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Fonds/Collection Description

Title H. Norman Lidster fonds
Description Level Fonds
Fonds No. IH 2005.22
Creator Lidster, H. Norman
Material Type moving images
Date Range 1920-1968 [transferred to discs 2004]
Title Source Title based on content of fonds.
Physical Description 43 optical disc ( 12 hr., 48 min., 55 sec.) : digital, b&w., col.
History/Biographical Hugh Norman Lidster (known as Norman) was born in 1888 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England. Hugh moved to British Columbia with his family in 1902. After finishing school Norman worked a variety of jobs before he was admitted to the bar in 1913. Lidster specialized in municipal law and moved to New Westminster to open his practice. Norman married Jesse and had four children: Freda, Norman, Dorthea, and Wally. In 1925, he was elected as a New Westminster city councillor, he was also appointed to the City's Library Board. From 1929 to 1966, he served on the Provincial Library Board. From 1946 till his retirement in 1957 he served as the first City Solicitor. He was one of the city staff given the task of organizing the purchase of Irving House in 1950 and served proudly as chairman of its board until 1958. He was also a member of the 1958 B.C. Centennial Committee and in 1962, he received one of the coveted Trustee Awards of Merit from the Canadian library Trustees' Association for his work with the New Westminster library committee. Norman passed away in 1967 at the age of 78.
Acquisition Source Nick Springate donated this collection on behalf of his mother Freda Springate.
Custodial History In 1997, three cardboard boxes containing over 75 metal canisters were delivered to Mr. Lidster's daughter Freda Springate by her brother George Wallace (Wally). The reels of film had not been seen in decades. Freda requested that her son Nick Springate digitalize them and donate them to the New Westminster Museum and Archives. The films made or purchased by Norman Lidster were converted to digital media in 2004 by Source Media of Coquitlam. In 2005, Nick Springate donated these films and digital copies on compact discs of most films on behalf of his mother Freda Springate, who had recently passed away. The New Westminster Museum and Archives has 59 metal canisters with 58 reels of film and 43 compact discs in its collection.
Scope & Content The public access copies of the films are on compact discs, all are silent films. Between 1928 and 1930 Norman Lidster bought a black and white 16 mm movie camera which he used to documents his travels throughout North America and notable city events in New Westminster. Norman also became a member of the Amateur Cinema League (ACL); this can be seen is some of his films. In 1938, he began using colour film. Along with shooting his own movies this collection contains a number of commercially produced films that Norman Lidster bought (or otherwise acquired) over the years. Most of these commercially bought films are different types of travel videos or news reels. These purchased films range from events shot between 1910s to 1958. The films shot by Norman Lidster have been shot between 1928 into the 1960s. These movies are a combination of home movies of Norman Lidster's travels in North American, various family scenes, and important events in New Westminster, including: May Days 1931 to 1963 (excluding 1939, 1960 and 1962), Royal visits 1939, 1951, and 1959 to New Westminster, official opening of the New Queensborough Bridge, and the 1950 opening of Irving House as a museum. At least two of these films might have been shot by the Springate family (CD 500 and 171, however this has not been confirmed). The New Westminster Archives has 59 metal canisters with 58 reels of film. Of these 58 reels of film, 48 have been digitized. Some of the digital versions of these films contain more than one reel of film (these have been clearly marked). Furthermore, some of the footage shot be Norman Lidster is mixed on the same film as the commercially produced films that he bought, with 3 films having mixed contents, 28 films are shot by Norman Lidster and 12 films are commercially bought.

The fonds consists of the following series: Home Movies; May Day Home Movies; Commercially produced films; and Combined home movies and commercially produced films.
Arrangement Arrangement imposed by archivist.
Repro Restriction The copyright of the commercial films bought or acquired by Mr Lidster may still be in effect.
Accession No. IH 2005.22
Subject Access Events - May Day
Events - Royal Visits
Geographic Location New Westminster (B.C.)