Eight unidentified medicine men in full regalia stand in a row within a long house. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “Yaulalet Dum guna al git dkdin (?) Party of medicine men Nishka Indians ready for medicine dance. W.H. Collison”. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Haldane & Bro. Alaskan Photographers, 7 West Street, Metlakahtla – Alaska.”
Two carved wooden figures covered in moss stand side by side with a fallen wooden plank lying between them. Wooden figures have pen marks applied to the surface of the photo.
Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “Chapt. XIX No. 3. A medicine man’s tomb guarded by two figures, one of which has two heads following a tradition. They are both ie (?) the two headed figure, arranged in the headdress containing the swan’s down which is the sign of peace”.
Two carved wooden figures stand side by side to mark the burial of a Haida medicine man. Each figure has one arm up with a hand under or over the chin, while the other arm is down. Carved chiefly headdresses adorn each of their heads.
Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “Illustration for insertion at end of Chapt XIX no. 2. Medicine man’s tomb Queen Charlotte Islands.” Photograph has pen markings made on its recto tracing the outline of these two shapes.
Profile perspective of a model totem pole standing upright on the floor against a blank wall. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “35-2”
Frontal perspective of a model totem pole standing upright on the floor against a blank wall. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “35-3”
Three model totem poles carved out of argillite and of various heights standing as a trio against a white backdrop. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “43-5”
Carved wooden flute. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “33-6”
Double-ended, double-edged metal dagger with leather (?) strips covering the grip. Both blades are triangular-shaped with a double ridge running across the middle in line with the handle in between. One blade is longer than the other. Intricately beaded pouch appears to be made of felt and was constructed to sheath both heads of the dagger. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “50-5”
Wooden club carved in the image of a fish. Handle has a hole through which is strung some sort of twine. Metal knife with tapered blades at either end with a leather strip wound around its flat center grip; one blade longer than the other. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “50-4”
Wooden raven rattle composed of two complementary parts in the form of raven. Reclining figure on raven's back connected to a frog by protruding tongue. Carved wooden face, perhaps a frontlet for a headdress. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “47-5”
An unidentified carved wooden tool or utensil with twine attached, leans against a sheet covered wall behind a carved wooden platter. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “50-3”
Intricately carved argillite dish inlaid with abalone shell. Imagery suggests a killer whale and man motif. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “51-2”
Pedestal bowl carved out of argillite into the shape of a bird next to a table top bowl featuring a seated human figure looking into its centre. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “49-4”
Intricately carved argillite dish featuring inlaid triangular pieces of stone or shell material around its perimeter and a series of seven faces within its centre. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “W.E. Collison.” Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “49-1”
Carved wooden mask, perhaps a portrait mask. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “32-6”
Carved wooden portrait mask. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “45-3”
Carved wooden mask featuring inlaid teeth and a halo surrounding the face. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “44-5”
Wide angle shot of North Beach with an unidentified solitary man in the distance. Annotation on recto reads: "North Beach QCI" and "The JD Allen Photo C."
Photo of entire ship building plant, including several vessels in the foreground. Hills are visible in the background. Annotation on recto reads: "Prince Rupert Ship Repair and Ship Building Plant. Prince Rupert BC. Frank E Kirby, William T Donnelly, Engineers. 17 Battery Place. NYC."
View of the road descending to the waterfront. Buildings and forested area are visible on either side of street. Mountains clear in the background.
Photograph of a half-demolished building attached to a large dock. A large group is milling around the damage. Debris litters the water. Annotation on recto reads: "Undesired result of big blast at Prince Rupert. August 13 1908. Allen Photo."
Wide angle photograph of a crowd milling around railroad tracks. A large pile of rubble and various buildings are visible on the right side. Annotation on recto reads: "After the Blast 21 Jan 1914 McRae Bros Photo."
Photograph of the SS "Princess Charlotte" on the open ocean. Metallic annotation on recto reads: "C.P.R.SS Princess Charlotte entered according to act of the parliament of Canada, in the year 1908[?]. by A. Shaw, at the Department of Agriculture." Printed annotation on verso reads "Shaw & Co., Photo. Victoria. B.C. (Empire Series)"
Gathering of tents in Vickersville with the harbour and mountains in the distance. Annotation on recto reads: "Vickersville Prince Rupert o/n[?] 1908."
Wide angle photograph showing the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 6th Street, as well as 5th Street in Prince Rupert. Many buildings are visible along the wooden street including a building in mid-construction. Annotation on recto reads: "Prince Rupert, BC. 6th Street 3rd Ave. 5th St Allen Photo Aug 6/09."
Photograph of three Tsimshian mortuary poles. Two crossed logs rest atop the three poles. Annotation on recto reads: "Indian Mortuary Poles Nr Prince Rupert BC McRae Bros."
Photograph of a train traveling through Prince Rupert. Several people are gathered on the dock and around various buildings. Two small vessels are docked in the harbour. Annotation on recto reads: "Prince Rupert, Waterfront. Allen Photo May '4."
Wide angled photograph of a sunset on the waterfront in Prince Rupert. Several buildings are silhouetted in the foreground. Annotation on recto: "Sunset, Prince Rupert, BC No. 4465."
Photograph of post office and neighbouring building. Both buildings are composed of wood and tent materials. Annotation on recto reads: "Post Office & Customs House, Prince Rupert, BC."
Members of the Collison family casually fishing from a large dock. Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Collison family fishing from dock (Portland[?] Canal) {Max Elsie Henry Will Arthur Herbert}."
Large crowd gathered on the street in downtown Prince Rupert around a lavishly decorated arch which reads "Come One Let 'Em All Come Come All. Welcome to Prince Rupert." Annotation on recto reads: "Arch Prince Rupert, BC. Dominion Day Celebration 1909. Allen Photo."
Photograph of several floats parading down Second Avenue in Prince Rupert. A large crowd is gathered. Annotation on recto reads: "Photo by MacRae Bros Prince Rupert BC Prince Rupert B."
Photograph of the Prince Rupert wharf. A small vessel is docked, and a large tree is in the foreground. Annotation on recto reads: "Prince Rupert Wharf & Harbor. Allen Photo."
Photograph of a stone monument atop a small hill on a forested shoreline. Annotation on recto reads: "Alexander Mackenzie Monument, Dean Channel, Near Ocean Falls, BC."
Photograph of a long bridge spanning two rock faces. A small settlement is visible on the lower right.
Series consists of journals, draft manuscripts, correspondence, CMS documents and orders, speeches, sermons all written by or to Archdeacon W. H. Collison. Series also contains correspondence to W.E. Collison and Joyce Collison, genealogical information on the Collison family, newspaper clippings and a school paper written by Archdeacon Collison's grandaughter Katy.
Small booklet containing handwritten notes of what appears to be a speech prepared by W.H. Collison on the topic of traditions and events he had been witness to along the northwest coast of British Columbia.
Notebook contains two stories: "The Finding of the Crystals" and "Tit for Tat or The Porcupine and the Beaver". These stories are also found in the Collison manuscript.
Notebook contains Collison's recollections of local history as he heard it, and of the events he encountered during some of his time in ministry.
File contains article on life and death of Marion Collison and an excerpt from an editorial by Joyce Collison in BC Bookworld (1996) regarding the need to write the biography of Marion Collison.
File contains a prize-winning essay handwritten by Katy Collison, granddaughter of W.H. Collison, and daughter of W.E. Collison regarding the Confederation of Canada.
File contains a family tree created in 1986 which shows the Collison family tree from John Collison (ca. 1820) to the birth of the great-grandchildren of W.H. Collison (ca. 1980’s); as well as, brief handwritten notes created by Joyce Collison on the lives of her father and grandfather.
The Languages of the Pacific. J. MacMillan Brown. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1920.
Newspaper consists of the recto and verso of 2 pages (p. 1-4). It was published in Aiyansh on the Nass River in British Columbia in April 1895 and presents a missionary's perspective of regional First Nations traditions and current affairs of the day.
The Whale House of the Chilkat. George T. Emmons. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. XIX, Part I. New York: 1916.
Religion and Family Among the Haidas (Queen Charlotte Islands). Rev. Charles Harrison. London: Harrison and Sons, 1891.
The Man’s Knife Among the North American Indians: A study in the collections of the U.S. National Museum. Otis Tufton Mason. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1899.