“The Alexander Suspension Bridge,” circa 1867 by Frederick Dally. Photo courtesy of Rare Books and Special Collections (UL 1001 0020), from the Uno Langmann Collection.
UBC Library is happy to celebrate the legacies of this great province with some newly digitized material.
The Proclamation of British Columbia (previously known as New Caledonia) was officially signed into law more than 150 years ago. On a rainy day in 1858, James Douglas, the Governor of B.C., read out the proclamation to a small audience of 100 people. The historic transition was marked with a 17-gun salute at Fort Langley.
A digitized copy of the proclamation, which created the Colony of British Columbia, is now available at UBC Library to commemorate the occasion.
Meanwhile, four albums from the exceptional Uno Langmann Family Collection of B.C. Photographs are also available online. Offerings include images from an 1867 album called Views in British Columbia, with photos by Frederick Dally. Other images are from an early 1900s album created by Armstrong, Morrison, and Co., and entitled Fraser River Bridge. For more information, please visit the Digitizers’ Blog.
The collection, donated by Uno and Dianne Langmann and Uno Langmann Limited, consists of more than 18,000 rare and unique early photographs from the 1850s to the 1970s. It is considered the premiere private collection of early provincial photos, and an important illustrated history of early photographic methods.
Digitization of the collection is ongoing, and more photos will be available for viewing online in coming months – stay tuned for more details.