Discover Digital Collections

1956 Hungarian Memorial Oral History Project

Oral testimonies honouring the refugees of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

The 1956 Hungarian Memorial Oral History Project celebrates the refugees of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 by digitizing 400 hours of oral testimonies collected by second and third generation Hungarian-Canadians. The interviewees tell their personal stories of their involvement in the 1956 Revolution, their reasons for leaving and means of escape, places they lived en route to Canada, and the course of their lives in Canada. They also describe their ongoing relationship to their culture, language and religious practices, and to the community both in Canada and still in Hungary.

BC BookWorld Author Bank

Profiles of more than 9,000 authors who have written books for, about and from British Columbia.

The B.C Bookworld Author Bank includes short biographies and book review excerpts on writers from British Columbia.

It also provides extensive reference information for books and authors pertaining to British Columbia, including an on-line archive of BC BookWorld, Canada's largest-circulation independent publication about books.

BC Multilingual Photograph Collection

A collection of 1,500 photographs depicting the contributions of immigrants and First Nations people to B.C.

The BC Multilingual Photograph Collection, comprised of 1,500 photographs dating from the late 1890s to 1962, highlights the contributions of immigrants and First Nations people to B.C. It features significant events and activities, such as the development of Vancouver's Chinatown, the Chinese contribution to railroad construction in B.C., East Indians and the Komagata Maru incident, the fishing industry and Japanese Canadians, the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, and the art, lifestyles, and working and living conditions of Indigenous peoples.

Bill Reid Centre Collection

The Bill Reid Centre Collection is a collection of images that records the arts and architecture of the various First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.

The Bill Reid Centre Collection focuses on the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest and their many and varied artistic and material expressions. The records in the collection are images brought together in a vast mosaic of this remarkable tradition. It seeks to promote an appreciation and understanding of the art, culture and history of Northwest Coast First Nations through the use of early explorers' drawings, sketches, paintings and original photography. It is the Centre's hope that this material will aid in the creation of a dialogue between members of First Nation communities, students, scholars, artists and others who wish to explore this unique artistic tradition.

Blair Henshaw HIV AIDS Philatelic Collection

A digitized collection of HIV/AIDS-related stamps, philatelic materials and ephemera collected by Canadian AIDS activist Blair Henshaw.

This collection celebrates the work of Blair Henshaw (1949-2002), stamp collector, AIDS activist, and the man responsible for successfully lobbying the Canadian federal government to issue an HIV/AIDS stamp. It features a selection of the HIV/AIDS stamps and ephemera (first day covers, cinderellas, post cards, and telephone cards) he collected during his lifetime.

British Columbia Fine Printing Digital Images

A collection of digitized publications and ephemera of several B.C. fine/private presses.

Fine/private presses have a distinguished history in British Columbia. Founded in Vancouver in 1946, the Private Press of Robert R. Reid was the first of its kind in Canada. The British Columbia Fine Printing collection contains digitized publications and ephemera of several B.C. fine/private presses. In addition to items from Reid's early career in Vancouver, the collection features works by Takao Tanabe (Periwinkle Press), Jim Rimmer (Pie Tree Press & Type Foundry), Jan & Cripsin Elsted (Barbarian Presss), and many others.

Canada's Early Women Writers

Bio-bibliographical information on more than 470 women who lived in Canada or wrote about Canada, and authored an English-language material published before 1940.

Presents biographical and publication information for more than 470 women who lived in Canada or wrote about Canada, and authored an English-language book or pamphlet of fiction or poetry that was published before 1940. It includes titles of publications and references to archival resources. Directed by Dr. Carole Gerson, this project was supported by SSHRC, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University, with substantial research and editing by Carol McIver, Marjory Lang, Deborah Blacklock, Sandra Even, and Katrina Harack. Copyright is held by Carole Gerson. Notes for researchers | List of authors indexed.

Canadian Farmworkers Union Project

Selected publications, documents, and other significant items from the complete Canadian Farmworkers Union collection.

500+ publications, documents, and other significant items from the complete CFU archival collection held by the SFU Library's Special Collections. The collection includes:

• a selection of photos
• historical audio recordings of early meetings and interviews
• the Farmworker newspaper from 1979-1988 (plus incomplete sets of the India Now and Wangar newspapers)
• CFU briefs to various government ministries and agencies
• an ESL tutor manual and related documents
• agenda packages for the 1st through 11th Annual Conventions
• plus significant ephemeral items.

Cheekungton Collection

A collection of records dating from 1867 to 1956 that focus on the activities of the Chinese Freemasons of Canada, particularly in Victoria and Vancouver.

Founded in Victoria, B.C. in 1876, the Cheekungtong (or Chinese Freemasons) functioned as an unofficial organization to maintain order in the Chinese communities and assist members in need. This collection of records reflects their activities supporting Chinese communities in Canada; the lives and concerns of their members in British Columbia; and their ties with China, spanning approximately from 1876 to 1956. Languages of the material are approximately 90% Chinese and 10% English.

China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development Project

Reports, issue papers, recommendations and more from the CCICED

The Simon Fraser University Library's China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) collection contains over 100 documents since 1993 on the Project's Task Force Reports, Issue Papers, Recommendations and more.

Topics included (but not limited to) are: ecosystem Management and Green Development, Energy, Environmental & Development, China's Sustainable Urbanization, Creation of a Well-Off Society.

Chinese Benevolent Association

Chinese-language documents focusing on the history of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA).

A collection of 55 Chinese-language documents focusing on the history of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA). Founded in 1884, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) was a crucial force in Victoria's immigrant history. The oldest Association of its kind in North America, the CCBA advocated for an inclusive society, and for individual and group rights for people of Chinese origin. The era covered by the documents in this collection (1884 to 1922) was a difficult one for Chinese immigrants, when the completion of the Trans-Canada Railroad in 1885 threw thousands out of work. Documents included in this collection delineate the history of the association, recount its protests against discrimination, and record the history of institutions such as Victoria's Chinese Hospital.

Chung Collection - Chinese Canadian materials

A collection of publications related to Chinese immigration to Canada in the late 19th and early 20th century.

This collection is comprised of publications relating to Chinese immigration to Canada from 1898 to 1910. Included are two phrase books, one published in China in 1898 and another published in Vancouver in 1910, devised for Chinese emigrants to Canada or another British Commonwealth country. Using a combination of English and traditional Chinese, these books provide conversations and vocabulary useful for situations and professions encountered by immigrants in their new countries of residence.

Chung Collection - Japanese Canadian materials

A collection of archival material and publications focusing on Japanese-Canadians in Canada between 1900 and 1939.

This collection brings together archival material and publications that relate to Japanese-Canadians in 20th century Canada prior to WWII. Included are publications created by Japanese-Canadians: a 1939 directory for Japanese persons living in British Columbia, a 1932 pamphlet elucidating the causes of the Sino-Japanese War, and a 1940 pamphlet published by the Canadian Japanese Association with the intent to promote a more inclusive attitude towards Japanese-Canadians. Other material produced by non-Japanese exemplifies the discrimination against the Japanese-Canadian population.

Chung Collection - Scottish Canadian materials

A collection of textual material, images, and maps relating to the settlement of Scottish, English and Irish immigrants in 19th century Canada.

In the years following World War I, the Scottish-born Benedictine priest Roderick Andrew MacDonell (1870-1960) was instrumental in bringing hundreds of families from the Hebrides, England, and Northern Ireland to settle in Ontario and Alberta. Although the descendants of these immigrants are not visible minorities, their heritage has enriched the multicultural history of Canada. This collection consists of textual material (correspondence, diaries, notebooks, and scrapbooks) as well as 153 photographs and 22 maps that date from 1906 to 1986. All material is in English, except for a few items in Scots Gaelic.

Community Health Online Digital Archive Research Resource (CHODARR)

A publicly accessible digital archive of research materials related to health and social welfare, with an emphasis on housing, gender, aboriginal issues, HIV and mental health.

CHODARR stands for Community Health Online Digital Archive and Research Resource which is a publicly accessible virtual library of community-based and government publications. It includes grey literature and research materials related to health and social welfare policy.

The CHODARR archive includes documents that are not normally published by commercial publishers. Most of the materials in the archive are produced by community organizations, community-based researchers, or government agencies, and include (but are not limited to): newsletters, annual reports, research reports, community-based project proposals, informational pamphlets, posters, brochures, artwork, training manuals, conference papers, and government publications.

Doukhobor Collection of James Mavor

A collection of print materials and images focusing on Doukhobor settlement in late 19th - early 20th century Canada.

The Doukhobors, a religous group originating in Ukraine, suffered periodic discrimination by Tsarist authorities. At the end of the 20th century, during a period of intense political persecution, thousands of Doukhobors emigrated to Canada. James Mavor (1854-1925), a political economist, teacher and writer, was instrumental in facilitating the Doukhobor migration. This collection contains printed materials, including pamphlets and articles on the Doukhobors, photographs of Doukhobor settlements in Canada, and Mavor's own notes and reports. Some of the material is in Russian.

Doukhobor Collection of Simon Fraser University

A collection of digitized images, print materials, and ephemera relating to the settlement of the Doukhobors in Canada, primarily in the late 19th and early 20th century.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, thousands of Doukhobors fled religious persecution in their native Ukraine. This collection focuses on their settlement in Canada. It includes a variety of scanned manuscripts, photographs, books and book chapters, journals, magazine articles, financial documents and interviews dating from 1898 to 1975. Many items in Russian are accompanied by complete English-language translations; other items, including publications from the Doukhobor community and photographs with Russian inscriptions, are not translated.

German Canadians

A collection of documents and images focusing on German settlement in Canada, particularly in the province of Alberta.

German-speaking immigrants make up one of the largest immigrant groups in Canadian history. This collection focuses largely on Alberta, where Germans were among the earliest farmers and settlers, and where today over half a million people claim German ancestry. Other materials honour the heritage of German families who moved from Pennsylvania to Upper Canada in 1786. German-language publishing in Canada, which dates as far back as 1788, is also celebrated. The selection of print resources found here is about 50% in German and 50% in English.

Gerontology Collection

Publications by researchers affiliated with the Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre.

This collection of selected digitized publications from the Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre (GRC) is a companion to the SFU Library's Summit Institutional Repository's Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre series of documents and other scholarly research from researchers in the GRC.

Harrison Brown Collection

Photographs from Harrison Brown, a freelance journalist who wrote for several newspapers between the World Wars.

Harrison Brown (1893-1977) was a freelance journalist, writing for The Evening Standard, The New Chronicle, The New Statesman, and the Fortnightly Review between the World Wars. He also worked as a broadcaster for the BBC. Harrison moved to Hornby Island, British Columbia in 1937.

Harrison's widow, Hilary Brown, has donated over 600 of her husband's photographs, taken during an extensive trip through Scandinavia, the USSR, Japan, Korea, and China made in 1936-37. Also included are three photographic field notebooks, two diaries, an unedited manuscript "Trail of a Freelance", and other materials including biographical notes regarding Harrison Brown.

Harrison Brown: the Sian Incident and Beyond

Primary documents on an important event in Chinese history, the Sian Incident.

"Harrison Brown: The Sian Incident and Beyond" is a chronicle of author and journalist Harrison Brown's voyage to China between 1936 and 1937, and the events that unfolded during that time in what has become known as 'The Sian Incident'. The events are presented largely through the eyes of Harrison Brown himself - 'H.B.' as his friends called him - through the journals that he kept during his trip, the photographs he took, and the articles and manuscript that he wrote during and after his journey.

Browse through a collection of 137 of H.B's photos, his 22-chapter manuscript "On the Trail of a Freelance", his original hand-written journal pages, and much more. All of these materials -- along with many others written by and belonging to H.B. - are available for examination in person in the Harrison Brown Collection from the Special Collections department of the Simon Fraser University Library.

Hong Kong Handover Collection

Online print material and images delineating the handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty in 1997.

This extensive collection focuses on the handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty in 1997. Included in the approximately 15,000 pages of digitized content are books, academic papers, original art works, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, ephemeral materials documenting the handover ceremony, photographs, and government documents. With about 60% in English and 40% in Chinese, the digitized items document and reflect the experience of Hong Kong Chinese Canadians.

Indo-Canadian Oral History Collection

A selection of interviews conducted with early Indian immigrants to Canada, almost all of them British Columbians, in 53 audio files.

In the mid to late 1980s, two groups of researchers conducted detailed interviews with early Indo-Canadian settlers in Canada, almost all of them British Columbians. The interviews cover reasons for immigration to Canada and conditions and regulation of their entry into Canada. Interviewees also discuss work and living experiences once in Canada; labour, legal and political issues that affected the immigrants; relations with other racial and ethnic groups; family life and adjustment to Canadian society; and ongoing links to their country of origin. Almost all interviews are in Punjabi, with a few in English and Hindi.

Italian Canadian Collection

A collection of books, newspapers and government documents focusing on the history and culture of Italian-Canadians.

Italians began arriving in Canada as early as the 1400s and in earnest after World War II. This collection of digitized print materials includes books, newspapers and government documents that describe the history and culture of Italians within a multicultural Canada. Most items have been written by Italian-Canadians in English, French and Italian.

Italian Canadian Women Oral History Collection

Interviews collected in the 1970s and 1980s documenting the experiences of Italian women who immigrated to Canada throughout the first three quarters of the twentieth century.

Between 1950 and 1975, over 100,000 Italian women came to Canada as sojourners and settlers. This collection, consisting of approximately 100 hours of interviews, documents the experiences of Italian women who immigrated to Canada at different times throughout the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Approximately 60% of the interviews are in English and 40% are in Italian. See the Italian Canadian Photographs Collection for a selection of archival images from the period.

Italian Canadian Women Photograph Collection

A collection of archival images dating from 1950 to 1975 celebrating the contributions of Italian women immigrants to Canadian history and culture.

In 1948, Canada began accepting family-sponsored Italian immigrants. Between 1950 and 1975, over 100,000 Italian women came as sojourners and settlers to their new country. Hardworking and very family-oriented, these women contributed substantially to community building, economic growth and social stability. This collection contains a selection of archival images from the period. Some items with text are in English, others are in Italian.

Lake District Collection

Selections from first and rare editions of 18th and 19th century English Lake District travel and landscape books.

The Lake District Collection provides access to bibliographic information, annotations, samples of covers, text, and illustrations from first and rare editions of 18th and 19th century English Lake District travel and landscape books. It will eventually grow to include interactive maps, virtual tours, and contextualized links to supporting material.

Multicultural Miscellaneous Collections

Digitized print materials and video relating to multiculturalism and ethnicity generally, as well as to specific ethnic groups within Canada.

This collection contains items such as individual books, pamphlets and video relating to multiculturalism and ethnicity in general and to specific ethnic groups in Canada, including: African, Armenian, Chinese, Croatian, Doukhobor, Dutch, French, Finnish, Japanese, Jewish, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Mennonite, Pakistani, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Ukrainian.

Novels Written in English about Cuba/Cubans/Cuban Americans, 1851-2000: an Annotated Bibliography

Annotated bibliography of Novels Written in English about Cuba/Cubans/Cuban Americans, 1851-2000 by Gene Bridwell.

This bibliography includes all the fiction in English that could be identified as published in the century-and-a-half covered. It excludes children's and young adult fiction (of which there are many, from Anna Maria Barnes' "Marti", 1898, through Anilu Bernardo's "Jumping off to Freedom", 1996). The annotations attempt to give some notion of the plot or action of the book. Annotated bibliography by Gene Bridwell, former Special Collections Librarian at SFU.

SFU Library Editorial Cartoons Collection

Cartoons published in Canadian newspapers.

The Simon Fraser University Library Editorial Cartoons Collection contains over 6000 original drawings published in Canadian newspapers between 1952 and the present.

Cartoonists included are: Bob Bierman, Graham Harrop, Bob Krieger, John Larter, Dan Murphy, Len Norris, Roy Peterson, and Ingrid Rice.

Ukrainian Collection

A collection of digitized print materials documenting the emergence of a Ukrainian-Canadian culture in Canada.

Ukrainians arrived in Canada in large numbers in the years preceding WWI (1891-1914) and WWII (1922-1939), with regular immigration thereafter. Many settled in the prairie provinces, where they were specifically desirable to Canada as farmers experienced in working in a similar environment. This concentration produced an active ethnic and religious environment from which numerous publications emerged. The collection found here includes magazines, newspapers, newsletters, calendar-almanacs and books that document the development of a specifically Ukrainian-Canadian culture. The materials are largely in Ukrainian with some English texts.

Ukrainian Collection of John Luczkiw

A collection of print material published in Canada between 1900 and 1950, which focuses on Ukrainian immigration to Canada.

This collection was assembled by John Luczkiw (1923-1974), a Ukrainian immigrant who arrived in Canada in 1950. It contains material on Ukrainians published in Canada from 1900 to 1950. Much of the material pertains to the first wave (1891-1914) and second wave (1919-1939) of Ukrainian immigration. The collection contains publications of various Ukrainian-language publishing houses and printing presses, including the Socialist press of the inter-war period.

Vancouver Punk Rock Collection

A collection of materials, including posters, images, periodicals and ephemera, documenting the punk movement in Vancouver.

The punk movement went far beyond music or clothes to support and promote various social political causes, such as the environment, women's rights, and opposition to racism. This unique collection is comprised of posters, images, periodicals, various pieces of ephemera, and a genealogy of the punk bands which provide a glimpse into the vibrant Vancouver punk scene.

Victorian Women Writers' Letters Project

Correspondences of early to mid-Victorian British women writers.

The aim of the Victorian Women Writers' Letters Project is to make available through electronic publication the correspondences of early to mid-Victorian British women writers in a form that attempts to capture the multiplexity of epistolary communication.

The Anna Jameson, Harriet Martineau, and their Friends database is the first stage of the project. Anna Brownell Murphy Jameson (1794-1860) and Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) were amongst the most active and influential of the professional women writers of the period; they were involved with many of the reform campaigns and related activities; and they travelled widely. Thus, their social networks--literary and otherwise--were extensive.

Vietnamese Boat People

A collection of oral history interviews that discuss the migration of the Vietnamese "Boat People" to Canada and their adaption to Canadian society.

In 1979 and 1980, 50,000 people from Vietnam, refugees who later became known as the "Boat People," settled in Canada. This collection chronicles the lives, struggles, and achievements of the "Boat People" and those who assisted them. It includes hundreds of hours of oral history interviews conducted by volunteers, community members, and professionals. The interviews cover the topics of migration from Vietnam to Canada and life in both countries, including their adaptation to Canadian society and their links to Vietnamese traditions and religious practices. Approximately 30% of the content is in English and 70% in Vietnamese.

Wayang Kulit Collection of Shadow Puppets

A collection of digitized images and video featuring the culturally and historically-significant wayang kulit shadow puppets of Indonesia.

During the civil unrest of the 1960s, thousands of Indonesians fled their home country to settle in Canada. The wayang kulit shadow puppets of Indonesia, which date back to at least 930 A.D. are an important cultural and artistic legacy. The wayang kulit collection at the Simon Fraser Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology featured here was commissioned and created between 1870 and 1920, and was brought to Canada during the 1960s. This extensive digitized collection is comprised of images of the puppets and video of wayang kulit performances.