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.
The Field Notebooks of H. G. Hook
Posted on Feb 07, 2023 by Marina de Souza
Field notes are an essential tool for all scientists or researchers who work in the field to record their observations of a specific phenomenon or organism they are studying. The notes usually contain information about the location, date, and description of the specimen. Often these recorded observations might seem trivial at the time, but on […]
Collaboration with the UBC Preservation Unit
Posted on Jan 26, 2023 by Marina de Souza
Team members in the Digitization Centre (DC) have an understanding and shared responsibility for the care and handling of the collections. To ensure that we are equipped with the right knowledge to handle fragile objects during digitization projects, DC has an ongoing collaboration with the UBC Preservation Unit. Experts from the Unit provide training to […]
Exploring Open Collections: The H. Colin Slim Stravinsky Collection
Posted on Jan 17, 2023 by Marina de Souza
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) was a Russian-born composer who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1945 and had a revolutionary impact on 20th-century music. He wrote important scores that redefined music, breaking new ground. His ballets such as The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring are landmarks of classical music composition. Stravinsky’s trip to Vancouver […]
Legends of UBC – Part Two
Posted on Dec 21, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
Continuing from our previous post Legends of BC – Part One, we are back with 10 more inspiring and accomplished individuals affiliated with UBC. This list was compiled using Open Collections to research alumni, staff, faculty and honorary degree recipients to bring forward amazing people from across different disciplines. In alphabetical order according to first […]
Legends of UBC – Part One
Posted on Dec 13, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
Over the decades, many legendary figures have been affiliated with the University of British Columbia. Whether alumni, staff, faculty or honorary degree recipients, the greats who have graced this University have done remarkable things in their respective fields. To close out the year, we thought it would be inspiring to celebrate some of these individuals. […]
New Material in Open Collections: Fragments of Medieval Manuscripts
Posted on Dec 06, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
Open Collections recently saw some new additions to the Western Manuscripts and Early Printed Books repository — a selection of medieval era manuscript fragments. These digital copies are from two different physical collections stored in UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections. One collection is comprised of medieval manuscript fragments and the other, medieval music manuscript fragments. […]
Leonard Frank’s Photography and the Early Days of UBC
Posted on Nov 29, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
Leonard Frank (1870-1944) was a German Jewish photographer best known for his photographs documenting occupational lifeways in British Columbia. UBC’s Open Collections holds over 400 photographs created by Frank. They span across a few different collections including the MacMillan Bloedel Limited fonds, the Capilano Timber Company fonds, the Uno Langmann Family Collection, and the UBC […]
Illustrations in the Historical Children’s Literature Collection
Posted on Nov 22, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
The Historical Children’s Literature Collection is a digital repository of 85 items from UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections. Publication dates range from the 1790s to 1890s, and include fairy tales, educational books, classic literature, religious texts, fortune-tellers, nursery rhymes, and more. The collection gives us an idea of topics and stories that were popular […]
New Collection: Images of Natural History Specimens from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Posted on Nov 15, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
When the Beaty Biodiversity Museum approached us about digitizing a collection of natural history images, we couldn’t possibly say no. This new digital repository of 848 natural history images was completed in September and is now available to view on Open Collections. The collection includes an array of insect and fish illustrations, as well as […]
Celebrating the Legacy of E. Pauline Johnson – Tekahionwake
Posted on Nov 08, 2022 by Lisa Wilson Palmour
If you’re looking for some autumn reading, we suggest delving into the books of legendary poet E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) (1861-1913). There are dozens of items connected to Johnson in Open Collections; four are digitized copies of her written works, and several more are ephemera connected to her life and legacy. Johnson was a mixed […]
