Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Hamber family fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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[ca. 1850-1987] (Creation)
- Creator
- Hamber family
Physical description area
Physical description
1.1 m of textual records and other material
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Eric Werge Hamber (1879-1960) was born in Parkdale, Manitoba, the oldest son of Ada Jefferson and Frederick Edmund Marsh Hamber, who had emigrated to Canada from England. He was educated at the Anglican St. John's College for Boys in Winnipeg, and later went to work in Winnipeg for the Dominion Bank of Canada, becoming manager at Calgary, Alberta, in 1906, Vancouver in 1908, and London in 1911. He was also an accomplished athlete. He married Aldyen Hendry in 1912, the only daughter of John Hendry, a prominent businessman and industrialist. Eric Hamber became general manager and vice-president of Hendry's vast network of logging, mining, and transportation companies. After Hendry's death in 1916, Hamber was left wholly in charge of the operation until the mill site was sold to the Vancouver Harbour Commission in 1925. Hamber was appointed British Columbia's fifteenth Lieutenant Governor in 1936. In addition to his business and political involvements, Hamber served throughout his career on the Board of Directors of several large companies. In 1944, he became Chancellor of the University of British Columbia. After her husband's death, Aldyen Hamber remained active and continued to support the same charitable organizations. She died in 1988.
Name of creator
Name of creator
Name of creator
Biographical history
Custodial history
Materials were moved to 3851 Pine Crescent in 1960 following Eric Hamber's death under the custodianship of Aldyen Hamber. She split her time between there and the Panabode. Upon her death in 1988 and the execution of her will by Canada Trust, the contents of the house were bequeathed to Aldyen's long time secretary, Mae Rice. Mrs. Rice being in poor health, her son Lawrence took over the affairs and donated the fonds to the City of Vancouver Archives. Certain objects, such as a monogrammed shirt, John Hendry's wallet, printers blocks from the Hastings Mill, and copies of photographs have been transferred to the Vancouver Museum. Films were transferred to the BC Archives in June 1989 and transferred back in November 2007.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records of the Hamber and Hendry families and of Eric Hamber including photographs, films, manuscripts and fine art. The photographs, 1880-1985, consist primarily of professional studio portraiture and the manuscript material consists primarily of souvenirs or memorabilia. Photographs depict the Hamber and Hendry families and Eric Hamber's life as an international financier, B.C. Lieutenant Governor, industrialist, athlete, and rancher. The films are primarily home movies that depict a range of social activities in which the Hamber family was involved. Two films are newsreel items documenting a polo game for BC Challenge Trophy and the visit of Governor General his excellency the Right Honourable the Earl of Bessborough, PC, GCMC, and her excellency the Countess of Bessborough to the Britannia Mines on board of Eric Hamber's yacht.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
- Fonds donated by Larry Rice in January 1989.
- A copy of Richard Mackie's manuscript, For Empire and Industry: Eric Hamber and British Columbia, 1987, was subsequently donated in Feburary 1990 by Canada Trust on behalf of the Hamber Foundation.
- Films were transfered from BC Archives, Royal BC Museum Corporation in November 2007.
Arrangement
- Photographs in this fonds have been assigned the prefix CVA 703.
- Documentary art in this fonds have been assigned the prefix 90-2.
- Films in this fonds have been assigned numbers MI-131 to MI-153.