By Andrew R. Sandfort-Marchese on January 17, 2025
The history of Chinese sailors in Canada’s reveals a complex web of resilience, discrimination, and global interconnectedness. From the galleys of trans-Pacific steamships to the corridors of Ottawa, Chinese above and below deck were pivotal in the evolution of Canadian shipping, especially through 1880-1950. Often relegated to the most arduous and undervalued positions, they formed tight-knit communities, facilitated global trade, and faced systemic racism both onboard and ashore. This narrative ties their struggles and contributions to broader global trends, highlighting Vancouver as a critical hub in the network of Chinese seafarers across the British Empire and beyond.
Posted in British Chinese History, canadian pacific railway, Chinese American History, Chinese Canadian History, Chung, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, CPR, Exhibitions, Frontpage Exhibition, Highlights, Immigration and Settlement, Labour History, Maritime History, Research and learning, Sailors, Seamen, Trans-Pacific | Read More | No Comments
By Andrew R. Sandfort-Marchese on January 3, 2025
Journey with the opulent Empress of Britain in 1932, where New Year’s Day was celebrated with a lavish ten-course feast near the pyramids of Egypt. Explore this culinary journey through the Chung and Lind Collections at UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections.
Posted in 1932, canadian pacific railway, Chung, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, CPR, Empress of Britain, Exhibitions, food, Frontpage Exhibition, Highlights, menus, New Years, Pamphlets, Posters, World Tour | Read More | No Comments
By Emily Witherow on December 21, 2024
This blog post is part of RBSC’s new series spotlighting items in the Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection and the Wallace B. and Madeline H. Chung Collection.
Posted in canadian pacific railway, Chung, chung collection, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, CPR, EarlyBC, Exhibitions, Frontpage Exhibition, Immigration and Settlement, Klondike Gold Rush, Lind, Lind Collection, Research and learning | Read More | No Comments
By Andrew R. Sandfort-Marchese on December 7, 2024
This Part 2 blog continues the exploration of a single letter from the Chung Collection, from small-town Saskatchewan to transnational impact in Seattle, exploring how objects and spaces hold stories of resilience, migration, and history.
Posted in BC Coast Steamships, Chinatowns, Chinese American History, Chinese Canadian History, Chung, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, Correspondence, Exhibitions, Frontpage Exhibition, Guangdong, Highlights, History, Hotels, Immigration, Immigration and Settlement, letters, Mar Dong, Photos, Research and learning, Restaurants, Saskatchewan, Seattle, vancouver, Victoria | Read More | No Comments
By Emily Witherow on November 29, 2024
By 1918, the world had all but forgotten the Klondike, but on October 25th of that year the tragic sinking of the CPR steamer SS Princess Sophia in the Lynn Canal, causing the deaths of all 343 of her passengers, shocked the world and reminded BC residents of the shrinking mining communities across the Yukon and Alaska.
Posted in BC Coast Steamships, canadian pacific railway, Carousel, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, Dawson City, Exhibitions, Frontpage Exhibition, Lind, Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection, Seattle, SS Princess Sophia, vancouver, Victoria | Read More | No Comments
By Andrew R. Sandfort-Marchese on November 22, 2024
Loo Gee Wing (1861–1923) was one of the most influential Chinese Canadian figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, yet his name is scarcely recognized today. Despite his savvy business successes, Loo’s later years were marked by community disputes, financial woes, and legal battles. His once-vast estate dwindled, and his story faded from public memory. Yet, his buildings, like the Sun Ah Hotel and Chinese Theatre, remain landmarks of Vancouver Chinatown, and his legacy as a pioneer and community builder endures.
Posted in Businesses, Chinese Canadian History, Chung, chung collection, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, Early Vancouver, Early Victoria, EarlyBC, Exhibitions, Family History, Frontpage Exhibition, History, Immigration and Settlement, Kwong Lee Co., Leon Loo, Loo Gee Wing, Photos, Research and learning | Read More | No Comments
By Emily Witherow on November 15, 2024
This blog post is part of RBSC’s new series spotlighting items in the Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection and the Wallace B. and Madeline H. Chung Collection. When Phil Lind’s grandfather, John (Johnny) Grieve Lind, arrived in what was then part of the Northwest Territories in June 1894, he first traveled to a mining […]
Posted in Carousel, Chung Lind Gallery, Collections, Exhibitions, History, Klondike Gold Rush, Lind, mining, Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection, Research and learning | Read More | No Comments