Hornby Island Community Archives
R.G. 37
Acc. No.:
Finding aid created by Regan Fahey
Last Upadated: October 2019
Title: Grace Melvin Collection
Level of description: Collection
Extent:13 cm
Creator(s): Grace Melvin, Mr.Roozeboom, S.H. Anderson, Greville Seon, Ada Parnell, Brigadier Peter Sheilds, M.McLeod, Evelyn Fowler, Mary Fletcher, Leonard Woods, Margaet Sinclair
Dates of Creation: 1943-2012
Biographical sketch: Grace Melvin (1893-1977) was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1893 and studied at the Glasgow School of Art during the late 1920’s when the ‘Art Nouveau Movement’ was at its height. In 1930 she published “Basic Lettering for Art Students” which is still used to this day. After 7 years on staff at the Glasgow School of Art she was invited by her brother-in-law Charles Scott to come to Vancouver to help organize the design section of the newly established Vancouver School of Art, where she remained until her retirement as the head of the Design Department in 1952. Miss Melvin also illustrated several books for Marius Barbeau, travelling with him to Alaska. In the 1940’s Miss Melvin purchased an old farm house on 40 acres on Hornby Island (named Restharrow Farm) and acerage on Tribune Bay where she had a small studio built. Grace, Jean and Charles Scott (her sister and brother-in-law) became well known seasonal residents, visiting in the summer months and during holidays.
Scope and content: This collection is predominantly composed of personal letters to Grace Melvin from local Hornby Islanders and documents related to Grace Melvin’s properties on Hornby Island.
Source of supplied title: The creator and subject of the records is the source of the supplied title.
Immediate source of acquisition: Hornby Island Community Archives employee Margaret Sinclair collected the material from Kay Scott and Leonard Woods, stored in her crawl space for a few years and returned the material to the Archvies by dropping it off at the home of Oakley Rankin, an Archvies Committee volunteer.
Arrangement: This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Language of materials: English
Record no.: R.G. 37
Repository: Hornby Island Community Archives
Finding aids: Finding aid available with file level control.
Accruals: Further accruals are not expected
File Inventory
Box 1
1-1 Correspondence, 1948-1949
Re: letters to Grace Melvin from Hornby Island Lodge operator Mr.Roozeboom and from Mr. Lefler residing at Rest Harrow Farm regarding the maintenance of Grace’s property on Hornby Island.
1-2 Correspondence and ephemera, 1949
Re: requested well literature
1-3 Correspondence and ephemera, 1949
Re: Grace Melvin’s purchasing of 20 acres at Tribune Bay for the price of $2000.00, including an unsigned copy of the agreement for sale of land.
1-4 Map, c.1949
Re: handrawn map of Section 10 of Hornby Island with ownership of properties noted
1-5 Correspondence, 1950-1951
Re: letters to Grace Melvin from S.H (Hillier) Anderson regarding livestock issues, timber sales, mail service to Hornby Island, and pleasantries
1-6 Correspondence and writings, 1950-1951
Re: letters to Grace Melvin from Greville Seon regarding preparing 900 turkeys for market, Remi Savoie’s upcoming marriage, surveying of property at the Lodge, mail delivery, Stonehouse taking over at the Lodge, and a poem by Greville written for Grace because she didn’t want to prune the apple trees.
1-7 Correspondence, 1951
Re: letter written to Grace Melvin from Ada Parnell acting as Secretary of the Women’s Institute asking Grace if she would give a demonstration on pottery and the surveying of the propery at the Lodge
1-8 Correspondence, 1951-1952
Re: letters written to Grace Melvin from Peter (Brigadier Sheilds) regarding mail delivery, road conditions, and transportation issues as well as pleasantries.
1-9 Correspondence, 1953
Re: letters written to Grace Melvin from Murdoch (?) MacLeod regarding maitenance at Rest Harrow, the Ferry Committee and other local gossip.
1-10 Correspondence, 1953-1955
Re: letters written to Grace Melvin from Evelyn Fowler regarding transportation matters, maintenance at Grace’s house, the deaths of Mrs and Mr. Parnell, the Savoie’s, domestic chores, the ferry, Christmas, the weather, establishment of the Co-op, Halloween shenanigans and other local gossip.
1-11 Correspondence, 1956, 1958
Re: petroleum and natural gas lease
1-12 Rest Harrow Farm: ephemera and correspondence, 1958 (10 photographs)
Re: homemade for sale advertisments for Grace Melvin’s Ostby Road property
1-13 Correspondence, 1963, n.d
Re: letters written to Grace Melvin attributed to Mary (Olivia) Fletcher regarding the sale of a portion of her Ostby Road property and maitenance of her Tribune Bay studio
1-14 Map, 1963
Re: Subdivision Plan of part of the S.E. 1/4 of the N.W. 1/4 of Section 10 Hornby Island
1-15 2 sketches, n.d
Re: 2 sketches in ink by an unattributed hand, of Grace Melvin’s studio (or “day cottage” as it was also known) at her Tribune Bay property.
1-16 3 woodblock prints, n.d
Re: attributed to Grace Melvin
1-17 Ephemera, 1974, n.d (3 photographss)
Re: newspaper clipping and art exhibition handout
17-1 Grace in her garden
17-2 Grace in her garden
17-3 Charles Scott
1-18 Correspondence, 2011
Re: letters between Margaret Sinclair (Hornby Island Community Archives employee) and Leonard Woods (old friend of Grace Melvin) regarding meeting, exchanging information about Grace and donations to the archives
1-19 Ephemera and correspondence, 1980, 2012
Re: publication “Glasgow School of Art Embroidery 1894-1920” with a section on Grace Melvin, and a letter from Leonard Woods to Margaret Sinclair in which he speaks of Grace, the Art Nouveau and her relationship with the Vanvouver School of Art as well as gives details about the Grace Melvin painting he donated to the Archives
1-20 Publication, 1943
Re: The Indian Speaks by Marius Barbeau and Grace Melvin