Summer 2013
What’s inSight
Race to the End of the Earth SUMMER FEATURE EXHIBITION
New Worlds of Archaeology a new look online 1
What’s inSight
Summer 2013
$3.95
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SUMMER 2013 FEATURE
Race to the End of the Earth – The Victoria Connection
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Measuring Treasure: Discovering the Biological Riches of British Columbia’s Flathead River Valley
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Photographic Media and Frozen Storage
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A New Look Online 12
A CLOSER LOOK 14
Jennifer Vanderzee Membership & Marketing Coordinator MEMBERSHIP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
A Bold Step Towards a Refreshed 10 Modern Museum and Archives
Take Your Brain on Vacation: 13 An Update from the Learning Department
MANAGING EDITOR
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New Worlds of Archaeology
ngela Williams, A Chief Operating Officer Erika Stenson, Head, Marketing & Development David Alexander Head of New Archives & Digital Preservation Sue Stackhouse Communications Specialist Gerry Truscott Publisher Stuart Wootton Graphic Design PHOTOGRAPHY
Carlo Mocellin, Andrew Niemann, Shane Lighter What’s INSight is a newsletter released four times a year by the Royal BC Museum Membership Department: March, June, September and December.
VOLUNTEER PROFILE 16
Lindsay Dealy PARTNER PROFILE 16
Quark Expeditions WHAT’S ON 18
One more way to go green
Ask for our email copy instead.
Coming Events & Exhibitions
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Please contact: Jennifer Vanderzee Membership & Marketing Coordinator 250-387-3287 membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Dear Friends
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ust recently we celebrated National Volunteer Week and we were so pleased to host our own awards at the Royal BC Museum celebrating some extraordinary and vital volunteer work. With almost 500 active volunteers across all departments of the museum and archives, this is truly something to be proud of. The awards ceremony was a great delight and amid my feeling of pride, I was so honoured to present Betty Holms with a gold and diamond pin for 40 years as a volunteer at the information desk. Quite an accomplishment.
If you have not done so already, do visit our summer blockbuster exhibition, Race to the End of the Earth, which tells the story of two of the world’s most famous explorers who raced to the South Pole in what is described as one of the most stirring tales of Antarctic exploration. Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s mission supported by the Royal Geographic Society was scientific, while Roald Amundsen’s was certainly nationalistic, coming on the sixth anniversary of Norway’s separation from Sweden. The exhibition features a lot of original memorabilia from both camps including Scott’s last letter. It also includes a video diary taken by our own staff member, Jana Stefan, who spent two seasons in the Antarctic restoring Captain Scott’s hut at Cape Evans as part of an international conservation team. I could not imagine doing any of the work we do without the help and support of our friends and supporters, donors and patrons. I thank everyone for their invaluable contributions to making the Royal BC Museum and Archives a continued success. On behalf of all my staff and our volunteers, I wish you a great visit soon. Thank you again for all your support
Professor Jack Lohman CBE
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Betty Holms & Jack Lohman
Race to the End of the Earth THE VICTORIA CONNECTION By Frederike Verspoor, Archivist
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he BC Archives is a rich storehouse of records that document the fascinating history of British Columbia from the late 18th century to the late 20th. Take, for example, the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913, led by Robert Falcon Scott. Three of the members of the expedition, including Scott himself, have ties to Victoria as shown by records at the BC Archives. Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) visited Victoria ca. 1889-1890 as a naval officer aboard HMS Amphion. He had his portrait taken by a
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local photograph studio and was often a guest at the home of Peter O’Reilly, Point Ellice House. After his departure, he corresponded with Mrs. O’Reilly [nee Caroline Trutch], and their daughter, Kathleen, until as late as 1906. Victoria journalist and amateur historian James K. Nesbitt had a chance encounter with Scott’s widow in London, who spoke of her husband’s time with the Royal Navy at Esquimalt. He later became intrigued with the relationship between Kathleen O’Reilly and Scott and delved into the
O’Reilly private archives which were later acquired by the BC Archives. These records include letters from Scott to Kathleen and her mother. One was written to Kathleen in 1903 near the end of his first Antarctic expedition (1901-1903) thanking her for the gift of a pipe and relating his activities and experiences. “I am at this moment very contentedly smoking a briar pipe with gratitude for the fact that its donor observed her promise.”
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Entries in Peter O’Reillys 1890 diary document several visits by Scott to the O’Reilly’s. There are also cabinet card photographs of Scott, one taken in 1891 by Hall & Lowe, Victoria photographers, with the following note by Kathleen on the back “Lieutenant Robert Falcon Scott RN Esquimalt 1891 Died 1912 Hero of the Antarctic.” The BC Archives also holds various photographs of HMS Amphion, whose crumpled keel is to be found as part of a display at the northwest corner of Beacon Hill Park. Cecil Henry Meares (1877-1937), British adventurer, army officer, explorer, and possible spy, moved to Victoria in the late 1920s and spent his last years there. Meares was sent by Scott to Siberia, where he worked with dog teams as a fur trader, in order to obtain dogs and ponies and transport them to New Zealand. As the expedition’s dog handler, Meares also engaged in depot-laying, scouting, running stores from camp-to-camp and putting in a telephone line. He accompanied Scott’s polar party as far as Beardmore Glacier. “[R]ecalled by family affairs”, he left in 1912, shortly before the death of Scott and his party. After serving in the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War, he went to Japan with the British Aviation Mission. When his wife died in 1974, his records and some of his mementos were left to the Royal BC Museum. These records include letters and postcards relating to the expedition, photographs taken in Siberia while collecting the sledge dogs, and his sledge pennant, which is displayed in the Race to the End of the Earth exhibition, on now. The BC Archives also has a copy of his death registration, will and probate file. His Summer 2013 What’s inSight 3 www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
will is noteworthy for a codicil added scarcely more than a month before his death instructing that “It is my wish that on my death my body be cremated...and the ashes sprinkled in some convenient woods or garden. I desire the minimum of ceremony in connection with my funeral and do not wish any service unless such is necessary or advisable.” He had his wish. Only a few brief obituaries marked his passing. An obituary in the Colonist noted that “There was little known about Col. Meares” and a 1975 Colonist article, “Little known about Arctic[sic] explorer”, compared his death in “relative obscurity” to the well-known career of Sir Charles Seymour Wright, another member of the expedition who had recently died in Victoria. Even Meares’ biographer, Lief Mills, admits that “it is not as complete as I would like.” The only Canadian member of the team, Sir Charles Seymour “Silas” Wright (1887-1975) was part of the scientific team. Like Meares, he also accompanied Scott as far as Beardmore Glacier before being sent back. Later he acted as navigator for the search party and was the first to spot the tent with the bodies of Scott, Wilson and Bowers. He subsequently served in both the First and Second World Wars and had a distinguished career in naval scientific research. Although he purchased a house in Victoria in 1948, it was not until 1955 that he and his wife permanently settled there. He worked at both UBC and at the Pacific Naval Laboratory
in Esquimalt until 1968 and moved shortly thereafter to Salt Spring Island. He died in Victoria on November 1, 1975. Wright’s records are to be found at the Scott Polar Research Institute. The will has a codicil which contains a succinct but detailed biography. The Victoria connection with Wright continues. His grandson is Adrian Raeside, editorial cartoonist for the
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Times Colonist, who has recently written a book about his grandfather and his Antarctic adventures. There are many more stories of British Columbia’s past to be found in the records of the BC Archives, including government records, private historical manuscripts and papers, maps, photographs, paintings, sound recordings, films, newspapers, books, etc. This is only one of them.
1 R.F. Scott to Kathleen O’Reilly, 27 February 1903 A reproduction is on display in the BC Archives. 2 Cecil Meares British Antarctic Expedition dog sled pennant.
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Quest: Antarctic Adventures Lecture Series Meet a British Columbian adventurer who dared to explore the Antarctic. Whether stretching the limits of their endurance, gaining a new appreciation for their environment or exploring a family connection, they have all come away with unique experiences and a lifetime of memories.
Pat Morrow Photographer and mountain climber July 4
Hayley Shephard Wilderness Guide, Author: South Solo: Kayaking to Save the Albatross July 18
Gareth Wood Author: South Pole: 900 Miles on Foot August 1
Adrian Raeside Author: Return to Antarctica September 5
7:30pm to 9pm Clifford Carl Hall $16 per person + tax, 10% member discount Tickets available online or at the Royal BC Museum box office ASL Interpreter
Jana Stefan Conservator and Royal BC Museum Exhibit Arts Technician October 3
Historic Partnership Agreement Signed at Royal BC Museum
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n February 21, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, joined Professor Jack Lohman, Royal BC Museum and Mark O’Neill, Canadian Museum of Civilization as the two museum leaders signed a historic partnership agreement. The agreement is the first in a series of strategic alliances, collaborations and exchanges between the future Canadian Museum of History and museums across Canada. “Working with a network of the country’s top history museums helps us to increase our audiences, develop new programs, share expertise, grow our staff, and maximize resources and impact,” said Jack Lohman.
The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, looks on as the Memorandum of Understanding is signed by Professor Jack Lohman, Royal BC Museum, and Mr. Mark O’Neill, Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Diamond Jubilee T
he Medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Diamond Jubilee Medal recognizes Her Majesty’s six decades of service to Canada; and it honours significant contributions and achievements by Canadians. In presentations at Government House and the Legislative Assembly, Grant Keddie, Curator of Archaeology, was recognized for his services to the communities of Victoria and Esquimalt; Dr. Richard Hebda, Curator of Botany and Earth History, for services to the Province’s paleontological heritage; and Gary Mitchell, Provincial Archivist and
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Vice President, Archives, Collections and Knowledge, for services to heritage preservation. We take pride in their recognition as this acknowledgement of service continues a long standing tradition at the Royal BC Museum. For over 125 years, the staff of the Royal BC Museum have shared their expertise and knowledge with our communities through their work in preserving and expanding the knowledge of our provinces natural and human history, as well as volunteering for community, educational, scientific and social service organizations.
Three members of the Royal BC Museum’s staff have been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, they are: Grant Keddie, Gary Mitchell and Dr. Richard Hebda.
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Measuring Treasure Discovering the Biological Riches of British Columbia’s Flathead River Valley By Dr. Melissa Frey, Curator of Invertebrates and Claudia Copley, Sr. Collections Manager, Entomology
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British Columbia’s spectacular Flathead Valley.
©Garth Lenz
©Jaime Rojo.
Royal BC Museum Research Associate Dr. Robb Bennett examining spiders.
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ucked neatly into the southeast corner of British Columbia, the Flathead River Valley is one of our province’s most important natural treasures, hosting some of the highest levels of biodiversity and most magnificent landscapes in North America. The region, fondly referred to as the Flathead, encompasses a mosaic of unique environments, including spectacular mountains and ancient rocks, vast tracks of forests, extraordinarily beautiful lakes and ponds, and free-flowing and fish-filled rivers. But surprisingly, it was not the scenery of the Flathead that attracted our attention this past summer – it was the captivating micro-fauna. The Flathead is renowned for its pristine waters, lush wildflowers, and high concentrations of wildlife. In an effort to protect this richness, several conservation organizations are campaigning for a National Park and Wildlife Management Area. A designated park would complete the missing piece of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and together with a wildlife management area, would provide a critical corridor for wildlife moving through the Rocky Mountains. Previous surveys have confirmed that the valley hosts
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22 species of charismatic macrofauna – large carnivores and hoofed mammals, including Grizzlies, Wolverines, and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. But a myriad of other organisms make their home in the Flathead and we know very little about these. To determine what those unknown organisms are, Sierra Club BC, WildSight, and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative invited a team of biologists, photographers, and writers to participate in the first annual Flathead BioBlitz last August. The goal of the BioBlitz was to inventory or list as many species as possible, and to highlight notable discoveries, such as rare or unusual species. Biologists from the Royal BC Museum, Parks Canada, the American Bird Conservancy and the University of Montana spent four glorious days sampling the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers of the Flathead. The Royal BC Museum team, represented by Dr. Robb Bennett, Darren Copley, Robert Forsyth, Dr. David Robichaud and ourselves, focused on the charismatic micro-fauna – insects, spiders, and other invertebrates.
Remarkably, more than 1,200 species of plants and animals have been recorded to date, confirming that the Flathead is indeed a hotspot for biodiversity. The Royal BC Museum crew found more than 200 insect species, 71 spider species, 29 species of snails and clams and 29 species of other invertebrates. Following four days of sampling we spent more than 400 hours back home at the Royal BC Museum sorting and identifying the specimens. Discovering the hidden treasures in these samples is what biologists find so rewarding. Among the invertebrates collected, we found many noteworthy specimens. The Flathead appears to serve as a refuge for many rare species. For example, we discovered a tiny Fingernail Clam that had not been documented in BC in more than 100 years. Perhaps even more exciting was the number of spiders that represented either species new to science, first records in the province, or major range expansions. These important findings are expected to assist conservation organizations and policy makers gain protection for this biologically rich region of our province. To learn more about the Flathead, visit: www.flathead.ca
This image from our collections is actively deteriorating causing the top layer of emulsion to buckle and fold, distorting the image. This can only be saved by placing it in cold storage.
Photographic Media and Frozen Storage A two part series By Ember Lundgren, Preservation Specialist
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ver several years, the Royal BC Museum went through rigorous risk assessments to identify collections within the museum and archives at greatest risk. Risk was determined to be anything that could harm the long-term stewardship of the collection. Risk assessments identified photographic materials throughout the museum and archives as being at a high risk for loss due to ‘inherent vice’ – that is chemical reactions within the media itself which cause their eventual decay. Research has shown that these chemical reactions can be exacerbated by the age of the item, improper processing at time of creation and their past and current environments. While our buildings have a stable environment to safely house much of our varying collections, our current buildings cannot meet the environmental requirements for the long-term retention of photographic media.
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Photographic collections at risk include motion picture film, black and white and colour negatives, and colour prints. There are two main chemical issues which reduce the lifespan of images; colour dyes are unstable and at room temperature they begin to fade regardless of light exposure – they fade in the dark! The flexible plastic used in negatives and motion picture film is unstable, as these plastics degrade, the chemical reactions cause the physical separation and distortion of the various layers which make up the negative as a whole. As these plastics degrade, they off-gas acids. These acids not only increase the speed of decay within the item, they degrade silver in the image, causing the dyes to react and also ‘infect’ other more stable photographs causing them to begin to decay.
Good news for these images, the chemical processes that cause their fading and decay can be stopped by a specific environment with temperatures at about -200c and a relative humidity at 30%. Bad news, once you remove items from frozen storage the chemical processes pick up right where they left off and may even start to speed up. The important thing is that while frozen, our visual history is in stasis and thoughtful programs and strategies for digital preservation and access can be developed. In the 1990s the BC Archives identified photographic media already showing signs of chemical decay and invested in upright standard household freezers to protect those collections. Affectionately referred to as ‘the freezer farm’, this method is very labour intensive, collections have to be carefully packaged within multiple
Since 2010, staff in all areas of the museum and archives have been working to prepare photographic collections for cold storage. This preparation required priority lists, media identification and segregation, inventories, housing collections in archival quality enclosures, container creation and tracking. One of the largest tasks was describing the archival records within the BC Archives using Rules of Archival Description (RAD).
freezer bags, silica gel and matt board have to be conditioned to help maintain the humidity within the bags. With over five million estimated images in our vast collections and over five thousand motion picture films, the freezers just couldn’t offer the protection our collections require as they age. We needed a more current, safe and efficient way to protect our visual holdings, and more space which our existing buildings cannot supply.
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1 1 Freezer facility where our frozen storage is located 2 Gasketed cabinet 3 Motion picture film housed in ‘freezer farm’
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Enter the gasketed cabinet. Used in various institutions throughout the world, these cabinets can be set to hold a specific, stable relative humidity. This stable microenvironment will protect collections inside by controlling the relative humidity; the temperature can then be controlled by placing the cabinets into a freezer warehouse. Unlike the ‘freezer farm’ method, photographic records can be housed in standard boxes often as-is, thus increasing the amount of material in any given box and protecting more of our collections. In the early part of 2012 we began investigating the leasing of a warehouse that would be able to hold these cabinets at the required temperature, a suitable space was located and in the fall 50 cabinets were ordered to house the collections.
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Archivists described over 100 accessions which comprised approximately 300,000 images. Photograph accessions do not often stand alone; descriptive work involved all media types within an accession including textual, video, film and even maps. In February 2013, 20 gasketed cabinets were loaded with the moving image collections, 4,174 reels and 255 boxes of still photograph material. The cabinets were then trucked to the off-site facility. Over the coming months staff will continue to prepare more photograph collections and will systematically fill the remaining cabinets.
Read our Fall issue for part two: Magnetic Media and Cool Storage
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A Bold Step Toward a Modern Museum and Archives 10
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Paul Merrick of Merrick Architecture (Victoria, BC), with Professor Jack Lohman, Royal BC Museum CEO, and John McAslan of John McAslan + Partners (London, UK)
By Angela Williams, Chief Operating Officer
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or more than 125 years, the Royal BC Museum has looked to preserve, explain and celebrate BC’s heritage. Our collections record what BC has been and is. The Royal BC Museum is looking forward – what do we need to accomplish for future generations? Do the present buildings serve all we want to do? How can we build better partnerships and greater access to the museum and archives’ resources?
Everyone who works, volunteers and supports the Royal BC Museum – locally, across Canada and internationally – is passionate about the importance of the cultural heritage we look after. We believe a refreshed, modern Royal BC Museum is at the heart of celebrating British Columbia and its place in the wider world. In an exciting first step toward a refreshed, modern museum and archives, the Royal BC Museum has appointed the international awardwinning architect John McAslan + Partners (London, UK), with partner local architect Merrick Architecture (Victoria, BC), to create a master site plan. This plan, expected to be completed by the fall of 2013, will lay the foundation for the renewal of British Columbia’s museum and archives. This world-class team of UK and Canadian talent is the result of an extensive international search. McAslan + Partners and Merrick Summer 2013 What’s inSight 11www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
This is an important next step for the museum and archives, and we are delighted to be working with John McAslan on this exciting project. Their approach is always thoughtful, clear and highly professional. John McAslan has worked on master site plans for Tate Britain, the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music and Dulwich College. They are also preparing plans for the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, and a new cultural quarter in Doha, Qatar, including the design of four new and restored museums. Their work shows great strength in resolving complicated and often sensitive planning and design issues with creating better use of existing space. Professor Jack Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum Architecture were chosen from many talented firms through a rigorous bid selection process led by the BC Government’s Purchasing Services Branch and in keeping with guidelines set out by the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. While discussing this exciting new venture, John McAslan said “We are thrilled to have been selected by the Royal BC Museum to lead the transformation of this renowned and historic institution, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.” Paul Merrick from Merrick Architecture added, “Being invited to join the talented team assembled by John McAslan + Partners is a once in a lifetime opportunity to both help the Royal BC Museum chart a course into the future, while honouring our collective past.” The master site plan will set the framework for realistic, functional and affordable future development given today’s economic climate. The ideas formulated by the master plan will
capture both the physical space needs of a modern museum and archives, specifically the care and conservation of the collections, as well as growing visitor expectations. To improve the visitor experience, the Royal BC Museum also intends to refresh the entire lower floor, including the shop, café, theatre and welcome area. A modern accessible BC Archives and Collections Centre is proposed, one that is technologically smart, ecologically sound and fit-for-purpose. The master site plan will inform the design and phasing of any redevelopment on this amazing site on Victoria’s Inner Harbour – keeping in mind our mantra of “flexible, affordable, realistic and achievable!” Watch our website for more information and news about the Royal BC Museum’s master plan. We will be inviting the community to continue to be involved in the master planning phase through forums, focus groups or meetings which will be announced soon. 11
A New Look Online
Buprestis aurulenta (The Golden Buprestia) from the Entomology Collection: one of the many new photos taken by Royal BC Museum photographer Shane Lighter.
By Eric Espig, Web Specialist & Content Developer
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n April 10, 2013 the Royal BC Museum launched a new website with a fresh look, new content and photos, an innovative events calendar and a new way to navigate, browse and learn about our collections.
The site was designed and developed by Royal BC Museum staff over the past 10 months. The clean and modern look features images from the BC Archives, objects and artifacts from the museum collection, and introduces the curators, archivists, collections managers and conservators to our online community. Many unique objects and specimens from Archaeology to Invertebrate Zoology can be seen as you browse our collections and learn about some of the amazing research and collecting that happens here at the Royal BC Museum.
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Events can now be browsed in different ways, such as topic of interest, adult or family-focused events, regular event series, tours, and many more. See an event you would like to share or remember? With a single click you can add it to your iCal or Google Calendar or tweet and share it on your favourite social media platform. BC Archives pages have been updated and we hope users find the navigation helpful to access the many services, forms, information and reproduction services our archives has to offer. You can also choose to read the site in as many as 65 languages! Simply use the translate feature on the bottom left of the screen.
The new search feature will scan through all of the museum and archives’ many websites, old and new, and help you find that hard to locate information you may be looking for. We now have a website which accurately reflects the image of the Royal BC Museum, the people who work and volunteer here and our priorities as an institution. We also hope we have created a much improved reference for our visitors, both on-site and online, to use and enjoy and to help you to better connect with us.
Take Your Brain on Vacation: An Update from the Learning Department By Janet MacDonald, Head of Learning
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ith summer vacation just around the corner, please don’t leave your brain at home. The Royal BC Museum wishes to provoke and engage you – no matter what age you are. As advocates of life-long learning, we aspire to change your life – one experience at a time. Our team is hard at work planning a myriad of learning experiences for your consideration. Whether you are entertaining out-oftown friends and relatives or have a grandchild or two visiting during their school break, our program offerings are enticing. Visiting the Royal BC Museum with family and friends can be an excellent opportunity to connect what you are seeing with your own lives. I’ve overheard so many conversations during my wanderings through the galleries that were deeply personal in nature – steeped in memory-sharing, storytelling, and debate. What you talk about, you think about and what you think about, you remember. Consider
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us a holiday scrapbook filled with enriching memories and thoughtful connections. What is remembered is learned. Our exhibitions and programs offer plenty to contemplate...
Explorers of all ages can dig deep into an Antarctic adventure inspired by Race to the End of the Earth, our feature exhibition now open. On your way through this immersive exhibition, you may come across an opportunity to actually touch a penguin egg or discover more about some of the key players in this expeditionary story as revealed in letters held in our very own archival collections. Join our monthly Quest lecture series beginning this July 4th brave and daring British Columbian adventurers have been invited to recount their own memories, challenges and appreciations of the South Pole regions.
Scott and Amundsen’s famous ‘race’ provides the thematic foundation for our week-long summer camps. In addition to learning about the famous expedition, kids aged eight to 10 years old will also learn about modern science taking place at the pole.
Take the time to visit Helmcken House and St Ann’s Schoolhouse this summer. They are intriguing learning environments where one can compare and contrast life at home and in school over 100 years ago. Celebrate Canada Day with an Old-fashioned Penny Carnival in Elliott Square and remember that the last Sunday afternoon of each month is filled with facilitated explorations for the whole family. These Wonder Sundays are active and collaborative in nature – an excellent chance to keep those little grey cells tuned up while having fun! Life-long learning is a process through which we all acquire attitudes, values, skills and knowledge. We learn incidentally and serendipitously throughout our daily lives – whether at work or at play. All sorts of interactions with the world around us engage our interests and provoke insight. In this respect, the Royal BC Museum aspires to play a pivotal role. Consider us to be a perfect vacation spot for your mind.
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A CLOSER LOOK:
New Worlds of Archaeology By Grant Keddie, Curator, Archaeology
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adio-carbon dating revolutionized archaeology in the 1950s. The new technologies for rapid processing of DNA – the chemistry of life – are having a greater impact. We already see a profound effect on our ability to gain information about the movements and other behaviour of our ancestors. It is fascinating to think that all of us are the offspring of a small population of people that moved within Africa 200,000 years ago and, in part, spread throughout Asia and Europe by 40,000 years ago, into western Siberia by 30,000 years ago, and crossed into the New World by at least 16,000 years ago.
Grant Keddie, Curator, Archaeology
DNA Studies All of us share most of our 3 billion genes. The small differences, 0.1% of our genes, allow us to be grouped according to lines of descent from a single individual at a particular point in time – that is when a specific mutation or genetic marker occurred. The focus of most studies has been our mtDNA and Y-DNA that is inherited directly down-line from mother to daughter and from father to son respectively, and unlike nuclear DNA, with only very small changes over long periods of time. Specific sets of mutations that we each have, allows us to be slotted
Simplified Tree of a Mitochondrial Haplogroups
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into haplogroups that form branches of humanity. All populations that came out of Africa long ago belong to a segment of the African genome referred to as Haplogroups M and N. These main Haplogroups are further divided by specific mutations or markers into subhaplogroups. For example, my mtDNA haplogroup K is shared with about 5% of the population of Europe – including the famous 5,000 year old remains of Otzi “The Ice Man” from the Italian Alps. My subgroup K1c2, is shared by a much smaller number of people. My Y-DNA signature from my father’s line can be taken to a more detailed subgroup classed as R1b1a2a1a1c1 which is characterized by a marker called Z156, which appeared about 3,500 years ago.
Quatsino Women, Ar-Tat-Se and her grandmother O-Que-La-Yen, from the N.W. coast of Vancouver Island, about 1914
SOCIAL MEDIA Marco Qaqish @marcoqaqish 20 Apr
Awesome! Museum amplification project at @RoyalBCMuseum #museamp pic.twitter.com/ yveSr8VNW7 Adora Tang @adora_t 13 Apr
Keeping my fingers crossed to be the winner of the Antarctic Expedition draw through @RoyalBCMuseum Caroline Posynick @Owl_ 11 Apr
First Nations Movements The question of when and who were the participants in the migrations into the New World has been a subject of debate for 500 years. Modern DNA studies are beginning to provide us with some of the answers, but many of the claims about migrations into the new world are likely premature – being based on insufficient sample sizes. I suspect the true story will be more complex than our current ideas allow. We can see general patterns of certain DNA haplogroups only occurring in North, Central or South America, but we need to keep in mind that these studies are mostly an evaluation of living populations and include few samples from ancient remains. We know from only two ancient individuals in haplogroup D4 that this group existed on the northern coast of BC from between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago and so far they do not match DNA from modern individuals. The down-line genes from this haplogroup population can be found in several places along the Pacific coast to the tip of South America. Genetic differences are shown to correlate with the language differences known between Aleut and Inuit peoples of the far north and those of the Na-Dene peoples that extend south into British Columbia. 15
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Subgroups of the mtDNA haplogroups A2 and B2 found in modern First Nations in BC have been identified in DNA found in 12,000 year old coprolites, or ancient feces, from caves in Oregon. Many more studies are needed before we can start to understand the complexities of when and who populated British Columbia in ancient times. Animal Bones With DNA studies, the animal bones in our collection previously not identified can now be given species names and used to examine changes in both ancient and living animal populations. It is hard to predict how the results of research are going to be used. I was one of 27 scientists involved in a study of the DNA of modern and ancient bison found between Siberia and Texas, which was published in the Journal Science. I presented the results of that work to a public audience in the Peace River area of BC as part of the Royal BC Museum’s living landscape project. There was a Wildlife official from Alberta in the audience who was writing controversial policy on the fate of bison herds in that province. He saw our results as being directly relevant to the decision not to follow through on a planned extermination of one of the major herds.
I really like the new website for the @RoyalBCMuseum! Great work! RYGinger @RYGinger10 Apr
Dang! That museum website is awesome! @RoyalBCMuseum MaiTai S. Paje @sarcasmcookie6929 Mar
Playing the #museumfool game at @RoyalBCMuseum! Jay Minter @jminter21 Feb CEOs of @RoyalBCMuseum & @Civilization #Museum w/ @ JamesMoore_Org agree to share artifacts w/ #MuseumOfHistory pic. twitter.com/XRZ4p8UdVv Jennifer Lang @jeniuslangus14 Feb excited to be heading to Date Night at the Museum @RoyalBCMuseum with @kirkasaur for #ValentinesDay
STAY CONNECTED Subscribe to our E-Newsletter to receive updates on exhibitions, events and offers. Email: membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca and follow us on
volunteer PROFILE
Lindsay Dealy Lindsay is a new volunteer at the Royal BC Museum. Her interest in insects began with entomology studies at UVic. She’s been working on the museum’s Education Collection once a week for the last 6 weeks, grouping specimens into families. Her interest leans more to displaying than collecting, preferring them already collected and ‘pinned’. Lindsay’s
creativity shows in her beautiful antenna-like layout of Click Beetles and swirled eddies of scarabids. She heard that her fun and creative layout of Ground Beetles was a great hit with learners at a nearby nature centre. When she isn’t deep into bugs at the Royal BC Museum, Lindsay works as a naturalist for a whale-watching company.
PARTNERSHIP PROFILE
Quark Expeditions For over 22 years the team at Quark Expeditions has led thousands of passengers exclusively to the Polar Regions. Expedition voyages are designed for those travellers who wish to discover destinations that can only be found off the beaten path and on the road to discovery. The success of our polar expeditions depend solely on the passion and experience of Quark’s expedition leaders and their team; all unsurpassed in expertise and passion. We have assembled an extraordinary team of polar experts who are some of the most recognized and respected scientists, naturalists, historians, glaciologists, ornithologists and biologists anywhere. The entire team maintains the highest industry safety accreditations and are members of some of the most select and distinguished institutions around the globe. 16
What’s inSight
Summer 2013
Quark Expeditions maintains a fleet of five ice-class vessels that meet and exceed the highest possible safety and environmental standards required in the Polar Regions. Every Quark voyage includes great daily outdoor activities including hiking and Zodiac cruises. The more discerning adrenaline junkies can also choose from a range of optional adventure activities with varying exertion levels. Quark offers sea-kayaking, cross-country skiing, mountaineering, camping, hot air ballooning, snowshoeing and photography programs throughout each season.
Quark Expeditions’ commitment to the environment recently grew stronger with the introduction of the first-ever carbon neutral voyages to Antarctica aboard the Ocean Diamond, with no added cost to passengers. Quark has raised over $300,000 in the last two years to support the conservation of the Polar Regions by helping charities dedicated to the sustainability and conservation of these regions. www.quarkexpeditions.com
Hoofed Mammals of British Columbia
Royal BC MuseuM HandBook
HOOFED MAMMALS
In the Shadow of the Great War Jay Sherwood
David Shackleton
OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
David Shackleton
Historian Jay Sherwood tells the story of G.B. Milligan’s and E.B. Hart’s explorations of northeastern BC in 1913 and 1914. Their efforts produced the first detailed information on this wild region. But all was filed away at the beginning of World War I, and then forgotten in the shadow of the Great War... until now.
In this revised edition, David Shackleton reveals everything there is to know about the ten species of wild hoofed mammals that live in BC: Elk, Moose, European Fallow Deer, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Caribou, Bison, Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep and Thinhorn Sheep. This edition features a section of colour photographs.
$19.95 ISBN 978-0-7726-6637-6
$27.95 ISBN 978-0-7726-6638-3
SHACKLETON’S A N TA R C T I C A D V E N T U R E MAY 17 – OCTOBER 14, 2013 Race to the End of the Earth is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), and the Royal British Columbia Museum (www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca), and Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France (www.museedesconfluences.fr). Image © AMNH LIbrary. Scott’s team pulling sledge.
The race is on! This exhibition recounts the dramatic contest between the Englishman Robert Falcon Scott and the Norwegian Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole in 1911. Race explores how these dangerous journeys paved the way for modern day polar research.
explore.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
The extraordinary true story of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s now legendary 1914-16 trans-Antarctic expedition. The giant IMAX screen transports you back in time to experience an epic story of heroism and human endurance to what is considered to be the greatest survival story of all time.
www.imaxvictoria.com
EXPLORER PACKAGE For the ultimate explorer experience, get a combination museum and IMAX ticket and fully immerse yourself in an Antarctic adventure.
17
What’s inSight
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What’s ON
There’s always something happening. Check our What’s on Calendar at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or pick up the latest Program Guide, available in print or online. Members enjoy a 10% discount and early registration on program and event tickets. Museum HOURS: 10 am – 5 pm daily. Thursday, Friday and Saturday late nights 10 am – 10 pm (May 23 – September 28, 2013)
Upcoming Events
lectures and Tours
EXHIBITIONS
Canada Day Old-Time Penny Carnival
Quest: Antarctic Adventures Lecture Series
Race to the End of the Earth
July 1, 12 – 4 pm Included with admission and membership, or by donation.
BC Day Weekend of August 3, 10 am – 5pm Included with membership or admission
See full lecture series speakers and dates on page 2 ASL Interpreter 7:30pm to 9pm Clifford Carl Hall $16 + tax per person, 10% member discount.
Friends of the BC Archives
kids
Sunday, June 9
Wonder Sunday Wonder Sunday is a free interactive, learning-based special event that happens on the last Sunday of every month.
Art and Interconnection June 30 Did you ever wonder if there’s a story behind your favourite piece of art in the First Peoples gallery?
The Life and Times of Ina D.D. Uthoff Christina Johnson-Dean Founder and principal of the Victoria School of Art, Ina Uthoff was a colleague of Emily Carr and known as the “doyen of Victoria painters”. Free for Friends of the BC Archives members, $5 for non-members.
Behind the Scenes Tours
July 28 Did you ever wonder about the little things?
Go behind the scenes to see how we create our amazing exhibitions and galleries. Tour topics include: Exhibit Arts and Special Effects Studios, Entomology, Vertebrate Zoology, and Earth History.
Polar Adventure
Gallery Tours
Itsy bitsy, teeny weeny
August 25 Did you ever wonder if you were the adventurous type?
RBCM Base Camp July 8 – 12 & 22 – 26 August 12 – 16 & 19 – 23 Budding adventurers will discover their inner explorer in these week-long summer camps. Ages 8 – 10 9 am – 4 pm $244 per person, 10% member discount.
Several snapshots and feature-length tours held each day: Finding the Meaning in Totem Poles, Walk on the Wild Side, Gold Fever, and more.
Hands-on in the Galleries Want to know more about the Ocean Station, bears, mammoths, or the Gold Rush? Check out the ongoing hands-on activities throughout the galleries led by our knowledgeable docents. TOURS: See website for tour topics and times. Free with admission or membership
Event tickets available online or at the box office. 18
What’s inSight
Summer 2013
May 17 – October 14, 2013
Tradition in Felicities February 8 – September 29, 2013 Celebrating 155 years of Victoria Chinatown History & Chinese New Year 2013
BC Archives: On Display Daily Rotating displays 10 am – 4 pm
Helmcken House & St Ann’s Schoolhouse Open for summer 9 am – 4 pm Free with admission and membership or by donation
imax features
Now Playing Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure Flight of the Butterflies Rocky Mountain Express Kenya: Animal Kingdom Iron Man 3: The IMAX® Experience
COMING SOON Star Trek: Into Darkness: The IMAX® Experience For more information please visit imaxvictoria.com or phone 250-953-4629
MEMBER BENEFITS
• 20% discount on single feature IMAX theatre tickets
Make the most of your membership with these great benefits:
• Exclusive Kids’ Club program for members only
• Unlimited admission to galleries and exhibitions
• 20% discount on admission at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Vancouver Art Gallery, Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, Science World, Royal Ontario Museum, Maritime Museum, Museum of Vancouver, and Victoria Butterfly Gardens
• Express entry • 10% discount on ° Guest museum admission (up to 2 per visit) ° Special events, programs and services ° All items at Royal Museum Shop ° Regularly priced items at National Geographic Store ° Selected items at Museum Cafe
• What’s inSight magazine
• 50% discount on admission at Glenbow Museum
Share your Museum Are you a Royal BC Museum member enjoying all of the benefits it includes? Refer someone and if they join you will receive one free guest pass! Some restrictions apply, see website for details. www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/join
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BASE CAMP Discover your inner explorer
In our week-long summer camps, participants will learn about Scott & Amundsen’s famous expedition in Race to the End of the Earth and modern day science taking place at the South Pole. Campers will spend time in our feature exhibition as well as outdoors.
Secure your spot early, last year’s camps sold out!
Register online or at the box office
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
SU M M ER 2 0 1 3
What’s INSight
Race to the End of the Earth is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (www.amnh.org), and the Royal British Columbia Museum (www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca), and Musee des Confluences, Lyon, France (www.museedesconfluences.fr). Image © AMNH Library.
ld Amundsen and oa R s, er or pl ex o tw ws End of the Earth, follo out the exhibition to see who made e th to e ac R n tio bi Check Our new exhi urney to Antarctica. t they used to make jo ha r w ei t th ou on ab t n ot ar Sc Le . le first Robert Falcon reach the South Po to ow sn ng di in y. bl e it through th n in Antarctica toda io at or pl ex d an ed rviv the trip, how they su
Base Camp
Crew find out they are headed to Antarctica
SEPTEMBER 9
JUNE 7
1
OCTOBER 12
1910
Scott finds out Amundsen is also heading to Antarctica
Today, up to 5,000 Robert Scott British Team on the Terra Nova scientists live in Antarctica Age 42 during the summer A 30-year veteran of the British Royal Navy, Scott first turned to Antarctic exploration because the dangerous journeys promise months to conduct better pay and a job promotion. research. Imagine you are going to Antarctica for six months, what would you need to survive? Fill your igloo with all the items you would need to survive.
a Antarctic he 90% ofsallicet . world’
JUNE 1
Antarctica Today
DID YOU KNOWh?as
Terra Nova sets sail
Roald Amundsen Norwegian Team on the Fram Age 37 From an early age Amundsen’s wanted to be an explorer. He had planned to head to the Arctic but learned that two American explorers claimed to have already reached the North Pole. So he set his sights on Antarctica. He knew that Scott had already announced he was going so he planned is trip in secret.
Fram sets sail on the supposed trip to the Arctic
Each team set up a base camp where they lived for 10 months. For four months they lived in complete darkness during the bitter cold winter, planning their trips to the South Pole. You can see a recreation of Scott’s hut and his men’s bunkroom in the exhibition.
JANUARY 4
Age 42
Robert Scott
British Team on the Terra Nova
Norwegian Team on the Fram
A 30-year veteran of the British Royal Navy, Scott first turned to Antarctic exploration because the dangerous journeys promised better pay and a job promotion.
From an early age Amundsen’s wanted to be an explorer. He knew that Scott had already announced he was going so he planned his trip in secret. Memorial service is held for Scott and his team
FEBRUARY 14
Terra Nova arrives in New Zealand. Atkinson sends press telegram announcing the tragic news
1912
FEBRUARY 10
Search party finds the remaining team members
NOVEMBER 12
Terra Nova arrives in New Zealand with the news that Scott’s party did not meet the boat before it sailed off
APRIL 1
Petty Officer Edgar Evans dies. His is the first of death of the expedition
FEBRUARY 20
Scott and his men reach the pole
1911
JANUARY 17
Scott and his team leave for the pole
NOVEMBER 1
Sun returns
AUGUST 23
Sun sets for winter
APRIL 22
Scott and his men finish building their base camp
JANUARY 18
Terra Nova arrives in Antarctica
Fram arrives in Tasmania. Amundsen cables King of Norway, announcing victory
MARCH 7
Fram sails off with all team members
JANUARY 30
Amundsen’s team arrives at base camp 10 days ahead of schedule
JANUARY 26
Amundsen’s crew heads back to their base camp, leaving a flag and tent for Scott to find
DECEMBER 17
Amundsen and his men reach the South Pole
DECEMBER 14
Amundsen’s team reaches the farthest point south that any human being has been
DECEMBER 7
Amundsen and his team leave for the pole
OCTOBER 19
Sun returns
AUGUST 23
Sun sets for winter
APRIl 22
Fram arrives in Antarctica
JANUARY 14
After reaching the South Pole first on December 14, 1911 Amundsen and his team left for their base camp. It took Scott’s team a full month longer to reach the Pole, by then they were exhausted and starving and winter started to arrive. With the light dimming and the weather turning bitter cold they started on their way back to base camp, but would not make it.
Look at the explorers timeline below and visit the exhibition to find out more about each team’s journey. Make sure to pick up a character card and follow one of the explorers and experience the adventure for yourself!
1913
Roald Amundsen
Age 37
g with warmer e summer arrivin th d an e et pl m ng co pment was very With their planni s on. Proper equi wa le Po h ut So e to th pedition. weather, the race d surviving the ex an g in ak m in nt low and find out importa the questions be er . sw es an nc to re n ffe tio di bi r re thei Visit the exhi used and compa am te ch ea t ha w more about
Transportation
Shelter
Proper transportation tools were essential because of the amount of supplies each team needed to carry, including food, fuel, clothing and sleeping bags.
To stay protected from unpredictable weather proper shelter was key to survival.
What kind of transportation did each team use? Which one would you say is a better choice and why?
What kind of shelter did each team construct? How were they different? Scott’s Team
Scott’s Team
Amundsen’s Team
Amundsen’s Team
Clothing
Food The right amount and type of food is important in a cold climate like Antarctica. Humans need to eat more food to turn into energy to stay warm. What did each team take for food and how big were their meals?
Today scientist are well dressed in lightweight breathable cloth, early explorers were not so lucky, they wore heavy clothing during their trek. Describe what each team wore to survive the bitter cold How were they different? Scott’s Team
Scott’s Team Amundsen’s Team Amundsen’s Team
Greater Victoria Public Library Picks Check out these Antarctica themed books at your local library. www.gvpl.ca
enguins, Penguins, P Everywhere! Ice b By Barner, Bo 07 20
s PenguinSeymour bergs
By Kallenm Stuart A. 2003
n, By Simo 2007
Ice is Nice!
By Worth, Bonnie 2010
ps in Polar Ice Ca edition Danger: Exp ca to Antarcti hn
By Nelson, Jo 2009