Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1850-2017 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3.62 m of textual records and other material.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Richard Beaufort Simmins, 1924-1999, was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and educated in art history at the University of Toronto. Married Barbara Jeanette Atkinson, 1919-2000, in 1950. They had four children: Zoë, 1952-; Karen, 1954-1974; Geoffrey, 1956-; and Marjorie, 1959-. Barbara and Richard were divorced in 1968. Barbara returned to school and completed a Bachelor and Masters of Education at the University of British Columbia. She taught at Richmond Senior Secondary School, Richmond, British Columbia, from 1968 to 1986, where she developed an award winning Family Studies program. She also volunteered as a counselor at CHIMO, the Richmond Crisis Centre, and at Minoru Extended Care. Richard married Karin Weiss in 1980 and they had two daughters: Jessica, 1981-; and Fiona, 1985-. Zoë Landale is a poet, author and journalist who has published six books and numerous articles. Geoffrey Simmins is an art and architecture historian, published writer and professor at the University of Calgary. Marjorie Simmins is a freelance journalist and writer, married to writer "Silver" Donald Cameron. All family members are prolific letter-writers and journal-keepers. Other family members include Richard's parents Richard Godfrey Simmins (Nick) and Marjorie Mabel Beaufort Simmins (Minnie); his brother Godfrey Jermyn Philip Simmins (Red); and his sister Susette Simmins
Archival history
Donated by Zoë Landale in 2003 and Marjorie Simmins in 2009.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds consists of correspondence to and from various members of the Simmins family, principally to Barbara Simmins, and Richard Simmins' photocards to Marjorie Simmins; material relating to B. Simmins' career, estate and financial matters; material relating to the death of Susette Simmins in 2007; drafts of B. Simmins' manuscript Should angels come: a letter to my daughter; articles by and about Philip Simmins, Richard Simmins and Geoffrey Simmins; daytimers and diaries written by B. Simmins (?) and Marjorie Mabel Beaufort Simmins; Karen Simmins' journals, poems, childhood drawings, stories and letters; photographs of members of the Simmins and Atkinson families, including several photo albums.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Some items restricted.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Text in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
File level inventory available at repository.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Related fonds are Zoë Landale fonds (Acc 741/03.6) and Richard Simmins fonds (Acc 726/02.13).
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of the fonds.
Note
Includes ca. 1200 photographs.
Alternative identifier(s)
ckey
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Simmons family (Subject)