Fonds F0195 - Bob Gibson fonds.

Original Digital object not accessible

Identity area

Reference code

CA ACU SPC F0195

Title

Bob Gibson fonds.

Date(s)

  • 1876-1988 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

5.66 m of textual records, drawings, ceramics.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Canadian war veteran, artist, avid reader and book collector, William Robert (Bob) Gibson was born into a farming family in Springbank, Alberta, in 1908. Books and reading seized his imagination from early childhood; Jules Verne was an early favourite. Reading became even more important during a year-long period when scarlet fever kept him largely confined to his bed. Later, as a teenager, Bob would walk from Springbank into Calgary in order to borrow books from the downtown library.

Bob served with an artillery unit in the Second World War from 1939-45, in England, Sicily and Italy. On his return to Calgary he found an outlet for his artistic talents through drawing and ceramics. In addition to work as a part-time commissionaire, he taught ceramics classes through the Allied Arts Council and set up an artistic ceramics business in his garage, complete with two electric kilns. A few decades later a bicycle accident forced him to break a contract to deliver ceramic figurines and he never returned to it. Instead, he dedicated his weekdays to reading and collecting books and stayed on as a weekend commissionaire, an occupation that allowed him even more time to indulge his interests.

Bob died on January 8, 2001 at the age of 92.

Archival history

Donated by Andrew Gibson in 2002.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Fonds consists of archival material from the Bob Gibson Collection of Speculative Fiction, primarily the lists and indexes to the over 35,000 books, periodicals and handmade anthologies B. Gibson collected over his lifetime, including index cards in four large (57 cm x 12 cm) hand-made wooden file boxes. Also includes correspondence with speculative fiction publishers, newsclippings, artefacts (writing implements and artist's tools), and material relating to Mildred Gibson including a folder of pencil sketches and watercolours, many signed W.H. Bos.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Fonds is intellectually arranged across all accessions

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

No restrictions an access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Text in English.

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Related descriptions

      Notes area

      Note

      Title based on contents of the fonds.

      Alternative identifier(s)

      ckey

      3319854

      Access points

      Place access points

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      Description control area

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Digital object (Master) rights area

          Digital object (Reference) rights area

          Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

          Accession area