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Dan McCowan and Mary McCowan fonds
https://archives.whyte.org/en/permalink/descriptions273
- Part Of
- Dan and Mary McCowan fonds
- Scope & Content
- Fonds consists of two series : I. Dan McCowan series; II. Mary E.(Fee) McCowan series. I. Dan McCowan series, ca.1905-1967?, ca.30 cm of textual records, ca.3400 photographs, 4 graphic records. Includes five sub-series: A. Correspondence; B. Writing; C. Photography; D. Professional activities; E…
- Date Range
- [ca.1885-1967?]
- Reference Code
- M55 / V408
- Description Level
- 1 / Fonds
- GMD
- Photograph
- Negative
- Photograph print
- Transparency
- Textual record
- Diary
- Private record
- Published record
- Part Of
- Dan and Mary McCowan fonds
- Description Level
- 1 / Fonds
- Fonds Number
- M 55
- V 408
- Sous-Fonds
- M 55
- V 408
- Accession Number
- 323, 694, 3263, 6756, 6892
- Reference Code
- M55 / V408
- GMD
- Photograph
- Negative
- Photograph print
- Transparency
- Textual record
- Diary
- Private record
- Published record
- Date Range
- [ca.1885-1967?]
- Physical Description
- ca.50 cm of textual records. -- ca.3400 photographs (ca.1000 negatives, ca.1540 lantern slides, ca.770 transparencies 35mm, 117 prints). -- 4 graphic records
- History / Biographical
- Dan McCowan, 1882-1956, was a naturalist, lecturer and writer at Banff, Alberta, Canada. McCowan came to Banff from Scotland in 1907. There he met Mary Ethel Fee, 1888-1973, a teacher, and they married in 1921. Mary McCowan shared an interest in Dan's work, hand-coloured his lantern slides and accompanied him on his tours. Dan McCowan was an active photographer and naturalist and lectured at hospitals during and following the First World War. He was later recommended to Sir Edward Beatty, CPR President and hired by the CPR to promote the scenic beauties and natural history of the mountains, which he did for 26 years. For a period his lantern slide presentations included motion pictures. During the 1940s, he used natural colour Kodachrome slide photography. While in England in 1936, McCowan was made a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society. From ca.1907 onwards, he wrote for magazines and newspapers. The first of six books was published in 1936; the last in 1955. Beginning ca.1937, McCowan wrote and broadcast radio talks on natural history on CBC. These were heard widely in Canada and the United States. In 1939, McCowan accompanied the King and Queen on a portion of their railway tour through the mountains, providing information on natural history and residents. During the Second World War, he toured extensively on behalf of the YMCA. The McCowans retired to Cloverdale (now Surrey), B.C., ca.1951.
- Scope & Content
- Fonds consists of two series : I. Dan McCowan series; II. Mary E.(Fee) McCowan series.
- I. Dan McCowan series, ca.1905-1967?, ca.30 cm of textual records, ca.3400 photographs, 4 graphic records. Includes five sub-series: A. Correspondence; B. Writing; C. Photography; D. Professional activities; E. Ephemera.
- Correspondence includes incoming letters re writing, business and broadcasting. Writing is in the form of notes and notebooks, unpublished and published manuscripts, newspaper articles and other materials.
- Photography includes negatives, lantern slides, 35mm transparencies and prints. Material pertains to flora, fauna, people, places and scenery, also family, activities and events. Photographs of Banff personalities and visitors are available in negative and lantern slide form, 254 items.
- Lantern slides were designed for lectures such as: "On skyline trails in the Canadian Rockies"; "On nature trails at Banff and Lake Louise"; "A naturalist in the Canadian Rockies" (200 slides); "Snow peaks and flower meadows in the Canadian Rockies" (200 slides); "Over the hills and far away: a pictorial review of the Canadian Rockies"; "Victory Day, May 8th 1945, Dan McCowan presents: Bye-gone days in Banff" (exact titles were based on title slides).
- II. Mary E. (Fee) McCowan series consists of diaries, 1926-1957, photocopied from 12 volumes (19 cm); and letters from Dan McCowan, 1943. Diaries discuss joint travels, activities, lecture tours for CPR (Canada, U.S., U.K.), Banff, trail rides, skyline hikes, and Royal Visit, 1939
- Notes
- Both Dan and Mary McCowan have written identifications on the slide mounts
- Name Access
- McCowan, Dan
- McCowan, Mary
- Subject Access
- Environment
- Exploration, discovery and travel
- Family and personal life
- Natural resources
- 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: arrangement outline
- series and file description
- in-house electronic finding aid
- online finding aid
- item list and modern reference prints for photographs of Banff personalities and visitors
- Related Material
- Related by provenance to McCowan family photographs (V407)
- Creator
- McCowan, Dan
- McCowan, Mary
- Category
- Environment
- Exploration, discovery and travel
- Family and personal life
- Natural resources
- Sports, recreation and leisure
- Title Source
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Processing Status
- Processed
This material is presented as originally created; it may contain outdated cultural descriptions and
potentially offensive content.
Read more.
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
This material is presented as originally created; it may contain outdated cultural descriptions and
potentially offensive content.
Read more.