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Gold nugget
An unworked nugget of gold, .09g. This is reputed to be the piece of gold that launched the gold rush in California. It was found on 24 January 1848 by James Marshall while supervising the construction of a sawmill for Col. John Sutter on the South…
Rigged model of the Gold Rush clipper ‘ Challenge’
From the east coast of the US the journey to the Californian gold fields was long and arduous whether undertaken by land or a combination of land and sea. ‘The Challenge’, the largest merchant ship at the time, was built in 1851. It was a clipper…
Chinese Spectacle Case
This Chinese spectacle case was brought from China to California during the Gold Rush. This would be have been considered a luxury and treasured item. This can be seen because of the specific silk embroidery on the red leather case. These type of…
Gold pan
A rusted gold sifting pan. Equipment used in sifting gold by hand. Tools such as the gold pan allowed gold prospectors to sift for gold on their own, without the need for a team to operate large machinery. It also allowed prospectors to test the…
Weapon
A weapon made of a dark brown wood, with shark teeth affixed at one end, believed to be from ninetieth century. This object is useful for thinking about the ways in which indigenous Hawaiian groups used the materials that they had around them for…
Haida Headdress frontlet
This object is part of a traditional headdress worn by indigenous peoples, Haida, in the mid-nineteenth century. It was recovered by the Royal BC Museum to show traditional headwear from this period. It appear to depict a Shaman. This object fits…
Heiltsuk Chief’s settee
This source is a carved settee made by Richard Carpenter, a chief and carver of the Heiltsuk tribe. This settee was intricately carved out of wood with clear patterns and designs of birds and other animals on it. As a settee, it would have been used…
Chinese Weighing Scales
This is a set of Chinese weighing scales, which were used to measure the weight and worth of gold found in British Columbia. The gold found would be placed on one side of the scales, and one of the weights would be placed on the other, when both are…
Kwakiutl Songs
The earliest surviving sound recordings from 19th century British Columbia feature a funeral song, healing incantations and a gambling song all performed by Tom Haimasela. The round phonograph cylinders were used as methods to record sound and were…
Coast Salish Robe
A colourful stylish robe, with traditional twined and twill woven materials. The robe features simplistic patterns and is made from mountain- goat wool and hair from ‘wool dogs’ which were bred specifically for the textile industry purpose. Its from…