"To glimpse this diversity is to feel some of the meaning of being Canadian."?R. Yorke Edwards
R. Yorke Edwards was a pioneer in the field of heritage interpretation in Canada. First with BC Parks and then with the Canadian Wildlife Service, throughout the 1960s Edwards developed an approach to the interpretation of natural and cultural history wi …

This book brings to light the fascinating story of a community and place: Tod Inlet, near Victoria, BC. From the original inhabitants from the Tsartlip First Nation to the lost community of immigrant workers from China and India, from a company town to the development of parkland, the wealth of history in this rich area reflects much of the history …

The only current field guide to sharks and rays of the West Coast of British Columbia.

Sharks! The very mention of the word conjures up images of dangerous creatures with a voracious appetite. This public image couldn?t be farther from the truth for a vast majority of shark species: most are cautious and placid, and many inhabit waters that exclude …

"A magnificent journey alongside orcas, bringing these beautiful creatures to life."?Jay Ritchlin, David Suzuki Foundation

Spirits of the Coast brings together the work of marine biologists, Indigenous knowledge keepers, poets, artists, and storytellers, united by their enchantment with the orca.

Long feared in settler cultures as "killer whales," an …

"Our well beloved dead who died that we might live."

In the town of Merritt, in British Columbia's Nicola Valley, stands a granite cenotaph erected in memory of 44 men who died soldiering in the First World War. Those men came from a Nicola Valley that had been suddenly and dramatically settled just a decade before by the will of railway executives …

A provocative, progressive rejoinder to the status quo, from the perspective of a disrupter and global leader in the museum world.

The challenge to transform museums is unapologetically real and complicated. But everything we learn about reconciliation, science and biodiversity, climate change, and sustainability gives us the confidence and freedom …

The vivid, personal accounts of four women who lived and travelled as settlers in early British Columbia.

??a cloud passing away from the face of the moon revealed a band of wild horses bearing down upon us at a full gallop. As they came near and saw us they divided into two groups, passing by on either side. Had the moon not come out they would pro …

An intimate portrait of privilege and struggle, scandal and accolade, from the Old World to the new colonies of Vancouver's Island and British Columbia.

At the age of 33, Sarah Crease left her home in England to travel with her young family to a farflung outpost of the British Empire on the Pacific coast of North America. The detailed journals, lett …

A reference for BC Indigenous communities and museums, created by and for Indigenous people working in repatriation.

?Our late friend and brother Rod Naknakim said, “Reconciliation and repatriation cannot and should not be separated. The two must anchor our conversation and guide our efforts as we move forward collectively with common purpose and …

On a late summer day, many years ago, a young man set out on a voyage through the mountains. He never reached his destination. When his remains were discovered by three British Columbia hunters, roughly three hundred years after he was caught by a storm or other accident, his story had faded from even the long memory of the region's people. First N …

What is family? Is it defined by blood and birth? Or can we invite whomever we want into that intimate embrace?

The Royal BC Museum's new book, The Language of Family: Stories of Bonds and Belonging, invites readers to pull up a guest chair at the family table.

Twenty contributors from across British Columbia – museum curators, cultural luminaries, …

While some of the historical events we recount have been largely forgotten by the public and largely unexamined by scholars, they reflect an understanding of larger power dynamics that goes beyond the practice of sustained-yield and multiple-use forestry to touch upon important themes in the province's social and cultural history—themes still rel …

Highlights lets you explore British Columbia's natural and human history through dazzling photographs and interesting stories about our objects and displays. Who knows, you may even learn a museum secret or two.

The authors describe 24 species of brittle stars, 8 sea urchins and 2 feather stars inhabiting the coastal waters of BC, the Alaska Panhandle and Puget Sound. All species described live in the shallow waters to a depth of 200 metres; but the authors include species lists of all known species in the region, even those in deeper water. They discuss a …

What would you do if you came face to face with a large yellow waxwing, wild turkey or weather loach? Who would you call if common wall lizards or giant hogweed crept into your back yard?

Alex Van Tol can help. In Aliens Among Us, she identifies more than 50 species of alien animals and plants that have established themselves in British Columbia. Wi …

This beautifully designed book features dramatic new photographs of the collections and exhibitions housed in western Canada's oldest, largest and best-loved museum. It is introduced by CEO Jack Lohman, who created the book as part of a far-reaching revitalization of the Royal British Columbia Museum. Lohman also contributes an insightful essay abo …

There's so much more to discover behind the world-famous exhibitions on display at the Royal BC Museum and Archives. The collections housed in the museum and archives include millions of plant and animal specimens, and great numbers of historical and archaeological artifacts, photographs, films, audio recordings and fine art.

In 1858, reports of gold found on the Fraser River spurred tens of thousands of people?mostly men?to rush into the territory we now call British Columbia. They came with visions of fortune in their eyes. The lucky ones struck it rich, but most left penniless or died trying for the motherlode. Some stayed behind and helped build the colony and the p …

In 1899, at age 27, Emily Carr travelled to London to attend art school. She spent almost five years in England, and in this time her life completely changed. She returned to Canada in 1904 a mature woman, eyes widened from living abroad, chastened because of ill health and technically proficient as an artist.

Historian Kathryn Bridge takes a fresh …

Dr. John Ford presents the latest information on 31 species of marine mammals that live in or visit BC waters: 25 whales, dolphins and porpoises, 5 seals and sea lions, and the sea otter. He describes each species and summarizes its distribution, habitat, social organization, feeding habits, conservation status and much more. Marine Mammals of Brit …

First published in 1965, The Indian History of British Columbia: The Impact of the White Man remains an important book thanks to Wilson Duff's rigorous scholarship. It is an excellent overview of the history of the interaction between the First Nations of British Columbia and the colonial cultures that came to western North America. In its 55 years …

In this collection of illuminating essays, Jack Lohman shares his views on the role of museums in the various cultures of the world, on the importance of

In 1913, the BC government hired G.B. Milligan and E.B. Hart to each lead a small expedition that spent 18 months exploring the northeastern part of British Columbia. These expeditions helped provide the first detailed information of this region. Unfortunately, World War I began just as these men completed their work, and the information they gathe …

Hoofed mammals are the most abundant large mammals in British Columbia. Nine wild native species live here: elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, caribou, bison, mountain goat, bighorn sheep and thinhorn sheep. One introduced species, European fallow deer, also lives in small populations on some coastal islands. David Shackleton provides a comp …

The Victoria region is a natural wonderland—one of the most biologically rich areas of the country, with many plants and animals found nowhere else in Canada. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned naturalist, a visitor or a resident, this book will give you the knowledge you need to get the most out of your explorations of southeastern Vancouve …

Gerry Andrews (1903–2005) had many adventures in his 102 years. He was a rural school teacher, a forester, a soldier and a surveyor. His developments in aerial photography dramatically changed forestry in BC in the late 1930s and assisted the Allies in the D-Day landings. As BC's surveyor-general from 1951 to 1968, he supervised the mapping of th …

The Whaling People live along the west coast of Vancouver Island and Cape Flattery in Washington. They comprise more than 20 First Nations, including the Nuu-chah-nulth, Ditidaht, Pacheedaht and Makah. These socially related people enjoyed a highly organized, tradition-based culture for centuries before Europeans arrived. As whaling societies, they …

In its early days, Victoria was the commercial powerhouse of British Columbia?its largest city and largest market. Nancy Oke and Robert Griffin present a richly illustrated history of the bakers, butchers, grocers, coffee makers and other suppliers of food and drink in Victoria's prosperous early days. They begin in 1843 with the building of the Hu …

Victoria, BC, July 11th 191. . . . With red eyes and a body guard of sniffing "faithfuls" attending us, we start on our long trip abroad. . . .

So begins Emily Carr's memoir of her trip to England with her sister Alice. They travel across Canada by rail to board an ocean liner in Quebec City, meeting interesting characters and having many adventure …

In his third book on the adventures of Frank Swannell, historian Jay Sherwood continues his account of one of BC's most famous surveyors. The 1930s was the era of bush planes, packers and riverboats in northern BC. Swannell photographed them and recorded his experiences with some of BC's colourful characters, including Skook Davidson, who worked wi …

"Missus couldn't run the studio without me," says Billie the dog.

This perpetual calendar is much more than 12 pictures with spaces for notes. Join Emily Carr's faithful companion, Studio Billie, on this light-hearted journey through a year in his life. It's 1909 and "the missus" runs a painting studio in Victoria, where she gives lessons to student …

On a winter's day in 1889, Tsimshian Chief Arthur Wellington Clah went to Hannah and Richard Maynard's photography studio in Victoria "to give myself likeness." In Images from the Likeness House, Dan Savard explores the relationship between First Peoples in British Columbia, Alaska and Washington and the photographers who made images of them from t …

In 1934, in the middle of the Great Depression, millionaire Charles Bedaux spent $250,000 in an attempt to cross northern British Columbia in five motorized vehicles. The Bedaux Expedition ranks as one of the most audacious and unusual events in the province's history. Bannock and Beans tells the story of this extravagant failure from the perspecti …

At the height of Pacific-coast steamship travel in the late 1800s and early 1900s, passengers enjoyed a sit-down dinner served on china with silver flatware. Today, the only way you can still find this china is by scouring flea markets and antique shops or by diving at old dock sites and on shipwrecks.

Pacific Coast Ship China identifies and dates s …

Humans share a long history with carnivores. We fear them as predators, revile them as competitors, exploit them for their fur, or admire them for their grace and beauty. This book, the fifth of six volumes on the mammals of BC, provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on the 21 species of wild terrestrial carnivores in the province. Species …

Highlighted by brilliant photographs, the colourful stories of British Columbia's history leap off the pages of this beautiful book. BC became a colony in 1858, and this book celebrates its 150 years with a selection of vignettes about objects from our collective past and the people intimately involved with them. This entertaining book captures the …

Nancy Turner describes more than 150 plants traditionally harvested and eaten by First Peoples east of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia and northern Washington. Each description includes information on where to find the plant and a discussion on traditional methods of harvesting and preparation.

Frank Swannell contributed greatly to the shape of British Columbia by surveying and mapping large portions of the province over three decades. He also took thousands of photographs and kept detailed journals of his travels. In his second book on Swannell's adventures, Jay Sherwood presents central BC through the eyes and words of one of BC's most …

In Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples, renowned ethnobotanist Nancy J. Turner describes more than 100 plants traditionally harvested and eaten by coastal aboriginal groups. Each description contains botanical details and a colour photograph to help identify the plant, information on where to find it, and a discussion on traditional methods of har …

In Up-Coast, award-winning author Richard A. Rajala offers the first comprehensive history of the forest industry on British Columbia's central and north coast. He integrates social, political, and environmental themes to depict the relationship of coastal people and communities to the forest from the late 19th century to the present. The account b …

Wild Flowers is a collection of Emily Carr's delightfully evocative impressions of native flowers and shrubs. She wrote these short pieces later in life and they rekindled in her strong childhood memories and associations. She delights in the brightness of buttercups that "let Spring's secret out," muses over the hardiness of stonecrop ("How any pl …

This book is the most comprehensive work on alders, birches, oaks, poplars, willows and other catkin-bearing plants in British Columbia. Dr. T.C. Brayshaw describes all 67 species?and many subspecies and varieties?each accompanied by a detailed line drawing and a distribution map. The book also includes diagnostic keys to the families, genera and s …

Snails and slugs have a reputation as slimy, repulsive creatures that are nothing more than garden pests, but they are important components of the ecosystems they live in. In fact, most of the pest slugs and snails are introduced species that have come here with the plants we import for our gardens. Worldwide there are more species of snails and sl …

Rodents are the world's most numerous and diverse group of mammals. British Columbia is home to 45 species, from the tiny western harvest mouse to the large and toothy beaver, and from the ubiquitous rats and squirrels to the endangered Vancouver Island marmot. Just seven species of lagomorphs inhabit BC: five rabbits and hares, and two pikas.

Most …

In the mid 1840s, 50 years after first contact with Europeans, the Songhees people amalgamated on a reserve across the harbour from the newly built Fort Victoria. Grant Keddie tells the story of the old Songhees Reserve through the eyes of outsiders, expressed in newspaper reports and private journals, and depicted in sketches, paintings and photog …

Peter Macnair and Alan Hoover recount the history of Haida argillite carving since it began in the early 1800s, and they describe more than 200 examples from the extensive collection of the Royal BC Museum. Argillite is a dense, black shale mined from a quarry on Haida Gwaii, reserved for the exclusive use of Haida carvers. Argillite works are uniq …

Has your silver lost its lustre? Have your photos faded? Has the family quilt come undone?

Fear not. In this entertaining and easy-to-read book, Colleen Wilson will help you keep your most precious household possessions in pristine condition.

Nancy Turner and Richard Hebda present the results of many years of working with botanical experts from the Saanich Nation on southern Vancouver Island. Elders Violet Williams, Elsie Claxton, Christopher Paul and Dave Elliott pass on their knowledge of plants and their uses to future generations of Saanich and Coast Salish people, and to anyone int …