Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Peter Thorne fonds
General material designation
- Photograph
- Textual record
Parallel title
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Title statements of responsibility
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Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
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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)
Physical description area
Physical description
2.3 m of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Gordon Peter Thorne was born in Vancouver on Sep. 20, 1938 to Ivy and Gordon “Kit” Thorne. Peter Thorne was an amateur geologist who also published articles as a freelance geology writer. Another source of income for Thorne was window painting for commercial storefronts. Thorne was raised and resided in Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood for most of life. He was also an out gay man. Besides geology, his other interests included classical music and photography. Peter Thorne passed away on January 4, 2020.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Fonds consists of 48 personal diaries of Peter Thorne as well as one sketchbook. Entries document his daily life and his areas of interest including geology, fossils, and astronomy. Portions of entries are written in shorthand (Pitman?) script. Photograph prints are also incorporated into the diaries. Most diaries contain photographs showing views of the West End or downtown Vancouver, as well as shots of geological formations or fossils taken by Thorne either locally or during regular trips to various sites around the British Columbia or Washington State. Besides geological subject matter, photographs also generally show self portraits, family and friends, local landscapes, downtown, Stanley Park and West End streets. Diaries created later in life more predominantly consist of photographs rather than handwritten or typed entries. Each diary volume also includes a small amount of loose material such as postcards, stamps, correspondence, cards, clippings and other ephemera.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Records donated in 2020.
Arrangement
Diaries and sketchbook are arranged in chronological order.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
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Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
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Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals expected.