Fonds MS-386 - Frank Bernard Jamerson fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Frank Bernard Jamerson fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA EDM MS-386

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)

Physical description area

Physical description

6 cm of textual records. - 95 photographs

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

Frank Bernard Jamerson was born in the Athabasca area on April 13th, 1922 to parents Ethel Jamerson and Robert Jamerson. Jamerson’s grandparents were some of the first Black immigrants to arrive in Canada. In 1910, they arrived from Alabama and Texas and settled the Athabasca area which included Poplar Ridge, Rene Creek, and Amber Valley.

In 1943, Jamerson was conscripted into military service under the National Resources Mobilization Act and served in Canada until 1946. After he was discharged, Jamerson joined the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) as a Sleeping Car porter where he worked from 1948 until 1962. While working as a porter, Jamerson became the Secretary-Treasurer of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

In 1978, he was transferred to Via Rail until the time of his donation in 1988. In addition to his time working as a porter, Jamerson also owned a series of women’s dress shops in Vancouver, B.C. under the name ‘Jamerson’s Fashion.’

Frank Bernard Jamerson passed away on December 8th, 1995 and is interred in Surrey, B.C.

Custodial history

Scope and content

The fonds consists of a historical and biographical narrative handwritten by Frank Bernard Jamerson regarding Black immigration into western Canada as well as the Black experience in the prairies, specifically northern Alberta Black communities. The first file in the fonds consists of this narrative while the second file consists of newspaper clippings, family photographs, an anniversary booklet of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and correspondence used by Jamerson in the creation of his narrative.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

The fonds was donated to the City of Edmonton Archives by Mr. Frank Bernard Jamerson in 1988.

Arrangement

  • The material was arranged according to the filing system of the creator.
  • The photographs were assigned item numbers with the prefix EA-223.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

There are no restrictions on access.

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Copyright may apply.

Finding aids

  • Access
  • Photographs have been described at the item level and are available in the Reference Room and online.

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

General note

Accession number: A88-97

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number area

Standard number

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Control area

Description record identifier

Institution identifier

City of Edmonton Archives

Rules or conventions

Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms

Level of detail

Language of description

Script of description

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related places

Related genres