Research at Vancouver Maritime Museum

Are you working on a project that features maritime history in the British Columbia or the Arctic?

The Vancouver Maritime museum has world-class collections of resources.

The W.B & M.H. Chung Library is an established research library with books, manuscripts, reference files, and periodicals relating to maritime history.

The Leonard G. McCann Archives includes over 100,000 images depicting ships, ports, commerce and the cultural life of our maritime heritage. The archives also includes ship plans, charts, logbooks, films, sound recordings and much more. 56 fonds include records from a variety of creators, such as marine historians, ship captains, and shipping companies. Information about the records in the archives may be found on our Open Collections database.

The museum’s artifact collection is also accessible to approved researchers. The museum houses over 15,000 objects that reflect the city’s long connection with Vancouver, the Pacific Northwest and the Arctic. The collection also represents European, Asian, North American and First Nations sources. Information about the artifacts in the collection may be found on our Open Collections database.

Accessing the Collections

Appointments to access the collections are necessary and each researcher must complete our Researcher Registration Form. Once the librarian & archivist has received the form, you will be contacted to arrange an appointment. 

Make an appointment to access the collections:

1. Search the collections database to determine which resources you require access to.

2. Complete the Researcher Registration Form and a staff member will contact you.

3. Read the Reference Room Guidelines.

Researching Remotely

The librarian & archivist will provide 30 minutes of free research for patrons who are not able to visit the museum in person. After 30 minutes, the museum will charge an hourly rate for a minimum request of 1 hour. Please refer to the schedule of fees for the latest rates. Local researchers may also be hired to conduct research on your behalf. Researchers for hire may be located using a Google search. We do not maintain a list of available researchers.

Not sure what you are looking for? Need more information? Contact the librarian & archivist at archives@vanmaritime.com.

Reproductions

Scanning, photocopying, and photographic reproduction services are available for a fee. Requests for reproductions may be completed directly from the Open Collections database. You may also contact the Librarian & Archivist  at archives@vanmaritime.com for assistance.