Our Collections
- B.C. Fire Insurance MapsFire Insurance Plans consist of detailed maps that show the character of insured buildings from 1885 to 1968. Cities included in this collection are Burnaby, North Vancouver, Oak Bay, Point Grey, Saanich, South Vancouver, Victoria, West Vancouver, University Endowments Lands and Vancouver.
- Archival CollectionsSome of the archival collections at Rare Books and Special Collections contain maps of Vancouver, the surrounding area, and Canada.
- Japanese Maps of Tokugawa EraThis collection includes the collections of George Beans and George Bonn and is one of the largest collections of maps and guidebooks of the Tokugawa period in the world. There is world coverage, but the majority of the maps feature the whole of Japan or focus on regions of the country. A number of prominent Japanese ukiyo-e artists are represented, among whom are Hishikawa Moronobu, Miyagawa Chôshun, Shiba Kôkan, Kuwagata Keisai (Shôshin), Katsushika Hokusai, Ando Hiroshige and Hashimoto Sadahide.
- L. Stanley Deane CollectionThis collection includes mainly European maps and atlases dating from the 16th-19th century, including maps by a number of significant cartographers, such as Blaeu, Coronelli, Janson, Hondius, Bonne, Delisle, Senex and Speed. The collection features mainly maps of Europe but includes some other areas of the world.
- Howay-Reid Maps of British ColumbiaThis collection consists of the map collections of F.W. Howay and Dr. Robie L. Reid, donated in 1943 and 1945, respectively. The collection features maps of pre-Confederation Canada and the Pacific coast of Canada. It includes maps about the fur trade, voyages and exploration, and the search for the Northwest Passage.
- Coolie-Verner Map CollectionThis collection features maps of North America, eastern Russia, and China from the 16th-20th centuries. There are groups of maps featuring the explorations of Cook, Vancouver, La Perouse, Müller, Cluny, De Fonte, Dixon and Meares, Mackenzie and Hearne. The map collection consists of some 400 maps, including originals and some photocopies.
- Andrew McCormick Maps and PrintsA diverse collection of historical maps and illustrations, dating from 1503 to 1910, documenting the exploration and mapping of the world, the evolution of cartography, and the exploration and settlement of North America, collected by Andrew McCormick, a long-time faculty member of UBC's Department of Ophthamology.
- Chung Collection
In 1999, the Chung family made an exceptional gift to the University of British Columbia Library, with their donation of The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection. In making a generous gift of this unique and extensive research collection, Dr. Chung gives back to Canada something of what he and his family have gained since his grandfather came from China to settle in Victoria more than 100 years ago.
The Chung Collection has its own dedicated website with descriptions and links to over 25,000 items.
