Search Results - Research Collections - Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Byron Harmon fonds

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Part Of: Byron Harmon fonds

Scope & Content: Fonds consists of the photographic records and sample materials of Byron Harmon Photos, the photographic business of Byron Harmon and his successors; as well as the personal photographs of Byron Harmon. I. Scenic / commercial, 1907-1975, ca.7600 items. Primary component of series is film and glass…

Date Range: [ca.1890-ca.1975]

Reference Code: V263

Description Level: 1 / Fonds

GMD: Motion picture; Film; Photograph; Negative; Photograph print; Postcard; Transparency; Textual record; Published record

Part Of: Byron Harmon fonds

Description Level: 1 / Fonds

Fonds Number: V 263

Sous-Fonds: V 263

Accession Number: 235, 980, 1549, 1622, 2588, 2656, 2770, 2792, 2895, 3005, 3394, 3423, 3657, 3807, 3824, 3859, 3988, 4028, 4076, 5052, 5181, 5205, 5254, 5381, 6070, 6127, 6587, 6602

Reference Code: V263

GMD: Motion picture; Film; Photograph; Negative; Photograph print; Postcard; Transparency; Textual record; Published record

Other Title Info: Also known as the Byron Harmon Photos fonds.

Date Range: [ca.1890-ca.1975]

Physical Description: ca.10,500 photographs (and ca.35 cm) : prints, postcards, negatives, transparencies, motion pictures, sample products

History / Biographical: Byron Hill Harmon, 1876-1942, was a professional photographer and businessman at Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was born near Tacoma, Washington, USA and operated a portrait studio there for a time. In 1903, while travelling around the United States and Canada as an itinerant photographer, he decided to settle in Banff and by 1907 had produced enough mountain views to begin selling a line of postcards. Between 1906 and 1913, Harmon was official photographer for the Alpine Club of Canada and made trips in numerous mountain areas, such as the Bugaboos (1910) and Mount Robson (1911, 1913). Harmon personally financed trips into other areas, such as Tonquin Valley (1918) and Lake of the Hanging Glaciers (1920, 1922), producing both still photographs and motion pictures for commercial sale. After his last major expedition in 1924 across Saskatchewan Glacier, through to Maligne Lake and back to Banff by packtrain, Harmon devoted most of his time to photographing scenes along the railway, skiing in the Assiniboine and Skoki regions, and the annual rides and hikes of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies. At the same time he managed several businesses, including a drug store, fountain lunch, theatre and book store. In his later years, Harmon spent much time travelling and photographing in other parts of the world. The business, Byron Harmon Photos, was managed successively by his son, Don Harmon, then his grand-daughter, Carole Harmon.

Scope & Content: Fonds consists of the photographic records and sample materials of Byron Harmon Photos, the photographic business of Byron Harmon and his successors; as well as the personal photographs of Byron Harmon.; I. Scenic / commercial, 1907-1975, ca.7600 items. Primary component of series is film and glass negatives, 1907-1942, ca.6500 items. Also includes: postcard negatives and positives and production negatives to ca.1955; original prints; a wide range of sample products, such as postcards, enlargements and framing prints, calendars and viewbooks, mainly by Harmon business, some by other photographers; and lantern slides, ca.1913-192-, pertaining to Columbia Icefield Expedition, mountaineering, mountain landscapes, Indians, wildlife, Canadian Pacific Railway and Asian travel. Scenic / commercial series pertains to annual camps and expeditions of the Alpine Club of Canada in the Canadian Rockies and Selkirks, 1907-1913; private movie-making expeditions in the Canadian Rockies and Selkirks; mountain scenic views, primarily for postcard purposes; Banff events and development; skiing; birds and animals. Includes some material by Don Harmon and Lloyd Harmon, sons of Byron Harmon.; II. Personal, 189- to 194-, ca.370 items. Includes: family photographs and views received from others; motion picture out-takes pertaining to world travels, 1930s; and 35 mm. transparencies, ca.1940, pertaining mainly to world travels, also mountain and prairie scenics.

Notes: For more information on the Byron Harmon photographs, see "Great Days in the Rockies: The Photographs of Byron Harmon, 1906-1934" (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1978) or "Byron Harmon, Mountain Photographer" by Carole Harmon and Bart Robinson (Banff: Altitude Publishing, 1992)

Name Access: Harmon, Byron

Subject Access: Arts; Environment; Exploration, discovery and travel; Family and personal life; Sports, recreation and leisure

Access Restrictions: Some restrictions on access to originals; Copyright, privacy, commercial use and other restrictions may apply

Language: Language is English

Finding Aid: Finding aids and reference tools: series description; selected modern reference prints; digital images in Images database and in Alberta InSight database

Related Material: Byron Harmon postcards can also be found in the Postcard general file (V466)

Creator: Harmon, Byron

Category: Arts; Environment; Exploration, discovery and travel; Family and personal life; Sports, recreation and leisure

Title Source: Title based on accession records and contents of fonds

Processing Status: Processed

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Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds

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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

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1942 Trust

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Part Of: Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds

Scope & Content: Copy of 1942 Trust Agreement for benefit of Catharine Robb Whyte. Letters regarding trust-1968. Financial appraisal of 1942 Trust-1975.

Date Range: 1942-1975

Reference Code: M36 / I / A / 3 / a / i / 704

Description Level: 5 / File

Part Of: Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds

Description Level: 5 / File

Fonds Number: M36 / V683 / S37

Series: I.A.3. Catharine Robb Whyte papers / photographs

Reference Code: M36 / I / A / 3 / a / i / 704

Date Range: 1942-1975

Physical Description: 1 file of textual records

Scope & Content: Copy of 1942 Trust Agreement for benefit of Catharine Robb Whyte. Letters regarding trust-1968. Financial appraisal of 1942 Trust-1975.