Photograph of several commercial and residential buildings, including the church and "The Big Furniture Store." Annotation on recto reads: "Prince Rupert. BC Allen Photo July '11." Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Early day- Prince Rupert."
Photo of the Prince Rupert harbour. Many buildings are visible along the shoreline. Annotation on recto reads: "Harbour, Prince Rupert, BC. 1658."
Photo of the Prince Rupert harbour. Many buildings are visible along the shoreline. Annotation on recto reads: "Harbour, Prince Rupert BC. 1658." Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Early Prince Rupert. Good view of Metlakatla Passage in distance- showery[?] Wolf Island."
Hills on opposite shore in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Early steamship off mouth of Nass River".
Photograph depicts town buildings on opposite shore. Beach and dock can be seen in foreground.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Chapter XXII, No 1. Eastern Section of Port Simpson as christianized."
Photograph depicts a large totem pole next to groomed dirt paths. Power poles and river visible in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Edenshaw pole in park at Prince Rupert."
Forest and hills on opposite shore in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "A very old Tsimpsion women - said to be over 110 yrs old."
Four women sit in foreground at a porch partially covered with foliage.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: "Honoured elders of porch of Mission House at Kincolith, Nass River"; "sun set or legend of the past".
Photograph depicts a totem pole supported by smaller poles, and a second totem pole standing straight in background. Beach in foreground, fence and hills in distance.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Falling greatness, Chapt. XXI No. 5, A Chief's Totem Pole inclined to fall. [Gitaix?] Encampment, Nass River. Five illustration for Chapt. XXI."
Large ladles used during potlaches to serve guests food from the feast dish; Carved wooden harpoon heads used for hunting large sea mammals and one unidentified item with a triangular shape and flat top. 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: “50-1”
Photograph depicts buildings on shore in background, hills visible in distance.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "1st canyon Nass River".
Photograph depicts a man and woman standing on steps to a round tower in fenced area. Roofs of other buildings can be seen below on right; water and shore visible in background.
Printed on image: "Indian Jail, Metlatkla".
Rocky shoreline featuring a small dwelling, totem pole, net rack, canoes pulled up to shore, barrels and boxes and a tent.
Handwritten annotation in pencil on verso reads: “Kunhalas [sic] at entrance to C--- Harbour”.
Head on shot of steam engine traveling through a pass with mountains in the background. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: "First Passenger Engine to reach Prince Rupert." Annotation on recto reads: "First Passenger Engine at Prince Rupert." Photographer' stamp in bottom right corner of recto reads : "Allen Photo."
Pile driver situated on Prince Rupert shoreline. Tents and wooden buildings visible on rocky background. Printed annotations on recto of photograph read: "First pile driven at Prince Rupert BC. June 8 '06."
Photograph of a mustachioed man perched atop a cart load of lumber hitched to a team of horses. Annotation on recto reads: "First Team Hitched Up at Prince Rupert May 1908."
Photograph of a large crowd gathered in front of a Grand Trunk Pacific train. Residential buildings atop a hill are visible in the background. Annotation on recto reads: "First Train Leaving Prince Rupert June 14 1911"
Tugboat appears to be towing a long line of small boats.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Fishing fleet coming home Nass River B.C."
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Nass River canyon at flood water". A building is visible on shore in distance, and mountains can be seen in background.
Carved wooden flute. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “33-6”
Photograph depicts a tomb elevated over grassy area.
Handwritten annotation on image reads: "26. Front of Indian tomb."; on verso: "Upper Nass River."
Photograph depicts a group of men, women, and children walking across beach towards water. Buildings visible on shore in left background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Funeral party - en route to boat Metlakatla BC (Taking body over to Grave Island".
Photograph depicts 8 men posing in suits and ties, and a young girl, Ruth Adams, holding trophy seated in foreground. The group is gathered in open field, large building and hills visible in distance. Man on far right stands in uniform.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Gitlakdamix Village Council 1923. [Charlie Morven] Chairman. / Geo. Manase. / John Davis. / Dennis Woods. / Andrew Nass. / James Adams. Secretary. / Frank Blackwing. Chief Constable. / Walter McMillan (Nass). Constable."
The group poses in front of a wood door, ivy on either side.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "The family at Kincolith - Summer House, 1916 / Back Row L-R: Art Macdonald, Bill Collison, Reg Collison, Jack [John] Macdonald / Front L-R: Katie Collison with Don Collison, Marion Collison, Joyce Collison, Muriel (Mimi) Collison with Colin Macdonald, Hugh Macdonald".
The group poses in front of a wood door, ivy on either side.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Family group at Kincolith 1917 / Mimi [Muriel] with Colin, Bill, Katie, Jack / Art, Reg / Winnie [Marion Winnifred], Hugh, Joyce, Don".
Greeting card reads: "Kincolith Church. Wishing you all a very happy Xmas. Your work shall be rewarded. II Chron. XV. 7. [illegible initials]".
Group of eight men and seven children stand in front of crest pole on unidentified building.
Handwritten annotation below image reads: "[..?] Alaska. Indian Totem Pole, Eagle Crest South Eastern Alaska."; on verso: "Chapter XXI Illustrations No. 2. [Kinnanook?] Section of Indian Village showing Totem pole of Eagle crest."
Photograph of a partially sunken sailboat near a harbour. Individuals on debris and in a rowboat are surveying the damage. Annotation on recto reads: "GTP. SS Prince Rupert Sept 28th 1920 McRae." Handwritten annotation on verso reads "CTP "Prince Rupert" Sunk at Prince Rupert BC 1920."
Photograph depicts Henry Alexander, son of Marion and Archdeacon W.H. Collison, leaning on walking stick on top of rocky hill. Mountains in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Henry Collison on prospecting trip. Portland Canal."
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.
Photograph depicts an unidentified individual leaning against a large overturned dugout canoe; barrel, bucket, and wood planks in foreground. Houses and other buildings can be seen on shore above beach, and two unidentified individuals stand in distance on far right.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: “Haida canoe on beach at Masset / ? 1898”; “No. 4 Page 5. Haida Canoe ready for steaming to [widen?] out and finish.”
An original negative of this photograph is held by the Canadian Museum of Civilization, no. 26664.
Haida Grammar. Reverend C. Harrison. From the Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada. Volume I, Section II: 1895.
The couple walks arm in arm along dirt path in grass, buildings visible in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph reads: "Joshua [Moody?] & Wife / ? Masset B.C."
Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph reads: "No. 54. Old tombs & totems. / to Haida graves Massett".
Two tombs stand in foreground, each consisting of a horizontal box held by two hollow posts sunk in the ground.
Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph reads: "Tombs. ? Massett".
Caption under printed version of photo in W.H. Collison's book 'In the Wake of the War Canoe': "At Masset, Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C. The side-posts are solid and sunk in the ground. The horizontal piece is hollow, and contains the corpse. These tombs are now falling through decay." (see page 216).
Haida Totems in Wood and Argillite. S.W.A. Gunn. Vancouver: J.J. Douglas, 1967.
Conical woven hat with a flat top and circular brim. Shells sewn to hat.
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: “50-2”
Photographs depict groups of men gathered on ice. Herbert leans over behind two friends seated on ice sled (son of Marion and Archdeacon W.H. Collison). Pile of caught fish can be seen in foreground behind large whole in ice.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: "Oolichan Fishing Fishing Bay Nass River"; "Uncle Herbert with Indian friends fishing for oolichan through the ice."
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "High water on the Nass River". Tree branches in foreground, forest and mountain visible on shore in background.
Photograph depicts Bertha Collison standing with daughter on front steps of large house.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Our house at Prince Rupert (Just completed) 1912".
Photograph depicts Bertha Collison standing with daughters Katherine and Muriel on front steps of large house. Boardwalk in foreground.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Our house at Prince Rupert 1912 (Just completed).
Photograph has been altered with drawings of people on shore fighting canoes approaching the town. Buildings stand behind fenced and walled areas in background.
Handwritten annotation below image reads: "Drawing by F.A., old Hudson B. [...?]"; on verso: "27. To head Chapter III. No. 2. Tsimshians and Haidas fighting on shore at Fort Simpson."
File includes "In the Wake of the War Canoe" Chapter XX revisions and a note from donor Jean Whiffin on behalf of Joyce Collison regarding the revisions.
W.E. Collison, Indian Agent, shaves by a mirror propped up against a boat at dry dock while RCMP Officer Ackland prepares for the day.
Handwritten annotation in pencil on verso reads: “W.E. Collison Indian Agent, Maj. Ackland RCMP on inspection trip to village in the Babine area."
Indian Notes and Monographs (2 editions):
- Slate Mirrors of the Tsimshian: Indian Notes and Monographs – A series of publications relating to the American Aborigines. George T. Emmons. New York: Museum of the American Indian, 1921. Signed by author as gift to W.E. Collison.
- Jade in British Columbia and Alaska, and its Use by the Natives: Indian Notes and Monographs – A series of publications relating to the American Aborigines. George T. Emmons. New York: Museum of the American Indian, 1923.
Hand coloured photograph of a cemetery in Gitxsan territory. Annotation on recto reads: "Indian Cemetery, Hazelton, BC."
Several large buildings on a rocky shore. Wood piles and a crane are visible in the background. Annotation on recto reads: "Prince Rupert BC"
Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph reads: "W.E. Collison Masset. Interior of Chief [Weah's?] house".
Caption under printed version of photo in W.H. Collison's book 'In the Wake of the War Canoe': "The house is about 40 feet square, forming one large room. The upper cubicles are on a level with the ground, which in front of them is excavated so that the fireplace in the centre is twelve feet below the surface. A ledge, for the use of slaves and dependents, is left half-way down."