Fonds consists of 2 cm of textual records consisting of correspondence from Catharine Robb Whyte [1967-1973] and Murray Adaskin to David Zweifel; 9 colour transparencies pertaining to a 1977 ski trip in Lucerne, Switzerland and David and Marilyn Zweifel's wedding in 1975; 6 colour prints from a 197…
Corresponence written by David Zweifel and Catharine Robb Whyte
Date Range
1967
1972
1975
1989
Physical Description
2 cm of textual records -- 15 photographs (9 col. transparencies, 6 col. prints) -- 1 sound recording
History / Biographical
David Zweifel (1950 -) is a professional violinist who met Catharine Robb Whyte in December 1966 at the age of 16, shortly following the death of her husband Peter Whyte. Catharine helped to fund Zweifel's musical education and concert trips over the following years, and arranged with her friend Murray Adaskin for Zweifel to obtain a violin that had been previously owned by David White, who was the father of Peter Whyte. Zweifel attended Master classes in music at the Banff Centre as a young adult and stayed in Catharine's home with her during the summer months. David and Catharine were both active in outdoor activities and sports, and the pair went on multiple skiing trips and hikes together including Mount Rundle. Upon completing his education, Zweifel moved to Switzerland to join the Lausanne Orchestra. Catharine visited David and his wife Marilyn in Switzerland at least twice, in 1972 and 1977.
Zweifel later became a concert violinist for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra upon returning to Canada. David performed at Catharine Robb Whyte's memorial service at the Banff Centre on March 15, 1979 alongside Ken Stromberg [violin], and Tom Rolston [viola]. Marilyn Zweifel also performed a vocal solo. David Zweifel made a brief appearance in the 2016 film "Drawing Home", which tells the story of Peter and Catharine Whyte, in which he plays an unnamed violinist on a train ride to Banff.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of 2 cm of textual records consisting of correspondence from Catharine Robb Whyte [1967-1973] and Murray Adaskin to David Zweifel; 9 colour transparencies pertaining to a 1977 ski trip in Lucerne, Switzerland and David and Marilyn Zweifel's wedding in 1975; 6 colour prints from a 1972 ski trip in Austria with Catharine Robb Whyte, David Zweifel, and Marilyn Zweifel; and 1 sound recording of Catharine Robb Whyte's memorial service in 1979
Fonds consists of one series which currently includes all listed content in the fonds:
Series I : Catharine Robb Whyte
"Romance in the Rockies: The Life and Adventures of Catharine and Peter Whyte" by Kim Mayberry (Canmore: Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd., 2003), p. 98-99.
Copy of "Romance in the Rockies" located in the Whyte Museum's library under code [06 W62ma c.1]
Drawing Home Production Notes, M.Y.R.A. Entertainment, LLC. p. 34 [PDF]
Title Source
Title based on contents of fonds
Content Details
Cassette tape in accession 2019.02 is Loan for Copy, rest of items in fonds are part of a gift donation
File consists of 19 letters addressed to David Zweifel: 18 from Catharine Robb Whyte and one from Murray Adaskin. Letters pertain to David Zweifel's music lessons and Catharine's funding of these lessons; Catharine fixing a violin to give to David Zweifel which was originally owned by David White; …
Produced by Catharine Robb Whyte and Frances and Murray Adaskin
Date Range
1967
1969
1970
1973
1989
Physical Description
2 cm of textual records
Scope & Content
File consists of 19 letters addressed to David Zweifel: 18 from Catharine Robb Whyte and one from Murray Adaskin. Letters pertain to David Zweifel's music lessons and Catharine's funding of these lessons; Catharine fixing a violin to give to David Zweifel which was originally owned by David White; discussions about composer Murray Adaskin and artists Carl Rungius and Belmore Browne; Catharine's skiing lessons and trips; the Tabeteau family; letters of recommendation written by Catharine for David Zweifel; Catharine's flying lessons; Catharine attending a funeral in Concord in 1969; Catharine reminiscing about art school in Boston and Peter Whyte; Christmas greetings; Catharine attending a concert in Edmonton; and a letter from Murray Adaskin which includes a copy of another letter sent to David Zweifel from Frances Adaskin in 1967, discussing Catharine's generosity.
File pertains to 68 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from April 12 to October 19, 1936. Topics include returning from a trip out east by train, going to Skoki for a few days in April [including updates on the new camp buildings and access road], w…
2.8 cm of textual records (117 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 68 hand-written letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from April 12 to October 19, 1936. Topics include returning from a trip out east by train, going to Skoki for a few days in April [including updates on the new camp buildings and access road], weather, skiing and ski conditions, film-making, visits from friends and visitors, matters pertaining to the house [opening and closing it as they come and go from various trips], errand trips to Calgary, watching hockey games, going to the movies, leaving for Hawaii via Vancouver in early May [sailing on the Empress of Canada], books Catharine and Edith are reading, arriving in Hawaii and eventually getting settled at the Grand Hotel in Wailuku, Maui, visiting with friends, descriptions of meals, photography and cameras, relocating to the Moana Hotel in Honolulu in mid-May, sightseening and day trips around the islands, sketching, descriptions of other ships coming and going from the harbour, details of the trip back to Banff in mid-June, radio programs [mostly news and operas], cleaning and household chores, events and people in Concord, camping trips, maintenance and upkeep of the house and property, painting/sketching, various holidays [both Canadian and American], the Calgary Stampede, Banff Indian days, the annual Skyline Trail Hikers trip [based out of Lake O'Hara] in early August, matters pertaining to the store, Edith purchasing a painting of two moose from Carl Rungius, developing photographs, a two-week trip to Lake O'Hara in late August/early September to paint and hike [also includes details of other people there, day to day activies, and the subjects painted/sketched], day trips around the national park to take photographs and hike [mostly in the Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Bow Lake areas], and preparing for a trip out to Concord at the end of October.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Some letters are written on hotel/lodge letterhead.
Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981.
The first 10 or so letters have been numbered in pencil in the upper margin of the page as part of an unknown project.
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from February 6 to July 30, 1935. Topics include travelling back to Banff from Montreal on the train, cleaning and household chores, the Winter Carnival, day to day life, visits from friends and visitors, wa…
1.7 cm of textual records (89 pages ; 21.5 x 27.8 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from February 6 to July 30, 1935. Topics include travelling back to Banff from Montreal on the train, cleaning and household chores, the Winter Carnival, day to day life, visits from friends and visitors, watching hockey games and curling matches, weather, photography and cameras, events and people in Concord, going to Skoki to ski, going to the movies and seeing friend's homemade films, the birth of Russ and Kitty's first child Gale in late February [Edith's first grandchild], watching ski races at Norquay, converting an outbuilding from a garage/one bedroom into a garage/darkroom, dinner and tea parties [both at home and around town], sketching/painting, discussions of operas Edith has seen, Pete going to Vancouver for a few days in mid-April to help his parents [Dave was advised to go to sea level by doctors to help with ailments he'd been having], wildlife, developing photos and print-making, various holidays [both Canadian and American], descriptions of meals and various recipes, yardwork and redoing the driveway, Catharine going to Concord for a month [mid-May to mid-June], construction of a new road to Norquay ski camp, Pete constructing a cover for the back of their truck to be used for camping, going to Calgary for the Stampede, Banff Indian Days, and camping trips around Lake Louise and Yoho National Park.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are mostly hand-written, some typed - typed letters often have hand-written post scripts.
A few letters written on lodge/hotel letterhead.
Most letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981.
Some letters have numbers written in pencil or red pencil crayon in the upper margin of the first pages from an unknown project.
97 - 16 contains a sketch of the garage outbuilding and the plans to convert half of it into a darkroom.
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 26, 1949. Topics include holiday activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, bonspiels, watching local hockey games, the Banff Winter Carnival, weather, events and …
1.7 cm of textual records (101 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 67 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to June 26, 1949. Topics include holiday activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, bonspiels, watching local hockey games, the Banff Winter Carnival, weather, events and people in Concord, a train crash east of Banff in late February [no one was injured, Syd Vallance was on the train], new household appliances like a washing machine [Bendix] and electric sewing machine, world news, radio programs, photography, painting, Catharine going to Concord in May [she was called back to Banff early due to concerns for Pete's mental health], the death and funeral of Norman Sanson, and Pete and Catharine going to Victoria and Vancouver for the month of June [they stayed at the Empress in Victoria and the Hotel Georgia in Vancouver before moving to an apartment at the Ritz Vancouver].
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are mostly typed, some hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout.
Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981.
124-21 contains a note written after Catharine's post script, possibly by Pete.
File pertains to 28 handwritten letters by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from May 1932 to July 1932. Topics include daily life in Banff, more work on Peter and Catharine's home, Fern Brewster's engagement and marriage, land and lots along Bow Avenue, news in Concord [includin…
1.3 cm of textual records (155 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to 28 handwritten letters by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from May 1932 to July 1932. Topics include daily life in Banff, more work on Peter and Catharine's home, Fern Brewster's engagement and marriage, land and lots along Bow Avenue, news in Concord [including the death of Catharine's Aunt Helen and Edith Morse Robb's health], conversations with Earl Spencer, the death of Ruth Carpenter Mather [and subsequent reactions of family and locals], visiting and sketching in Yoho, a trip with Barbara Carpenter White to Vancouver, a trip with Barbara Carpenter White and Mary Schaffer Warren to Yoho, Catharine trading a painting for a grizzly hide, Peter getting a commission to paint a pair of portraits, Peter and Catharine's work hanging at the Banff Springs Hotel, painting trips to Larch Valley, Lake O'Hara and other locations, attending the Calgary Stampede [and corresponding art exhibition and an invitation to participate from Gwen[?] Hutton], and interactions and house visits from locals and others [including Norman Luxton, Jackie White, Fern Brewster, Tex Woods, the Moore family, the Brewster family, Earl Spencer, Barbara Carpenter White, Allan Mather, Fred Armbrister, Betty Painter, Belmore Browne, Mary Schaffer Warren, Frances James, Vic Kutschera, Carl Rungius, Frances and Murray Adaskin, Charlie Beil, Lila White Stockand, Norman Knight, Rupe and Chessy Edwards, Cyril Paris, Ted Paris, Dorothy White, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Oakes [from Boston], Dan McCowan, Mr. Polenski, Mr. Kingsman, and Annie White].
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, people of colour, and those of the Jewish faith used throughout is outdated and offensive. Some items were stapled together and therefore scanned together as one document.
Letters are all handwritten and include some hotel and camp letterheads. Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981. Some letters also have numbers written in pencil crayon, believed to be from when originally processed.