Skip header and navigation

Narrow Results By

2 records – page 1 of 1.

Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds

https://archives.whyte.org/en/permalink/descriptions36
Part Of
Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of papers, photographs and sound recordings of Peter and Catharine Whyte and the papers and photographs of their respective families. Consists of three sous-fonds: V683, S37 and M36. M36 and S37 consists of three series. Series I: Peter and Catharine Whyte, Series II: Robb and Morse …
Date Range
1856-1980
Reference Code
M36 / S37 / V683
Description Level
1 / Fonds
GMD
Drawing
Motion picture
Film
Photograph
Album
Ambrotype
Cased photograph
Daguerreotype
Negative
Photograph print
Postcard
Tintype
Transparency
Sound recording
Cassette
Reel to reel
Textual record
Plan
Poster
Private record
Published record
  1 Electronic Resource  
Part Of
Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds
Description Level
1 / Fonds
Fonds Number
M36 / V683 / S37
Sous-Fonds
TBD
Accession Number
3069 and various
Reference Code
M36 / S37 / V683
GMD
Drawing
Motion picture
Film
Photograph
Album
Ambrotype
Cased photograph
Daguerreotype
Negative
Photograph print
Postcard
Tintype
Transparency
Sound recording
Cassette
Reel to reel
Textual record
Plan
Poster
Private record
Published record
Other Title Info
Also known as the Whyte family fonds
Date Range
1856-1980
Physical Description
25 m of textual records. -- ca.46,000 photographs : prints, albums, postcards, cased photographs, transparencies, negatives. -- 178 sound recordings : audio tape reels, audio tape cassettes. -- 6 motion pictures (and film strips)
History / Biographical
Peter and Catharine Whyte were artists, photographers, outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, philanthropists and cultural workers at Banff, Alberta, Canada. Peter Whyte, 1905-1966, was born at Banff in 1905 to pioneer merchant Dave White and Annie (Curren) White. He was an accomplished skier and ski jumper and one of the region's first native-born painters with an intimate knowledge of the mountains and was an active photographer from ca.1920 until the 1950s. Peter Whyte studied art at the Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, 1923-1924, and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston, 1925, where he met Catharine Robb. Catharine Robb Whyte, 1906-1979, was born in 1906 at Concord, Massachusetts and grew up amongst the wealth and creativity of the Robb and Morse families. She studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston, 1925-1929.
Following their marriage in 1930, the Whytes pursued a life of painting, photography, hiking, skiing and travelling. Their log home and studio in Banff became a focal point for their artist friends, Stoney Indians and local pioneers. Catharine shared Pete's involvement in skiing and hiking organizations and together they managed Skoki Lodge from 1932-1934. In following years, the Whytes travelled extensively. During the Second World War, Peter served in the reserve army, with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a photographer and, briefly, as an official war artist. Catharine continued to paint and maintain their home and, when possible, accompanied Pete to his military postings. In civilian life, Pete resumed his art career, explored new photographic techniques and sculpted.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Whytes formulated plans for a foundation to preserve the art and history of the Canadian Rockies. Plans for a building to house an archives, public library and gallery were in preparation when Pete died in 1966. The Peter Whyte Foundation was named in his honour. Catharine immersed herself in the development of what is now the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, in the cultural community, painting, outdoor activity, travel and work with the Stoney First Nations. She became a more active photographer, recording her travels and outdoor pursuits. She served in an official capacity with numerous cultural and charitable organizations, was a patron to individuals studying art and music, and supported numerous causes relating to the Stoney First Nations. Catharine also supported causes related to multiculturalism, regional culture and recreation, and cancer research. Despite her modesty and often anonymous patronage of causes, Catharine was recognized with numerous awards and honours, including the Order of Canada in 1978. She died in Banff in 1979.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of papers, photographs and sound recordings of Peter and Catharine Whyte and the papers and photographs of their respective families. Consists of three sous-fonds: V683, S37 and M36. M36 and S37 consists of three series. Series I: Peter and Catharine Whyte, Series II: Robb and Morse families, Series III: White and Curren families. Within Series I, there are four Sub-series: Series: A. Catharine Robb Whyte papers; B. Peter Whyte papers; C. Peter and Catharine Whyte papers accessioned after 2017; D. Peter and Catharine Whyte sound recordings.
Name Access
Whyte, Peter
Whyte, Catharine
Subject Access
Arts
Communications
Environment
Exploration, discovery and travel
Family and personal life
First nations
Sports, recreation and leisure
Access Restrictions
Some restriction/s on access
Copyright, privacy, commercial use and other restrictions may apply
Language
Language is English
Finding Aid
Finding aids and reference tools: arrangement outline
sous-fonds, series and file description for textual
sub-series and group description for photographs
item description, subject/proper name index, and summaries for sound recordings
reference copies for sound recordings
Creator
Whyte, Peter
Whyte, Catharine
Category
Arts
Communications
Environment
Exploration, discovery and travel
Family and personal life
First nations
Sports, recreation and leisure
Title Source
Title based on contents of fonds
Processing Status
Processed
Electronic Resources

m36_s37_finding_aid.pdf

Read PDF Download PDF
Less detail
This material is presented as originally created; it may contain outdated cultural descriptions and potentially offensive content. Read more.
Part Of
Vaux family fonds
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two or more series. Series I. Photography, 1893-1913, is processed. Series II. Textual records are processed and consist of six series. Photography series consists of twenty-four sub-series: A. to O. Travel 1893 to Travel 1907; P. to S. Travel 1909 to Travel 1913; T. Travel ge…
Date Range
[after 1855]
Reference Code
M107 / V653
Description Level
1 / Fonds
GMD
Photograph
Album
Negative
Photograph print
Transparency
Textual record
Map
Private record
Published record
Part Of
Vaux family fonds
Description Level
1 / Fonds
Fonds Number
M 107
V 653
Sous-Fonds
M 107
V 653
Accession Number
739, 1117, 1118, 1793, 2883, 3236, 3942, 4012, 7202, 7579 (unproc), 7792 (unproc)
Reference Code
M107 / V653
GMD
Photograph
Album
Negative
Photograph print
Transparency
Textual record
Map
Private record
Published record
Date Range
[after 1855]
Physical Description
2924 photographs: 2632 negatives, 167 transparencies, 125 prints. -- 1 photograph album (50 prints). -- ca.2.7 m textual records
History / Biographical
The Vaux family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were photographers, mountaineers and scientists. Mary M. Vaux, 1860-1940, George Vaux Jr., 1863-1927, and William S. Vaux Jr., 1872-1908, were the children of George Vaux (VIII) of Philadelphia. They were all involved in photography in the early 1880s and were members of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia. All three were taking photographs when the family made its first trip west in 1885. The first Vaux family photographs of the Canadian mountain west were made in 1887 during a summer trip along the Canadian Pacific Railway to Glacier House in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia in 1887.
The family made frequent visits to the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains over the next two decades to study the Illecillewaet and other glaciers, photograph, paint and climb. George's and Mary's photographic work centred on the mountain landscape, while William's concentrated upon the movement and physical features of glaciers. Due to the size of their large format cameras, the two brothers took most of the photographs during these trips and Mary was responsible for all of the printing. William Vaux died in 1908 and George did not return to the Canadian mountains after 1911; however, Mary Vaux Walcott returned to the region virtually every summer for over forty years. A detailed discussion of their activities is contained in "Legacy In Ice: The Vaux Family and the Canadian Alps," Whyte Foundation, Banff, 1983
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two or more series. Series I. Photography, 1893-1913, is processed. Series II. Textual records are processed and consist of six series.
Photography series consists of twenty-four sub-series: A. to O. Travel 1893 to Travel 1907; P. to S. Travel 1909 to Travel 1913; T. Travel general, 1894?-1912?; U. Prints, 1899-1907; V. Lantern slides, 1900-1909; W. Photograph album, before 1907; X. Textual records, 1893-1910; Y. Damaged Negatives; Z. Mary Schaffer Negatives. Photographic negatives, arranged chronologically, are prominent in the series. Images pertain to landscape studies and scenic views of the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains, especially the Glacier, Yoho and Lake Louise areas; glaciers in the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains, especially Illecillewaet, Asulkan, Yoho and Bow Glaciers; mountain scenes and panorama views in the Selkirks and Rockies; Canadian Pacific Railway in the Selkirks and CPR hotels; Glacier and Field, B.C. and Banff, Alberta and areas; climbing and other mountain activities; United States and Canadian views on trips to the mountains. Negatives include both glass (962 items) and film negatives (1740 items). Textual records are exposure records, original negative envelopes and publications.
Textual series consists of six series: I. Trip Series, II. Correspondence Series, III. Publications Series, IV. George Vaux: Legal and Finance Management Series, V. Photographic Related Material, VI. Other Series (O.S.). Textual records pertain to glacier study, including research papers, maps and publications; William S. Vaux Jr. papers re travels, engineering and architecture, other; George Vaux Jr. writing and other papers; Mary Vaux correspondence and papers re writing and presentations; and other records, 1877, 1912-1913. Textual records also include family travel papers, 1881-1911; George Vaux, Jr. "Glacier" files; correspondence between George Vaux and the Schäffers, 1899-1926; papers of Dr. Charles Schäffer, Mary Schäffer and Schäffer estate, 1855-1927.
Name Access
Schaffer, Charles
Schaffer, Mary
Vaux, George
Vaux, Mary
Vaux, William
Subject Access
Environment
Exploration, discovery and travel
Family and personal life
Access Restrictions
Some restriction/s on access
Copyright, privacy, commercial use and other restrictions may apply
Language
Language is English
Finding Aid
Finding aids and reference tools: arrangement outline
series description
file description for Series I
electronic finding aid for Series I
selected modern reference prints
digital images in Images database and in Alberta InSight database
Related Material
Related by provenance to the Vaux family collection of photographs held by the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Vaux collection of correspondence, documents and graphics held by Special Collections of Haverford College Library, Haverford, Pennsylvania
Creator
Vaux, George
Vaux, Mary
Vaux, William
Category
Environment
Exploration, discovery and travel
Family and personal life
Title Source
Title based on contents of fonds
Processing Status
Processed
Less detail
This material is presented as originally created; it may contain outdated cultural descriptions and potentially offensive content. Read more.
Back to Top