China, America and the Pacific

This item forms part of the Wallace B Chung and Madeline H Chung collection. In 1999, the Chung family made this exceptional gift to the University of British Columbia Library. The collection, now housed in UBC's Irving K Barber Learning Centre, contains more than 25,000 rare and unique items (documents, books, maps, posters, paintings, photographs, silver, glass, ceramic ware and other artefacts). 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. Inspired to start collecting by an illustrated poster of the CP RMS Empress of Asia in his father’s tailor shop in Victoria, Dr Wallace B Chung assembled an extensive research collection of items on early British Columbia history, immigration and settlement, particularly of Chinese people in North America, and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. The collection is one of the most exceptional and extensive of its kind in North America and has been designated as a national treasure by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board.

Please note that some of the metadata for this document has been drawn from the University of British Columbia library catalogue.