Series 4 - My Life as a Dame

1.93m of textual records

This series contains Christina McCall’s research, personal writings, and editorial material related to the development and posthumous publication of My Life as a Dame: The Personal and Political Writings of Christina McCall. There are annotated newspaper clippings that are connected to research topics for her book. Early material supports Chapter 1, focused on McCall’s time as a student at Victoria University. These records include her student essays and exams, personal journals, commonplace books, and academic notes. Chapters 2 and 3 draw from files on McCall’s professional life at Maclean’s and Chatelaine, and her relationship with Peter C. Newman. Materials include annotated newspaper clippings, timelines, letters (notably correspondence between McCall and Newman in the 1950s and later decades), and reflections on the journalistic climate in postwar Canada. Chapter 4 and 5 contain materials documenting Ottawa and Toronto during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the political environment at that time. There is also research by McCall regarding women in journalism, feminism, and gendered political power within both Canadian and American contexts. These include article drafts, newspaper clippings, and notes on prominent feminist thinkers, as well as contemporary reflections on women in media and public life. McCall initially started drafting and working on her memoir, My Life as Dame, from around the 1980s until the early 2000s. McCall wrote two chapters for her book before becoming ill and eventually passed away in 2005 at the age of 70. Her husband, Stephen Clarkson finished her memoir by collecting articles McCall wrote and incorporating them into the rest of her book. The series also contains documents related to Clarkson’s editing and publication of the anthology, including editorial notes, photographs, and publishing documentation for the book.

As much as possible research files grouped together were maintained together and represent established topics organized and named by McCall. Content is arranged as follows:

Saturday Night - B2016-0026/009
General material - B2016-0026/009
General files - B2016-0026/009
Chapter 1 Christina McCall - B2016-0026/009 - B2016-0026/010
Chapter 2 - B2016-0026/010
Chapter 3 - B2016-0026/011B - B2016-0026/011
Women, Canada, and U.S. - B2016-0026/011
Dame files Chapter 4/5 - B2016-0026/011 - B2016-0026/012
CM anthology - B2016-0026/012 - B2016-0026/013

All files are open, except for files in Box /011B which are restricted until 1 January 2050.