Here at the Digitization Centre we are fascinated and excited by the vast amount of primary-source material that our digitization work exposes us to.  Whether a document of historic significance, a beautiful illustration, or even a particularly fine typeface, we are frequently amazed by the materials we’re working to share with the world.  So much so, that not only will we crowd around to ogle a particularly interesting specimen, but we’ve started decorating our workplace with copies of some of our favorites.  But why stop there?  Surely, we can’t be the only ones geeky enough to appreciate such “gems” in our collections, and so we’ve decided to share them here with you.  Below you will find some of our favorites, hand-picked by staff from both existing and upcoming collections.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!  

TIP: To view full resolution versions of the images on any size screen, click to view in Open Collections.


How We Digitize – Revisiting the Berkeley Poster Collection

Posted on Oct 19, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
The Berkeley Poster Collection, housed at the UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections, contains 250 posters created between 1968 to 1973 which document the advocacy and activism of student groups during the Vietnam War era. These posters attest to the tense political climate present in the United States and South East Asia during that […]


Celebrate Autumn

Posted on Oct 12, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
Go, sit upon the lofty hill, And turn your eyes around, Where waving woods and waters wild Do hymn an autumn sound. The summer sun is faint on them — The summer flowers depart — Sit still — as all transform’d to stone, Except your musing heart. How there you sat in summer-time, May yet […]


Celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2016!

Posted on Oct 05, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward   World Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually on October 5 to recognize the important work that educators do every day around the world. For those of us lucky enough to have had remarkable teachers in our […]


Explore Open Collections: Fisherman Publishing Society

Posted on Sep 29, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
The Fisherman Publishing Society formed in 1937 in order to publish The Fisherman, a newspaper that was jointly sponsored by the Salmon Purse Seiners Union and the Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Union. The newspaper highlighted industry and union events and promoted unity among fishermen along the West Coast. As one of the founding industries which led […]


Explore Open Collections: Capilano Timber Company Fonds

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections houses a number of rare materials relating to the logging and forestry industry in Vancouver and its surrounding regions. One such collection is that of the Capilano Timber Company, which operated on the North Shore for a fifteen-year period between 1915 and 1930. In 1917, the American owned company […]


Explore Open Collections: World War I British Press Photograph Collection

Posted on Sep 14, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections houses a selection of over 3,000 wartime images by the British Press. These photographs were approved by the British government during World War I and were distributed to overseas diplomats to be used in official projects. They depict the everyday drudgery, but also the humour and energy, of the […]


Back to School!

Posted on Sep 08, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
It’s that time of year again – fall is just around the corner, and a new school year has begun. Whether you’re new to the UBC campus community, returning for another semester, or graduated long ago, it can be an exciting and even nostalgic time. Returning to school for a new year can be a […]


Explore Open Collections: Japanese Canadian Photograph Collection

Posted on Sep 01, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
The Japanese community has had a long history in British Columbia, beginning with the first Japanese person to land on the coast in 1877, a sailor named Manzo Nagano. For the next 70+ years, members of the Japanese community in the province achieved great success while also facing ongoing prejudice and racism, as early settlers […]


Explore Open Collections: Andrew McCormick Maps and Prints

Posted on Aug 25, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
­The Andrew McCormick collection contains nearly 200 historical maps and illustrations which document the history of early European maritime exploration, cartographic evolution and settlement in North America. The documents were donated to UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections by Dr. Andrew Quinn McCormick, a well-respected former faculty member in the Department of Ophthalmology. Documenting more […]


Celebrate World Fashion Day

Posted on Aug 17, 2016 by Alyssa Hamer
“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” – Edith Head   For some fashion is frivolous, and for others it’s what makes the world go ‘round. Whichever end of the spectrum you’re on, though, our clothes speak volumes about who we are, where we’re from, and the time in […]


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