Collection LoAA29 - Thomas Lindsay and Beatrice Muriel May Thacker Collection

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Thomas Lindsay and Beatrice Muriel May Thacker Collection

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material

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Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title is based on the provenance of the collection.

Level of description

Collection

Reference code

LoAA29

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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)

  • 1930 - 1955 (Creation)
    Creator
    Thomas Lindsay Thacker
  • 1930 - 1955 (Creation)
    Creator
    Beatrice Muriel May Thacker

Physical description area

Physical description

1.9 cm of textual records.
2 photographs : b&w ; 9 x 11.5 cm.

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1878 - 1961)

Biographical history

Thomas Lindsay (T.L.) Thacker was an early settler and pioneer who lived in the area of Hope, British Columbia during the early 20th century. Born in 1878 in the United Kingdom, he married Beatrice Muriel May Sprague in 1908 and the couple started a homestead near Hope, on Little Mountain. Both were keenly interested in wildlife and were considered naturalists of the area, as they frequently travelled backroads to collect bird and other animal specimens. The Thackers were also involved in local archaeological projects near Hope, although the full extent of their engagement with archaeology is relatively unknown. In his later years, Thacker worked selling insurance and real estate in addition to accounting. He passed away at the age of 82 in Agassiz on March 21, 1961.

Name of creator

(1871 - 1953)

Biographical history

Beatrice Muriel May Thacker (née Sprague) was an English settler and pioneer who lived in Hope, British Columbia. Thacker was born in 1871 in Kent and grew up in Scotland, prior to travelling to Canada to meet her fiancé and visit British Columbia. After marrying Thomas Lindsay Thacker in 1908, she had four children and maintained the homestead together with her spouse. Both of the Thackers were keenly interested in wildlife and were considered naturalists of the area, as they frequently travelled backroads to collect bird and other animal specimens. An amateur naturalist, scientist, and archaeologist, Thacker occasionally published in scientific journals. She also collected samples of various animals including salamanders and owls, with many of her samples being donated to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and the Royal BC Museum. Together with her spouse Thomas, she also engaged in amateur archaeological and ethnological work in and around the area of Hope. Thacker passed away at the age of 81 on October 13, 1953.

Custodial history

The Thomas Lindsay and Beatrice Muriel May Thacker Collection includes records from two main sources: the former “Thacker survey project fonds” and the Thacker file that was previously located in the Dr. Charles Borden author series of the LOA Administration fonds. The latter has been in the custody of the Lab of Archaeology Archives since its donation after Borden’s death in 1978. In the case of the “Thacker survey project fonds”, no custodial records have been found. In January 2024, the “Thacker survey project fonds” and the previously mentioned Thacker file were combined and reorganized to better reflect the joint archaeological activities of the couple.

Scope and content

The Thomas Lindsay and Beatrice Muriel May Thacker Collection includes all the records in the custody of the Lab of Archaeology that relate to the couple’s amateur archaeological activities and record-keeping. This includes a range of drawings, notes, measurements, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and photographs that record information about artifacts found, and cultural heritage in the area of Hope, and general archaeological and First Nations information in B.C. This collection consists of 1 box and series 1 – 5. Series 1 consists of three files that hold decontextualized newspaper clippings that have been kept with the Thacker collection since the Lab of Archaeology gained custody of the records. Files 2-3 in Series 1 are stored in the oversize storage/map cabinet area in drawer 7. Series 2 consists of a single file relating to an archaeological survey that T.L. Thacker contributed to starting in 1935. Series 3 contains handwritten notes and textual records, including one small publication. Series 4 consists of hand drawn images of artifact and two print photographs of one artifact. Series 5 consists of correspondence written by T.L. and Beatrice Muriel May Thacker to various museum and archaeology specialists, including Harlan I. Smith.
This fonds has been arranged into 5 Series:
• Series 1 – Newspaper Clippings
• Series 2 – 1935 Hope Archaeological Survey (formerly the Thacker survey project fonds)
• Series 3 – Notes and Miscellaneous Textual Records
• Series 4 – Artifact Drawings and Photographs
• Series 5 – Correspondence

Notes area

Physical condition

Physical condition is only noted at the series level in this collection.

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

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Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Material from this fonds has not been digitized. Contact the LOA Archivist for further information.

Restrictions on access

Some materials from this collection may be restricted for privacy or cultural sensitivity reasons. Contact the LOA Archivist for further information.

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Under Copyright. Permission must be obtained from rights holder prior to reproduction or publication.

Finding aids

File list is available.

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

No new accruals are expected at this time.

Alternative identifier(s)

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Status

Final

Level of detail

Full

Language of description

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