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: “Q.C. Is.”
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: “Shaman’s grave”.
Photograph depicts close-up of unidentified skeletal remains situated on the ground. Handwritten annotation in pen on verso reads: “skeleton fallen from burial box at Masset QCIs. Remains were buried near original site”.
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: “Shaman’s grave nr. --Masset QCIs.”
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.
Young boy stands among bushes in snow, totel pole in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: “WE Collison Totem on QCIsl."
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.
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."
Photograph depicts many crest poles in front of wooden homes. An unidentified family can be seen sitting by house in centre. Wood pile and path in foreground.
Handwritten annotation on image reads: "Masset Queen Charlotte's Islands, Crest Poles / Masset with Totems."; on verso: "Chap. XIII. No. 1 This photo to be copied as an illustration on 1st page or I Chapt. 'Section of Massett, Haida Encampment showing Totems. Queen Charlotte's Islands.' For heading of page 2 of Trophies."
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of a line of houses. Blanketed canoes sit on beach in right foreground; forest in background.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: “skidegate village Queen Charlotte Islands as it appeared forty years ago"; "Rev W.E. Collison Prince Rupert"; "Hughes"; "1".
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of a line of houses. Blanketed canoes sit on beach in right foreground; forest in background.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: “Haida Encampment [crossed through with line]"; "Skidegate Queen Charlottes Islands / To illustrate Introduction / Introduction Trophies from a Song [Trail?] Page 1 Heading."
Group of eight men wearing suits and ties pose with Reverend Collison (oldest son of Marion & Archdeacon W.H. Collison).
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: “Rev. W. E. Collison & his Lay Readers at Massett, Q.C.Is.”
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.
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."
Rev. W.E. Collison sits to left of totem pole, smoking a pipe (oldest son of Marion and Archdeacon W.H. Collison). Log fence can be seen in front of forest in right background.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: “W.E. Collison at Massett, QCIs."; "Dad beside totem pole".
The pair sits on ground beside large totem pole, Bertha on left (wife of W.E. Collison). Log fence can be seen in front of forest in right background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: “Mother & Josie Edenshaw at Massett".
Photograph depicts a snow covered cemetery with gravestones, tombstones, and monuments.
Photograph depicts a dock and building near the water. A few buildings are being constructed on some newly cleared land nearby.
Photograph depicts two tall totem poles, buildings and mountain in the background.
Photograph depicts village buildings along shore.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "67 Section of Massett as it is".
Large bear carving sits on top of wide pole, erected in memory of a chief of the Bear crest. Lines of houses stand in background.
Printed below image: "Totem Pole. Old Massett. Q.C.I / J.D. Allen photo Co."; handwritten below: "Mortuary Pole Bear [Crest?]"; on verso: "For Chapt. XIX. The old style and the new. Mortuary Pole & modern houses. No. 3. W.H.C. Oct. [6/ ?] 13".
Photograph depicts village buildings along shore.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Massett in Winter dress."
Three unidentified men stand by poles in foreground, wood houses and crest poles visible in background.
Printed below image: "Totem Poles, Massett, Q.C. Island, B.C. "; "T.N. Hibbon & Co., Victoria, B.C. [crossed through with ink]"; handwritten below: "The old style giving way to the new."
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of wooden houses on right. Hills on shoreline visible in background.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: "West Coast QCIs."; "[Old?] Kassan Alaska."
This unpublished manuscript, authored by W.H. Collison and handwritten by Joyce Collison, comprises 29 identifiable chapters. Content of this manuscript appears to be focused upon the retelling of First Nations stories. The donor identified that this manuscript was intended for publication but was never completed.
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).
File consists of documents recording the founding, funding, explorations, and investments of the pioneering Queen Charlotte Islands General Development Company, Ltd. (London, England). Includes approximately 150 pages of manuscript and the following items of interest:
- "Memorandum and Articles of Association, London, 1911
- Notice of First General Meeting, 1912
- First and later minutes of meetings in Victoria, BC and elsewhere
- Extensive correspondence with their representatives in the Queen Charlotte Islands including mining surveyors
- Reports from Queen Charlotte Islands from their representatives at Cumshewa, Skidegate, and Alliford Bay
- Records regarding all aspects of financing the company
Most of the items date from 1912-1913, providing a very detailed account of the founding and aspirations of the company, and revealing the difficulties in doing business in the remote Queen Charlotte Islands. Also notably includes correspondence and reports from Henry Collison.
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.
Photograph depicts large church in fenced area, mission house visible behind trees in background.
Printed on image: "The Church. Old Massett. Q.C.I. / J.D. Allen. Photo. C."
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of forest trees, fallen logs on beach in foreground.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Indian Totems along beach on Q.C. Islands"
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of remains of wood structures, forest visible in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "A deserted Village, Q.C. Islands [...]" (various notes crossed through on verso).
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of remains of wood structures built along sandy shore. View from above, forest on hill in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "[? illegible] Deserted village West Coast QCIs."
Photograph depicts narrow valley between steep cliffs.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "on left Vertical side of old Indian fort at Nagas W. Coast Q.C.I".
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.
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."
Carvings sit among bushes in front of what appears to be a totem pole.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Eagle & whale Monument Tanu".
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of a line of houses. Sandy beach in foreground, forest on hill in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Kai sun W. Coast Q.C.I."
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”.
Totem poles (crest poles?) stand in front of wood building, hills visible in background.
Handwritten annotation on verso reads: "Poles on QC Isl."
File contains linguistic notes prepared by W.H. Collison and sermons written by W.H. Collison in various First Nations languages.
Photographs depict large building in fenced area, trees in yard and in background.
Handwritten annotations on verso read: "Mission House at Massett QCIs"; "Mission House at Massett - Mother & Dad lived there."
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 predominantly consists of correspondence to Rev. W.H. Collison from the Church Missionary Society. However, some letters in this file are also from individual parishioners, fellow clergymen, Massett councillors, and the American Geographical Society.
Maps within this series document the placer streams, islands and harbours of the Queen Charlotte Islands; as well as the mining properties located within the vicinity of Stewart, BC.
A bentwood box sitting on a pedestal in front of a bookcase in the office of W.E. Collison. Handwritten annotation in pencil on verso reads: “Carved ‘hope chest’ sent to New York. The box was carved by -- Luke Watson Skidegate. The photo was taken in the office – not bad for a --”
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: “43-3”
Unidentified carved and painted wooden object. Stamped annotation on verso reads: “Department of Mines and Resources, Photographic Section. Oct. 6, 1939”. Numeric annotation on verso: “46-5”