Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (1930's-'40's)

Contents 

Jack's personal file of letters, documents, and papers. Pertaining mainly to the Cypress Bowl area, Hollyburn's cabin community, and the promotion of skiing in B.C., this file's significance was only fully realized within the last dozen years. The assembled record in its entirety attests to Jack's several decades of volunteer work, dedication, and steadfast leadership on behalf of local skiers. Other items relevant to the time are also included. 

Cyril John 'Jack' Hutchinson  1910 - 1975

Thelma's photographs. Preserved in three albums, they chronicle cabin life, the various participants in Hollyburn's year-round social scene, local competitions, and skiing trips. Thelma was an enthusiastic and prolific amateur photographer, and took many, if not most, of the photographs herself. Perhaps she even developed some; a tiny hall closet in the family home was once her darkroom. She also included professional shots, credited where possible.

Thelma Ruth (Stevens) Hutchinson  1914 - 1988

Thelma's captions and page notes. The last page of photographs, Page 10, also includes captions written by Kathleen Stevens, Thelma's mother. Photo Groups 34 and 35, #1 to #33, are from Kathleen's own albums.

~~~  

Don Grant, in his position as Archivist / Historian of the Hollyburn Heritage Society and the Hollyburn Ridge Association, devoted countless hours between September 2018 and January 2021 to the preservation of this collection in digital form. Don collated and scanned all the original papers, and included articles written by Jack and Thelma, that he located in various archived 1930's and '40's publications. He scanned all the photographs, and electronically cleaned, edited, and restored them where necessary. He also converted images to original black and white while preserving sepia tones. He transcribed all the handwritten captions, including notes on the backs of the photographs. These steps involved the delicate operation of removing each photo from its mounting corners, and then replacing it, in the now-fragile albums. Where needed, he added HHS clarifications in brackets. 

~~~

Sadly, Don passed away on January 22, 2021. Our family has enormous appreciation and gratitude for Don's timely assistance and willingness to shoulder such a huge commitment. His kind interest, generosity, and expertise will be remembered.

Thanks to Don's gift, Jack and Thelma's gift lives on.

On behalf of my brothers, our spouses, Thelma and Jack's grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, I am proud to share my parents' legacy with everyone interested in the history of their beloved mountain, Hollyburn, and their equally beloved Vancouver, British Columbia.                                                                             

Ruth (Hutchinson) Alsemgeest, November 2022.

~~~

Note Regarding Hutchinson Photo Captions

The captions in the digital photo galleries below have been transcribed from those appearing in the original photo albums. This includes handwritten captions that appear in the photo albums and in many cases remarks on the backs of individual photos. Editorial changes and clarifications are noted in parenthesis. Note, this remains a work in progress with possible updates as needed.

Examples of captions and notes in original photo album.