VIVO Media Arts Centre Archive > Barbara Stewart

Barbara Stewart

Barbara Stewart nee Gehle (1914-1986) was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. She moved to Vancouver shortly after her father died and got work as a domestic and then as a waitress. She worked at Love’s Cafe, Melrose Cafe, and Garbo Restaurant where loggers and fishers regularly ate. She met her husband, a Scottish-immigrant and boilermaker, William Angus Stewart (1912-1974), through the Hotel Restaurant and Employees Union. She became Secretary of the HREU in 1943 and later Business Agent.

Audio Interview [1979]

Description

Stewart discusses citizens meeting about unemployment held at Margaret Square, Regina, 1 July 1935;  the demoralization of people through poverty and neglect during the 1930’s; reasons for moving to Vancouver and her work as a domestic; work in the restaurants in the 1930’s and 1940’s, conditions, the situation of women working in the industry, occupational hazards; 1936 legislation stopping white women from working in Chinatown restaurants; the Workers Unity League; eviction of the unemployed and skirmishes with police; dangers for waitresses getting off work in the early morning (sexual assault, murder); examples of organizing and strikes in restaurants in the 1930’s; her work as secretary and business agent at Hotel & Restaurant Union; the International wanting to get rid of her husband in the 1940’s because of his radicalism.

Transcription

Full transcription: Stewart, Barbara

More Information

Title: [Barbara Stewart – 1/4]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Stewart, Barbara

Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century

Date Created: 1979

Type: Audio recording

Genre: Interviews

Extent: 1 audio cassette

Format: audio/mp3

Language: English

Identifier: SD_WLHP_387_02A

Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds

Series: Women’s Labour History Project

Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.

Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.

More Information

Title: [Barbara Stewart – 2/4]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Stewart, Barbara

Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century

Date Created: 1979

Type: Audio recording

Genre: Interviews

Extent: 1 audio cassette

Format: audio/mp3

Language: English

Identifier: SD_WLHP_ 387_02B

Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds

Series: Women’s Labour History Project

Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.

Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.

More Information

Title: [Barbara Stewart – 3/4]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Stewart, Barbara

Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century

Date Created: 1979

Type: Audio recording

Genre: Interviews

Extent: 1 audio cassette

Format: audio/mp3

Language: English

Identifier: OBJ_664_sideA_01

Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds

Series: Women’s Labour History Project

Source: Original Format: Simon Fraser University Archives. Sara Diamond fonds

Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.

More Information

Title: [Barbara Stewart – 4/4]

Creator: Diamond, Sara

Contributor: Stewart, Barbara

Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century

Date Created: 1979

Type: Audio recording

Genre: Interviews

Extent: 1 audio cassette

Format: audio/mp3

Language: English

Identifier: OBJ_664_sideB_01

Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds

Series: Women’s Labour History Project

Source: Original Format: Simon Fraser University Archives. Sara Diamond fonds

Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.