This fonds contains assorted material likely collected after 1983 and up until 2019 by the Museum that can not be reliably attributed to the Doras Kirk Collection fonds. In 2017 the Museum was reorganized as the Denman Museum and Archives run by the Museum and Archives Committee of the Denman Seniors and Museum Society. Up until 2017 there was no organized or documented archives.
PIONEERS sous fonds – 1885-1989 – 1 book, 1 CD, 15 cassettes, various photos, and 1 photo album and 4 short papers
This sous fonds contains seven items.
(A. 18.32) – Loc.A-F-4 – Pioneer Photos is a CD of photos of Denman pioneers, principally of the Graham and McMillan families.
(A.18.58) – Loc.A-F-4 – Bible – Alf Randall is a small (10×15 cm.) bible owned by Alf Randall, inscribed by him in 1913 given to him by his mother. Alf Randall owned Lone Pine Farm on Northwest Road.
The bible appears to have been given to the museum by Joanne Foster of Comox.
(A.18.60) – Loc.A-F-2 – Three Corners Photos are 2 original photos (15×22 cm.) of three corners or Wilson’s corner (Northwest and Lake) probably from before WWII. This was the Baikie farm. The logging railroad crossing sign is still visible. The photos came from Jean (Baikie) Feely.
(A.18.61) – Loc.A-H-10 – Logging Photos are 5 photos of varying sizes (10×15 cm. to 20×25 cm.) of logging on Denman in the early 20th century. One of the photos is original, the others are reprints from the Prov. Archives. Some are of logging at Henry Bay with Frank and Eddie Stewart, Jobe Daye, George Wood, Joe Fitzgerald, Howard McFarlan, Stanley Piercy, Albert Graham, Mrs. Albert Graham, Mrs. Monty Wade, Irene Roe, Swede Hansen, Jimmie Graham, Jack Wood, Johnny McKenzie (ex-mayor of Courtenay), George Cliff, Mac Donald, Nick Baylow. Most of these names are on the back of a photo of the first donkey engine on Denman in 1912.
(A.18.79), 84.3.2 – Loc.A-B-1 – John and Margery Corrigall Album is a photo album (25×30 cт.) of 18pp. containing both original and reproduced photos of Denman pioneers from 1885 to 1918. Many have titles with individuals identified. There are some missing photos. There are one and a half pages of historical notes at the end of the album.
The album was donated to the museum by John and Margery Corrigall and the pictures were sent to them by Stan Dean, one time storekeeper on Denman.
The album was originally accessioned to the museum as 84.3.2.
(A. 18.90) – Loc.tape box on shelf – Audio Interviews are 15 cassette tapes of interviews made between 1987 and 1996 with Walter Millard, Penny Burd, Celina Piercy, Jim Kirk, Marcus Isbister, Betty Schmidt on logging, the school, farming, and recollections in general. Memories go back to the 1920’s. Some of the tapes have somewhat poor audio quality.
(A.18.99) – Loc.photo box – John Kennedy photo is an original photo from about 1900 (20×25 cm. mounted) of John Kennedy of Apple Hill Ont. It is assumed he lived on Denman.
(A.18.116) – Loc.A-H-10 – Photo – Eddie Graham is one 20×25 cm. colour photo of Eddie Graham in 1960 on a tractor behind the general store where the school is now.
The photo came from John Kirk.
(A. 19.17) – Loc.A-H-9 – “An Angler’s Paradise – Sportfishing and Settler Society” 1860’s – 1920’s is a 21 pp. academic paper by Dianna Pederson recounting the history of Dr. F. Lindsay- Dickson’s passion for sportfishing on Vancouver Island. Included are 13 photos.
(A.20.3) – Loc.A-H-9 – Lacon Cabin History is 3 photocopied pages on the history of the Cyril Lacon cabin on Chrisman Road written by the current owners.
(A.20.4) – Loc.A-H-9 – Hadley’s Cabins History is 4 photocopied pages on the history of Hadley’s cabins in Lacon Road incl. marriage cert., photos, pioneer medallion and notes.
(A.20.23) – Loc.A-H-9 – Beadnell – Fillongly photos is 4 photos (20×25 cm. copies) of people at the Beadnell place (1920’s – 40’s) and 10 original photos (10×15 cm.) of Fillongly property and bowling greens (1930’s – 40’s).
These were donated by Linda Schmidt from her mother Betty’s collection
(A.22.09) – Loc. A-H-11 – First Encounters – 1970’s Back to the Land in Cape Breton, Hornby, Denman, and Lasquiti Islands by Sharon Weaver is a 30 pp. Phd. Paper for the Univ. of Guelph in 2010 comparing the back to the land movement in Nova Scotia and B.C.
(A.19.20) – Loc.A-H-22 – What Do You Remember? By Jane Lighthall is 3 page bound (laced) document of 3 accounts of meeting 3 different potters on Denman in the 70s and 80s. Bev Severn, Gordon Hutchens and Bentley LeBaron.
(A.23.21) – Loc. A-H-21 – Bell-Irving Family photos is 34 photocopies of photos of the Bell- Irving family and the farm on Denman Road 1910s and 20s. Originals with Graeme Johnson.
(A.24.16) – Loc.A-H-22 – Photo – Winnie Isbister and Organ is an 8×10 colour photo of Winnie Isbister playing the United Church organ which is now in the museum. Photo probably from the 1970’s. Winnie played the organ at the church from 1950 – 1973. See p. 77 “My Ain Folk” Donated by the McKinnon family.
(A.24.08) – Loc.A-H-21 – Lace Club – Neil is 11pp. in 2 documents incl. 5 b/w photos + negs. + 2 slides. Both letter size docs. On bobbins and lace making were written by Denise Neil. Some photos are of Mrs. McRae, member of the Denman Isl. Lace Club. This material was a transfer from the Courtenay Museum and Archives with the copyright to the images. See also (A.18.33.30) and (A.18.11.10)
ART sous fonds – 1954 – 1970’s – one silkscreen print, 3 watercolour paintings
(A.18.59) – Loc.A-F-5 – Denman’s Gate is a silkscreen print, matted to 40 × 50 cm. of the old Denman Dock and ferry hill. The museum copy is #6 of 33. The signature is unreadable.
(A.18.113) – Loc.A-H-9 – Watercolour Paintings are 3 watercolours made by Will Stone of Denman Island in 1954 and 1956. The titles are “Denman Village”, Village Point”, and “Oyster Beach” . They are 25 x 30 cm. (A.19.02) – LoC.A-H-9 – “Studio III North” is a 12 pp. 25×30 cm. catalogue for a series of workshops on art, photography, sculpture etc. held at Studio III on Denman May – Dec 1987. Instructors were Jock Hildebrand, Karen Lavoie, Ned Harrington.
PHOTOS sous fonds – 1994 – 6 photos and one calender
(A. 18.86) – Loc.A-F-2 – False Killer Whale is a 27 x 42 cm. sheet with five 9×12 cm. colour photos attached of a false killer whale which was stranded on the beach on the east side of Denman. It appears the photos may have been taken sometime in the 1990’s.
(A.22.12) – Loc.A-H-11 – Calender 2006 is a 2006 calender with photos of historic scenes on Denman island produced by the Marine Stewards (ADIMS)
Note: The archives holds over 600 photos in various fonds and sous fonds. There is an index of all these photos in the archives with descriptions and locations available.
MUSIC sous fonds – 1996 – 1 cassette tape
(A. 18.115) – Cassette tape tray – “A Song at Twilight” is a 90 min. tape of 17th – 19th cent. songs & arias performed by Roberts DeDoming, soprano and John Harned, piano. Recorded in 1996 on Denman at Olafson’s Studio by Victor Sylvan
(A.23.22.a,b,c,d,e) – Loc. CD box – Music from Denman Island is 5 Cds by Denman musicians a. various artists, Occupied Denman; b. Kevin Mitchell, Turn Around; c. Randy Duncan, The Bonnie Baker Show; d. Del Phillips, Gentle Molecules; e. Conrad Campbell and the Heavy Haulers, Hellbound and Honky Tonkin’. All released between 2019 and 2021. Donated by Tony Gregson.
(A.24.06) – Loc. CD box – Harmonia Mundi choir “The Fairest Isle” is a CD of vocal folk music directed by Roberta DeDoming with piano accomnyiament by John Harned made in 1994. Donated by Margie Gang.
EVENTS sous fonds – April 2017 – 4 ephemera (posters)
(A.18.104) – Loc.A-F-5 – “Looking Back” posters is a series of 4 different posters produced for the screening of the video “Looking Back”, a 50 min. documentary of interviews with Denman
residents remembering life on Denman in the 1920’s to the 1950’s. The video was made by Claire King and Stewart Goodings in 2017. The posters were designed and printed by Pat Kelly.
The posters are 30 x42 cm. with colour. (A. 22.10) — Loc.A-F-4 – Denman Island Home and Garden Tour 2013 is one DVD of photos of the 2013 Home and Garden Tour taken by Andrew Fyson.
GEOGRAPHY sous fonds – est. 1960’s – 0.2 cm. textual records
(A. 19.09) – Loc.A-H-9 – Denman Geography is a 5 page letter size Gestetner copy of a physical description of Denman Island in the 1960s.
It came in a donation from Joan Wines with A.19.08. and may be a school project.
ORAL HISTORY sous fonds – 1995 – present – 20 hours of audio and video recordings
(A.23.3.a-o) – Loc. Computer hard drive – Oral History 1970s is a series of video and audio interviews with Denman Island residents who reside on Denman in the 1970s. Many were counterculture newcomers to Denman. Some grew up on Denman and were children of old Denman families. They talk of life on Denman in the 1970s and beyond, a time of changing cultural values. The interviews range from half an hour to one hour. The interviews were conducted 2019 to 2021.
a. Juan Barker – video
b. Patti Willis – video
c. Des Kennedy – video
d. Sandy Kennedy – video
e. David Fairburn – video
f. Leslie Dunsmore – video
g. Yoshi & Susan-Marie Yoshihara – audio
h. Graeme Isbister – video
i. John Isbister – video
j. John Kirk- video
k. Charlie Tait – video
l. Dorrie Woodward – video
m. Gordon Huchens – video
n. Reita Bloomfield – video
o. Marjo van Tooren – video
There are also 6 videos of edited material from the above interviews exploring various topics.
a. Arrival b. Culture Clash
c. Pleasures and Changes
d. Making a Living
e. Life on Denman
f. Theatre and Crafts
(A.23.4) – Loc. about logging on Denman 1920s to 1960s. – Oral History logging is an audio interview with Pat Veness in 2020
(A.23.5.a- ) – Loc. -Oral History 1996 is a series of audio interviews on cassette with older Denman residents reminiscing about life in Denman from the 1920s to the 1980s.
