred Manson seated in an old car, with Jean Manson sitting on the running board. The former cookhouse of the Stag Bay, Hernando Island logging camp is in the right background. To the left are the storage shed, former camp manager's home and commissary building, part of which has been made into a garage for the car.
Jean Robinson was born in the Yukon in the house that Robert Service lived in when he wrote "The Trail of '98".
A group posing beside a picket fence on Twin Islands.
Back, left to right, Jack Manson, his mother Mrs. John (Margaret) Manson, Mr. and Mrs. James A. Nixon, and Bert Froud.
Front, left to right, Anna, Nicol, and Rose Manson.
A group posing beside a picket fence on Twin Islands.
Back, left to right, Jack Manson, his mother Mrs. John (Margaret) Manson, Mr. and Mrs. James A. Nixon, and Bert Froud.
Front, left to right, Anna, Nicol, and Rose Manson.
A group seated on the stairs of the new Nixon home, Twin Islands.
Back, left to right, Mrs. James A. (Margaret) Nixon, Bert Froud, Anna Manson.
Front, left to right, Nicol and Jack Manson, Miss Fisher, and Fred Froud.
A group seated on the stairs of the new Nixon home, Twin Islands.
Back, left to right, Mrs. James A. (Margaret) Nixon, Bert Froud, Anna Manson.
Front, left to right, Nicol and Jack Manson, Miss Fisher, and Fred Froud.
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.
