More than 7,000 archival photos of the Sunshine Coast dating back to the late 1800s are at your fingertips on the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives website. The museum’s online photograph collection is your portal for images of people, places and events on the Sunshine Coast from Port Mellon to Jervis Inlet. With a few keystrokes, you can search the museum’s entire photo collection and explore the fascinating histories of the region. See what the promenade in Sechelt looked like in 1905, or check out images of the popular summertime regattas from Pender Harbour or Granthams Landing.
The photograph collection can be searched by keyword, date or description. Another intriguing option is to use the random image option. With an ever-changing array of photographs, you never know what inspiration or treasures you might find. A good place to start your search is the collections of Helen McCall and Harry Winn, two early coastal photographers. The museum’s online collection also includes archival documents, which are being added weekly. There is no charge to use the database. If you wish to purchase high-resolution images for personal or educational use, you can do that, too, by filling out an online order form. High-resolution images cost $15 per digital file.
The museum acknowledges the hard work of image technician Garry Morrison for his countless hours digitizing the collection. With its photographs and archives digitized, the museum does not have to access the original documents for research, which lessens preservation concerns and heightens public accessibility. Visit the museum’s website at www.sunshinecoastmuseum.ca and click Collections to access the photographs. But first a warning: you may lose hours while searching the collection – it can be highly addictive.
