Carved wooden mask of a mythic creature whose mouth is in the shape of an ‘o’. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “33-2”
Mask created from leather or metal, featuring eyeholes and a mouth hole as well as holes pierced around the perimeter of the mask itself. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “45-5”
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”
"The Haidas of British Columbia" - Chapter IX from an unidentified book, pages 221-263. (ca. 1933)
Photograph depicts a flock of birds at beach, water and shoreline in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: “North Beach Massett QCIs."
The Modern Growth of the Totem Pole on the Northwest Coast. Marius Barbeau. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1940. Signed by author, gift to W.E. Collison.
The pair stands on beach, Joyce leaning down in foreground (daughter of Bertha and Reverend W.E. Collison, and granddaughter of Marion and Archdeacon W.H. Collison). Water and shoreline in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: “Joyce & Col. [Pragnell?] on North Beach QCIs (Old Massett)."
"Asiatic Survivals in Indian Songs" Dr. Marius Barbeau. Reprinted from The Scientific Monthly, April 1942, Vol. LIV, pages 303-307. Signed by author, gift to Rev. Collison.
Bertha Collison stands on lawn in front of house (wife of Rev. W.E. Collison).
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Mother / Prince Rupert".
Totem Lore. W. Nicholson. (souvenir pamphlet, ca. 1950)
The Washington Archaeologist Vol. III, No. 12, December 1959 (newsletter)
Series contains publications on the following subjects: linguistics, First Nations studies, anthropology, museum studies, the Missionary Society of the Church of England, the Metlakatla Inquiry, material culture and Canadian geography. It is believed that items published prior to 1922 had been collected by the Archdeacon W.H. Collison, while those published post 1922 (the year W.H. Collison passed away) were collected by both his son W.E. Collison and then his grandaughter Joyce Collison.
Haida Totems in Wood and Argillite. S.W.A. Gunn. Vancouver: J.J. Douglas, 1967.
File contains letter to Miss Collison from Dr. Robert Sayson, UBC Department of Medicine regarding the post mortem study conducted on her sister Muriel (11 Oct. 1988); program from the Celebration of Life held for Miss Collison on 29 April 2006; an obituary re: the life and death of Miss Collison; and a newspaper article regarding the sale of W.E. Collison’s First Nations art collection to the UBC Museum of Anthropology by his daughters Joyce and Muriel in 1960.
The Archdeacon W.H. Collison fonds consists of textual materials, maps, published materials and photographs all documenting Collison’s life and work with North Coastal First Nations communities in British Columbia. Types of records found within this fonds include manuscripts, sermon notes, correspondence, oral history summaries, monographs, cartographic items, photographs and postcards. The Collison fonds also includes some records created by his children and grandchildren as well as a family tree created in 1986. The Collison fonds has been divided into four series.
Collison, W.H. (Archdeacon)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.
This file contains handwritten and typed notes and drafts of First Nations legends, addresses and manuscripts. It is believed this material was authored by W.H. and W.E. Collison although none is signed or dated.
File contains listing of items donated by Rose Margaret Davies to the Ridley Home Archives in 2008 that documented accomplishments of Margaret West; handwritten notes regarding place names along the North Pacific Coast and one page from an issue of the Monthly Reporter, No. 9, September 1873 published by the Church Missionary Society.
File consists of a blank notecard featuring colour aerial photograph of Metlakatla, B.C. Photograper: Eugene Mah.
File contains obituaries for Collison as well as for his son Henry Alexander (H.A.) and granddaughter Katherine Clarke (nee Collison); various articles re: Collison’s many accomplishments; a letter of condolence from Councillors of the Haida Nation on the occasion of his death, a program from Collison’s memorial service at Metlakatla, and a typed biography.
File contains an article identified as having been written by W.E. Collison on the topic of the development of First Nations peoples along the North Pacific Coast.
File contains articles and obituaries regarding the life and death of W.E. Collison, as well as a letter of condolence from T.D. Patullo to Bertha Collison. Also contained within this file is an attestation to the baptism of Bertha Davies on 26 January 1897 in Devon, England and a certified handwritten copy of the marriage register entry for the marriage of W.E. Collison and Bertha Davies in Metlakatla on 8 June 1900.
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.