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Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the formation of the Army of the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union).

1 image 1 audio

Repository: City of Burnaby Archives

Summary: This portion of the interview pertains to W.H. "Harry" O'Brien's involvement with the formation of the Army of the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union).

Date Range: [1932]-1936

Photo Info: Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005

Length: 0:11:12

Names: Darling, Gordon; Phillips, Turnie

Subjects: Organizations

Interviewer: Bradbury, Dr. Bettina

Interview Date: July / August 1975

Scope and Content: Recording is a taped interview with W.H. "Harry" O'Brien by SFU (Simon Fraser University) graduate student Bettina Bradbury. Major themes discussed are: the Army of the Common Good, the Union of the Unemployed and the Common Good Credit Union (now the South Burnaby Credit Union). To view "Narrow By" terms for each track expand this description and see "Notes".

Biographical Notes: W.H. “Harry” O’Brien was born in the coal mining town of Nanaimo, British Columbia on October 20, 1914. He came to Burnaby with his parents and five siblings in 1927. Harry’s mother, a school teacher, wanted her children to live closer to school in order to obtain a better education, so the O’Brien family settled at Inman Avenue, Burnaby. Harry's mother, Mary Anne Crossan, was Gilmore Avenue School's first teacher. Harry left school in June of 1929. Harry’s father worked as the caretaker at Central Park around this time and Harry helped him to clear brush, plant trees and enforce the land clearing and wood cutting permit regulations held by men who were on script. Although too young to vote by just over a week, Harry O'Brien worked as a scrutineer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during the 1935 Federal Election. On October 12, 1940 Harry O'Brien married Gertrude Sutherland at St. John the Divine in Burnaby. The Sutherland family came to Burnaby from Winnipeg in 1933 and settled at Nelson Avenue. Harry began his involvement with the Unemployment Organization in Burnaby by participating in an organised protest against the municipality for homeowner evictions brought on by unpaid taxes. The South Burnaby Union of the Unemployed organised in order to protest rules around receiving Relief. Harry became involved, eventually becoming one of the spearheads of the organization, taking over as secretary by 1936. Harry was an original member of the Army of the Common Good, helping to produce over one hundred and twenty-five tons of vegetables from its own gardens to feed Burnaby citizens suffering from the lack of resources during the Depression years. The members of the Army of the Common Good who cut wood for consumption or worked in the gardens were given credit for their work through LU (Labour Units) which they could then use to buy groceries and that at the Army's Cooperative stores, one of which was at McKay Avenue, where Harry began working as Manager of Groceries in 1937. The Credit Union movement of British Columbia was also organized by Harry O'Brien and his fellow Army of the Common Good members. W.H. "Harry" O'Brien died July 1, 1992.

Total Tracks: 9

Total Length: 1:17:56

Interviewee Name: O'Brien, Harry

Interviewer Bio: Bettina Bradbury teaches history and women's studies at York University. She is the author of Wife to Widow. Lives, Laws and Politics in Nineteenth-century Montreal. (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, June 2011), 520p; Working Families. Age, Gender and Daily Survival in Industrializing Montreal. (Toronto: Canadian Social History Series, McClelland and Stewart, 1993); (Republished Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1996) (3rd edition, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). These interviews were undertaken after she completed her MA at Simon Fraser University in 1975 with the support of an LIP grant.

Collection/Fonds: Burnaby Historical Society fonds

Series: Community Archives Collection series

Subseries: Oral history subseries

Transcript Available: None

Media Type: Sound Recording

Web Notes: Interview was digitized in 2010 allowing it to be accessible on Heritage Burnaby. The digitization project was initiated by the Community Heritage Commission with support from City of Burnaby Council and the BC History Digitization Program of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, University of British Columbia. It was recognized by the Heritage Society of BC with an award in 2012.

Images

Harry and Gertrude (Sutherland) O'Brien on their wedding day, October 12, 1940. Item no. 315-005 thumbnail

Audio Tracks

Track eight of interview with W.H.

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_Archives_Oral_Histories/_Unrestricted/100-13-25/100-13-25_Track_8.mp3

bodice and skirt

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact3347

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV989.38.1

7 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV989.38.1

Description: Bodice and skirt, c.1864-1870. Brown silk taffeta with white checked pattern. Small standing collar, sloping shoulders, long sleeves with ruffle, black buttons down centre front, polonaise attachment at the back. Skirt has elastic waistband, and equal volume all around. Ruffle trim around hem. Hand sewn.

Object History: The dress is reported to have been worn by the donor's aunt, Sarah Ellen Thompson, who was born in 1872 which would suggest this is an 1880s bustle dress. However, the short straight waist, sloping shoulders, wide sleeves, piped seams and light boning placed in the darts suggest an earlier date of 1860s or early 1870s. The polonaise is tacked on to the back, instead of a continuation of the bodice, and the skirt does not look like the late bustle period. Likely made in early bustle period of the late 1860s-early 1870s. Elsewhere in the file, it is reported the donor got the dress from a friend, not from her aunt.

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

wedding dress

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact3348

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV989.39.1

4 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV989.39.1

Description: Wedding dress, 1917. Cream silk, jacket and skirt. Sailor collar, long sleeves, loose cut with fitting, beaded brooch, pleats and button trim on both pieces. The V neck has a large square sailor style collar, with two self covered ball buttons on either side just below the collar ends. At the V point there is a beaded floral brooch with tassels. The sleeves are loose fitting, trimmed with eight buttons at the forearm and gathered to half a cuff. The centre front of the bodice has a bust dart on either side, and cuts off at the waist. Here a belt attaches around the sides, trimmed with four buttons at either side front and back. The bodice's ivory silk lining is not pleated, and it is not attached at the bottom. It closes at centre front with two slide snaps. On the back of the jacket, there is a large pleat on either side. Centre back is fully pleated, and the pleats are sewn down from the neckline to underarm level. At the waistline, there is a narrower band of fabric that joins the side belts together and holds the pleats in place. The back of the jacket extends to the hips, and the sides extend several inches further and each end in a point. The skirt, made with six gores, falls smoothly over the hips. It has a pleated ruffle at the top and a waistband reinforced with a large grosgrain ribbon on the inside. The centre back and centre front are pleated from the waist to hem, the pleats sewn down to the end of the hips. Each side is trimmed with buttons spaced evenly from the waist to hem. The skirt closes at the right side back with slide snaps and hooks and eyes on the grosgrain.

Object History: Photocopy of the original wedding photo is in the acquisition file. Worn by the donor's mother, Mary Edith Pearl Collum (nee Dillabough). She married Eli Wilbert Collum on June 20, 1917, in Winnipeg (she was 25 years old). They moved to Vancouver in 1936, then to Burnaby in 1938. Edith gave the dress to her son first for safe keeping, and then as an inheritance. She passed away February 1, 1989 at age 97 (born 1892).

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

wedding dress

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact4388

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV988.48.63

9 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV988.48.63

Description: Wedding dress, c.1900-1906. Cream lace net lined with white china silk. High collar, pouter pigeon front, puffed sleeves. Comes with a long sash and matching skirt. The collar is made of several bands of lace. The bodice is also lace, with embroidery. On the front there is a pin tucked yoke, and bordering this on the front and back are circles of lace with line embroidery inside. Below this there are more pin tucks and bands of lace. The front puffs out creating a pouter pigeon bodice, and there is a gathered flounce below the waistline. It closes with hooks and eyes at centre back. The sash, a long yellowish-cream piece of silk fabric, would go overtop of the waist. The sleeves are gathered at the cap and again at the cuff. There are bands of lace at the lower forearm, and they end with lace flounce cuffs of the same embroidered circles seen on the bodice. The skirt has a lace top layer and a white china silk lining that is attached at the small waistband. There are tiny pin tucks in the lace layer at the waistband. Halfway down, there is a band of embroidered circles, the same as those on the bodice. They are separated by two bands of lace. There are two more of the same bands of lace near the hem. The net layer has three gores, and the lining has five. There are also two ruffles at the lining hem.

Object History: Donor acquired object in 1951 from the estate of her mother-in-law, Flora Isabell (McArthur) McOuat.

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

woman's suit

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact4398

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV988.50.9

11 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV988.50.9

Description: Woman's suit, c.1909-1912. White cotton with white embroidery. Jacket with collar and long sleeves, and flared ankle length skirt. The jacket has a large rolled collar covered in hand worked white floral embroidery with a scalloped edge. This embroidery continues down the edges of the centre front opening, and around the jacket hem. The front of the jacket has princess seaming on either side, and the back is made of one piece above the waist. Below, there are three inserted panels creating a peplum. The front closes with a single white button and thread loop at waist level. All the seams on the front and back shaping are flat felled; the others are left unfinished. The skirt waistband is simply folded over and basted into place. It has nine gores, and an opening at the front left with six snaps. The white embroidery goes around hem, and comes halfway up the centre front. The hem is machine sewn, and the seams are left unfinished.

Object History: Made by Louisa Killam Richardson.

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

wedding dress

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact4503

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV988.71.1

7 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV988.71.1

Description: Wedding dress, c.1909-1910. White cotton crepe with hand embroidery. Short bodice with pin tucks, slight pouf, and three quarter sleeves. Pleated ankle length column skirt. The bodice has a small lace edged V neck, and three pin tucks on each shoulder. Two of the pin tucks angle inwards and continue to the waistline. Between the tucks the bodice is covered with hand worked floral and ribbon themed embroidery. It is gathered at the waistband, creating a slight puff reminiscent of the recently out of fashion pouter pigeon bodice. The back of the bodice has three vertical pin tucks that extend from the shoulder to the waistband on either side of the centre back button closure, with thread covered buttons. There is a slight gather between the pin tucks and side back seams, from the panel under each arm. The sleeves are three quarters in length. They have turned up cuffs topped with embroidery and edged with the same lace as seen on the collar. The skirt has a sailor front opening with six thread covered buttons on either side of a centre front panel. Just past hip level, there are two accordion pleats on either side of the panel. There is a gore on each side and one on the back that flare out slightly; each has the floral and ribbon embroidery. On the back gore, there is a pleat on either side at calf level. The hem is ankle length.

Object History: From donor: "This was the wedding dress of my sister-in-law's mother, worn about 1905. They came from Maine. Made of cotton, hand embroidery, a typical "country-type" wedding gown of the period. It was given to me by my sister-in-law and I am only too glad to have it find such a welcoming spot in B.C.!"

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

dress with bolero jacket

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact5225

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV987.25.4

11 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV987.25.4

Description: Dress with bolero jacket, c. 1930s. Black cotton lace with black silk chiffon slip. Sleeveless, low draped back, ankle length slightly flared at the bottom. Long sleeved lace bolero with metal brooch clasp. The dress has a round neckline in front that drapes into a deep V in the back. There is a magnet at the centre front of the neckline to hold up the metal clasp of the bolero. The bodice attaches at a fairly high waistline. At the front of the skirt, there is are two triangular sections that make up the top section; on the back, there is one triangular piece cut into the top section of the skirt. The rest of it is cut as a front and back section, with a slight flare at the bottom. The slip is cut differently, and may not be the original that went with the dress since it lacks the corresponding shoulder snaps. Each shoulder strap has five rows of smocking on the top. They meet at a triangle shape with gathering under the breasts, and at the back at the waistline in the same way as the dress. The skirt hangs in six gores which also flare out somewhat at the bottom. It is somewhat longer than the dress, visible at the bottom for several inches. The seams are unfinished. The bolero is long sleeved, gathered to cuffs at the wrist, with purposeful large holes at each underarm. It has two darts at the bottom back, and a triangular shape hangs down from the centre back neckline. The front angles down to points from each shoulder, where there is a silver metal brooch clasp with clear rhinestones. It is held up with the magnet in the dress, which gives the bolero front a draped affect.

Object History: This dress belonged to Mrs.Myra Mitchell, who lived in a senior's cottage housing complex located S.W. area off Canada Way and Edmonds. She passed away c.1961.

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

wedding dress skirt

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact5274

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV987.31.8

11 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV987.31.8

Description: Wedding dress skirt, c.1898-1906. Two cream skirts in cotton and silk, in a set consisting of beige lace overskirt with lace-trimmed beige underskirt. The overskirt is cut as a circle skirt from one piece of cotton alencon lace. It is gathered in the back. The only seam is at centre back, extending from the opening at the waistband with hooks and eyes to the hem. There is a small train. The underskirt is made from cotton and silk crepe. It has four un-gathered gores, arranged as two centre front panels and two side and back gores. At the centre back, it has an opening with hooks and eyes and snaps. At the centre back seam, the fabric comes together on the bias. The fabric is decorated with diagonal pin tucks that have been aligned to create chevrons down the centre front and horizontal lines along the back. There are also cut out lace inserts forming three lines down centre front (separating the two front gores) and in two rings that circle the skirt and angle upwards at the back. At the bottom of the skirt, there are two rows of scalloped tucks. Underneath, there is a separate cotton lining that is tacked to the main skirt. At the back of the underskirt, there is also a small train.

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

woman's suit

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact5564

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV986.13.1

7 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV986.13.1

Description: Woman's suit jacket and skirt. Jacket is grey and black patterned (striped) silk, has front closing and is lined. Skirt matches jacket, is floor length and is lined. Possibly circa 1870s.

Object History: Object was inherited by donor from her grandmother, Dr. Viola Mae (Boley) Coe (1863-1946) of Portland, Oregon. Dr. Coe was a physician and U.S. suffragist, and President of the Oregon State Equal Suffrage Association and was present for the signing of the Oregon equal suffrage proclamation on November 30, 1912.

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

tea dress

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact5811

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV986.52.5

6 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV986.52.5

Description: Tea dress, c.1910. White cotton with floral eyelets. Round neckline, half length sleeves with gathered cuffs, floor length, full skirt at natural height, non-cinched waist. Around the neck, shoulders, and on the outsides of the arms, the fabric is heavily eyeleted in a flower pattern. The sleeve cuffs have the same eyelet pattern, gathered into a flounce with a crossover opening at the side. On the front and back bodice, the main dress fabric has a square spiral pattern of bands of floral eyelets. The waist, at the natural height and not cinched, is defined by a band of floral eyelets. The skirt is heavily gathered to this band. At hip level on either side, the eyelet band forms a square with sides that extend almost to the hem. Here, the sides of the square end in square spirals, instead of joining together. Above the floor length hem, there is a band of floral eyelets and two tucks. The dress closes up the centre front with pearl buttons and thread loops. A tag on the inside back of the bodice neck area reads "Ladies Outfitting Dept. / Harrods / London SW."

Object History: Donor inherited objects in 1985 from the estate of her mother, Jessie Alexandria (Baynes) Fleming.

Maker: Harrod's

Subjects: Clothing; Clothing - Costumes

Images

wedding dress

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumartifact6267

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV985.18.1

8 images

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Accession Code: BV985.18.1

Description: Wedding dress, c.1907. Converted to day dress. Cream and white pouter pigeon bodice with lace and high collar. Full skirt and separate cumberbund. The shape of this dress is exemplary of the Edwardian pouter pigeon front, with a tiny waist to match. In museum records, there is a copy of the original wedding photo; on the back is written "shows dress before alteration to current state as day dress." The only readily noticeable differences are the absences of lace trim in the cuff and on the china silk bodice rosettes.

Object History: Made by Pattie Adelina Pearson, for her marriage to Charles James Mitchell in Gravesend, Kent, England on September 26, 1907. After, they travelled immediately to Canada, living in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, her daughter and son being born in the latter province. Pattie moved to Vancouver in 1918, where with the exception of the period when she lived in Victoria, she lived until her death in October 1981 at the age of 101 years. She would have been 27 years old when she wore the dress.