Fonds AR480 - Ko Bong family fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Ko Bong family fonds

General material designation

  • Graphic material
  • Moving images
  • Textual record

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of fonds.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA UVICARCH AR480

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)

  • 1904 - 1971 (Creation)

Physical description area

Physical description

10 film reels : col. and b&w ; 16 mm

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

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

Custodial history

Scope and content

The amateur films of Mathew Ko date from the late 1930s to early 1950s and are examples of the popular home movie genre. As historical documents, Ko’s films are exceptional: in their record of family and community life in Victoria and the region during this time, for the number of events represented in each film, and for the use of colour film stock. Aside from a small amount of footage in black and white, Mathew Ko shot in 16mm Kodachrome (introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935), as well as Kodak and Ansco 16mm stock. Though they contain no sound tracks, his films vividly document significant social, cultural and political events in Chinatown and other areas of downtown Victoria and surrounding neighborhoods, Vancouver Island, the City of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

Scenes from the films include: Beacon Hill Park; the Chinese Public School; the Empress Hotel, the Parliament Buildings and Inner Harbour; family scenes, outings and trips; a protest against the sale of scrap iron to Japan (August 1939); pageants and celebrations in Victoria’s Chinatown, including the Rice Bowl Festival, Lion Dance and martial arts demonstrations; Royal Athletic Park pageant and drill team events; the Royal Visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Victoria (May 1939); trains and steamships; World War II patriotic and post-War parades in Victoria and Vancouver; and youth activities including Scouts and YMCA outings.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Films donated in 2013 by Valerie Ko, Mathew Ko's daughter, and with the assistance of artist and writer Robert Amos, RCA.
The Simon Ko Bong material was transferred from Burnaby Village Museum, November 2018.

Arrangement

Language of material

Script of material

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Finding aids

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

2013-033

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Control area

Description record identifier

Institution identifier

Rules or conventions

Status

Revised

Level of detail

Partial

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Revised by JF, January 27, 2022.

Language of description

  • English

Script of description

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related places