Fonds MSS 021 - Nan Shipley

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Nan Shipley

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Fonds

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MSS 021

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2.66 m of textual records and 533 photographs

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Name of creator

(1902-1990)

Biographical history

Nancy Evelyn Shipley (nee Somerville) was born in Glasgow, Scotland on November 6, 1902. In the 1920s, she moved to Winnipeg and married George Shipley. Nan Shipley published fourteen books and numerous short stories and articles. Her first book Anna and the Indians (1955) had been reprinted many times. Among her better known publications are Frances and the Crees (1957); The Railway Builders (1965); The James Evan Story (1966); and Churchill: Canada’s Northern Gateway (1974). As a big supporter of Indigenous and Métis culture, she organized Manitoba’s first Indigenous handicrafts sales centre (1959) and focused her writing on Indigenous and Métis women. In 1965 Shipley was elected Woman of the Year by the Women’s Advertising and Sales Club of Winnipeg. She also hosted weekly television program (1974-75) at CKND Winnipeg. Nan Shipley passed away on January 23, 1990.

1904 - Born in Glasgow, Scotland, daughter of Robert Somerville and Mary (MacDonald) Somerville.
1925 - Married George Shipley.
1955 - First book published by Ryerson Press Book "Anna and the Indians"
1960-61 - Radio and television series on Western Canadian Indigenous peoples culture given.
1965 - Woman of the Year in Manitoba award.
1966 - Good Citizen and Golden Boy Awards received.
1966-67 - Instructor at University of Manitoba Evening Institute.
1970 - Received North Dakota State University award for Historical Writing.
1970 - Presented a brief to Status of Women Commission on Women of First Nations and Métis ancestry.
1972 - With Alex Grisdale, published "Wild Drums."
1974 - Published "Churchill: Canada's Northern Gateway:'(her 13th book) which received the Margaret McWilliams Medal.
1978 -  Reader's Digest published condensed form of "Return to the River."
1979 - Paper given at University of Manitoba Annual Archives Symposium.
1981 - Anonymous donor established two Nan Shipley Scholarships.
1982 - Published "The International Peace Garden. 50th Anniversary." Peguis Press.

Custodial history

A1979-014 was donated to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by Nan Shipley on February 12, 1979.
A2005-082 was donated to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by Judith l. Leyshon in 2005.

Scope and content

A1979-014 includes lecture notes, manuscripts and published articles, radio and television scripts, maps, photographs, newspaper clippings, magazine articles and scrapbooks. In addition, there are three boxes of Indian Legends, recorded in the scrapbooks of Alex Grisdale of the Scanterbury Indian Reservation (2 boxes) and transcribed by Mrs. Shipley (1 box).
The map collection is noteworthy for its maps of the old Indian trails which crossed the prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The photograph collection contains pictures of historic sites throughout Manitoba. It is particularly valuable, however, for its record of old and new, urban and rural transportation in Manitoba (e.g. Red River carts, streetcars, railways, steamships, dog sleds and air transport). It provides a pictorial record of hydro developments in northern Manitoba and of the growth and demise of northern towns and settlements. Major and cottage industries, wildlife, flora and fauna of Manitoba are included. Among the portraits are native peoples, early missionaries and settlers and contemporary civic minded individuals. The research materials are on miscellaneous topics paralleling those of the picture collection.

A2005-082 consists of Nan Shipley’s unpublished autobiography Most of it was fun; unpublished manuscript Women of Fort Albany, correspondence, and numerous short stories and articles.

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Arrangement

A1979-014 is organized into 10 series:
I. Biographical and Award Data
II. Correspondence 1948-1978
III. Lecture Series - University of Manitoba
IV. Lectures - miscellaneous
V. Manuscripts
VI. Radio Series
VII. Television
VIII. Publications 1940-1981
IX. Research Materials
Photograph Collection (PC 21)

A2005-082 is arranged into eight series:

  1. Correspondence
  2. Autobiography
  3. Articles
  4. Short Stories Collection
  5. Women of Fort Albany,
  6. Andrew Taylor
  7. Kerby Brothers
  8. Louise Marshall's Autobiography

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A finding aid can be downloaded from the fonds-level description by clicking on the “Download’ link under “Finding Aid” on the right hand side of the screen.

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PC

021

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Draft

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Partial

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

A1979-014 finding aid is created by Kathryn F. Dean (1982). Finding aid encoded by Julianna Trivers (July 2002). Revision History: July 26, 2005 - MSS 21, PC 21 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).

A2005-082 finding aid created and encoded by Vladimira Zvonik (2006).

Revised by N. Courrier (July 2019).

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