Hidden Treasures

The overwhelming majority of objects at the Museum of Anthropology and in Rare Books and Special Collections are semi-hidden in the nooks, crannies and drawers of both institutions. Hidden Treasures is an ongoing column dedicated to finding some of the best-kept secrets that MOA and Rare Books and Special Collections has to offer.

All in Hidden Treasures

December 5, 2019

Hidden Treasures: A life in a day of Malcolm Lowry

I’m sitting in Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC), in the basement of Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, and I hold in my hands a piece of literary history. I’m holding the second draft manuscript of a novel called Under The Volcano by English writer Malcolm Lowry.

Tristan Wheeler

May 6, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Spirit dolls, lures and calligraphy cats

Wandering through the aisles of the MOA and allowing my mind to wander with me, impulsively opening drawers at a whim and enjoying the unexpected findings is the perfect way to decompress.

Bridget Chase

April 24, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Ceremonies, real hair and fictional African countries

This time on Hidden Treasures, we dive into Oceania and the various aspects of their many cultures: weapons, ceremonies, and human subjects.

Samira Sallow

April 24, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Dali, honeydew and hipster recipes

Graphics let the author or artist and the reader share a world in a more intimate manner. Many of the hidden treasures within Rare Books and Special Collection have graphic elements and display eclectic and stunning art styles.

Bridget Chase and Ivana Pavri

April 17, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Faeries, tinned fish and bad handwriting

My notebook gets weighed upon entering and leaving Rare Books, to ensure no tome stows away to the wider world; the stories and dust linger with me instead.

Chimedum Ohaegbu

April 5, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Superheroes, ceremonies and human hair

Many aren’t aware of the intriguing artifacts that rest on campus and often times are only found when searching through MOA for over an hour.

Samira Sallow and Darby Lynch

April 1, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Posters, guides and getaways

The myriad of objects stored away in these display cases rarely sees much traffic from students, but for those who are willing to venture into depths of IKB, there is a world of treasures waiting.

Tara Osler

March 28, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Wanting wives, lost boys and rabbit holes

The Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) is one of a kind library: where books aren’t taken out, but instead are there to look and touch only.

Dana Kim

March 5, 2019

Hidden Treasures: Opium, fweet and Emma Watson

Hidden away in Irving K. Barber Library, the Rare Books and Special Collections section of the UBC Library has hundreds upon hundreds of materials so fancy that no one is even allowed to browse them without asking first.

Sarah Zhao

October 25, 2018

Hidden Treasures: Arguments, vanity and enduring ingenuity

Hidden Treasures is an ongoing column dedicated to finding some of the best-kept secrets that MOA has to offer.

Andrew Sandfort-Marchese

October 19, 2018

Hidden Treasures: Resistance, adaptation and ulus

The overwhelming majority of the 10,000 objects which are available for the public to view are semi-hidden within those copper handled drawers.

Jack Lamming