Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Mildred Valley Thornton fonds
General material designation
- sound recording
- textual record
- multiple media
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the collection.
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1947-1976 (Creation)
- Creator
- Thornton, Mildred Valley (Stinson)
Physical description area
Physical description
13 audio recordings and 2 cm of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Dresden, Ontario in 1896, Mildred Stinson began studying art at the age of twenty in Michigan at Olivet College. She continued her studies at the Ontario College of Art and at the Art Institute of Chicago. She is best known mainly for her portraits of Indigenous people. Her publications include Indian Lives and Legends (1966) and Buffalo People: Portraits of a Vanishing Nation (2000).
In 1915, she married John Henry Thornton in Regina. For much of her life, Thornton taught art in Regina and traveled through the prairies creating her works. She also lived in London, England, where she had two solo exhibitions. In 1934, Thornton moved to Vancouver where she worked as an art critic for the Vancouver Sun for fifteen years (1944-1959).
Thornton refused to sell her portrait work individually, hoping the Canadian government would purchase the collection summarily. No offer came and while Thornton's will ordered her work destroyed at her death, a loophole was found and the collection has since been broken up and sold. Pieces can be found in the collection of the BC Archives, National Gallery of Canada, the McMichael Gallery, the Glenbow-Alberta Institute, and the Vancouver Art Gallery, and others including private collections.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of Mildred Valley Thornton's sound recordings documenting the Indigenous music, dance and folklore of the Northwest Coast, recorded between about 1950 and 1954. The fonds also includes some textual material that documents her music recording activities and other interests, from 1947 to 1967. In addition there is a newspaper article from 1971 and family notes on her artwork from 1976.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Donated by Mr. J.M. Thornton, 1978.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
No access restrictions apply.
Conservation restriction: see series description MS-3243.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copying Restriction: Copies may only be made for, or with the permission of, the First Nations groups or individuals heard on the specific recording.
Copyright Status: Copyright not transferred to BC Archives by the donor.
Finding aids
Series descriptions are available.
Associated materials
PDP02748 - PDP02753 are six prints from Thornton's portfolio "Children of the Sun". PDP02813 is her portrait of MLA Tilly Jean Rolston.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
Archives code(s): MS-2909, MS-3243.
General note
Accession number(s): SD0016; T2684
General note
Fonds description was previously numbered AAAA8114.
Physical description
Audio recordings include 6 audio discs, 4 audio reels and 3 wire recordings.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Thornton, Mildred Valley (Stinson) (Subject)