The History collection at the Royal BC Museum documents British Columbia’s diverse social, cultural, and economic history. It strives to reflect the province’s multicultural heritage and features objects from industries like canning, mining, and brewing. The collection highlights professional fields and organizations including public health and medicine, policing, surveying, and community-focused groups such as the Women’s Institute. Items from daily domestic life illustrate evolving material culture, notably represented through an extensive furniture collection. Unique collections include BC-made ceramics, hotelware, and locally crafted silverware. The textile collection contains over 10,000 items, spanning quilts, samplers, lace, and historical clothing dating back several centuries.
In accordance with museum policy and DRIPA, permission for use of images of Indigenous belongings must be received from the associated Indigenous family, community or Nation.
The collections include materials which contain information, language, and images that may be outdated or harmful. We acknowledge that this is a result of the long collecting history of the Royal BC Museum. We are actively researching the collections alongside communities to improve the information in our records. If you have any corrections or suggestions, please contact databasesupport@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
