Fonds MsC-58 - Hilary Brown fonds

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Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Hilary Brown fonds

General material designation

  • Textual records
  • Graphic materials
  • Sound recordings

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Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

MsC-58

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1909-2007 (Creation)
    Creator
    Brown, Hilary

Physical description area

Physical description

2.21 m of textual records and other material

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Name of creator

(1909-2007)

Biographical history

Joan Hilary Brown (nee Newitt) was born on March 21, 1909 in Helensburg, Scotland. Like many of her peers she went by her middle name and was known to all as Hilary Brown. Upon completion of her school studies Brown studied French and German in Geneva and Frankfurt with the aim of becoming an interpreter. During her time at the University of Frankfurt (1929 -1932) Hilary met Harrison Brown, a journalist, who would become her lifelong partner.

In 1937 Brown’s book "Women Must Choose", a study of women in democratic, socialist, and fascist states was published. Brown undertook several lectures tours throughout the US to promote the book. She received a contract for a second book, "Half of Humanity", which was never published due to the publisher’s demands that the manuscript be diluted to make it more appealing for a female audience. The same year she moved permanently to Hornby Island, British Columbia, with Harrison Brown. Throughout the 1950’s Brown was a regular contributor to CBC Radio, producing broadcasts on an array of subjects.

Brown was to become an active member of the Hornby Island community and became a founder of many of the Island’s landmarks such as the Hornby Island Co-op, Hornby Island Credit Union, New Horizons, and the Heron Rocks Friendship Society.

In 1973, the governing New Democratic Party passed legislation to create an Island’s Trust to oversee the island’s located in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound. The following year Brown was appointed as the inaugural Director and Chair of the Islands Trust for a two year period.

The death of Harrison in 1977 did not slow Brown down. In the late 1970’s and 1980’s Brown embarked on a series of trips to China and produced an unpublished study "Tomorrow’s Ancestors" which examined the plight of the elderly. The venture was supported by the Canada Council and the National Film Board.

In 1991 Brown became one of the founders of the "Gulf Island Guardian" and in 1992 received the Governor General’s Medal in honour of the 125th anniversary of the confederation of Canada.

On September 28th 2007, at the age of the 98, Brown died on Hornby Island, her home of seventy years.

Custodial history

The material was collected and maintained by Hilary Brown until her death in 2007. Simon Fraser University Library, Special Collections and Rare Books acquired the materials in several accruals from 2007-2010.

Scope and content

The fonds consists mainly of textual materials, including correspondence and diaries. Also present are photo albums, scrapbooks, photographs, slides, and audio cassettes. The fonds has been arranged into the following eighteen series: Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society (1968-2005), Heron Rocks Camping Co-op (1952-2007), Tomorrows Ancestors (1964-1985), China (1936-1996), Personal correspondence (1932-2005), Island’s Trust (1970-2002), Community activities and interests (1942-2004), Women’s issues (1938-2003), Writing, lecturing and broadcasting (1933-2000), Memoirs (1909-2000), Diaries (1929-1984), Notebooks (1930-1990), Address books (1970-1980), Correspondence to Harrison Brown (1935-1971), Correspondence from Harrison Brown (1931-1975), Photographs and slides (1909-2007), Audio cassettes (1974-1992), and Ephemera (1910-2003).

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

The materials were arranged according to the original filling system of the creator and to facilitate research.

Language of material

Script of material

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Reproduction of material subject to approval by a Special Collections and Rare Books Librarian.

Finding aids

Finding aid

Associated materials

Also see the Harrison Brown Fonds located at Simon Fraser University Library’s Special Collections and Rare Books department.

Related materials

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Physical description

Includes 6 diaries, 5 notebooks, 3 address books, 8 photograph albums (ca.1000 photographs), 19 negative sheets, 1 scrap book, 604 slides and 57 audio cassettes.

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Status

Published

Level of detail

Full

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Arranged and described by Jamie Sanford (Summer 2010)

Language of description

  • English

Script of description

Sources

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