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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.
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K.B. Mitchell fonds
https://archives.whyte.org/en/permalink/descriptions662
- Part Of
- K.B. Mitchell fonds
- Scope & Content
- Fonds consists of 9 journals by K. B. (Bruce) Mitchell, 1941-1949 relating to his years as Chief Warden in Banff National Park. Photographs are of Bruce Mitchell on skis.
- Date Range
- 1941-1949
- Reference Code
- M206 / V168
- Description Level
- 1 / Fonds
- GMD
- Photograph
- Photograph print
- Textual record
- Diary
- Part Of
- K.B. Mitchell fonds
- Description Level
- 1 / Fonds
- Fonds Number
- M 206
- V 168
- Sous-Fonds
- M 206
- V 268
- Accession Number
- 7956 (unproc)
- Reference Code
- M206 / V168
- Date Range
- 1941-1949
- Physical Description
- 9 vol. textual records. -- 2 photographs
- History / Biographical
- K. B. (Bruce) Mitchell was born in Calgary in 1910 to Alexander and Agnes Mitchell, both Scottish immigrants. While a high school student, Bruce Mitchell worked the summer months on a ranch, west of Calgary, where he learned to stook hay and dance at the Jumping Pound Community Hall. In 1927 he was hired as an office boy with the Dominion Water Power and Reclamation Service in Calgary and then as a junior hydrometric recorder. In 1930 Mitchell worked as a survey engineer doing topographic surveys but lost that job due to the Depression. In 1931 Mitchell was hired as an acting park warden in Banff National Park and from 1933 to 1941 he was clerk and accountant for Banff National Park. In August 1941 Mitchell became Chief Park Warden in Banff National Park and from 1949 to 1954, he was Assistant Superintendent, Banff National Park. Following that, Mitchell was on special duty to Ottawa for six months. In 1955 Mitchell was Superintendent of Riding Mountain National Park, Kootenay National Park, Jasper National Park and finally Supervisor of National Parks Western Regional Office when he retired in 1970.
- Bruce married Marjorie Kay in 1934 and while in Banff, they lived at 454 Muskrat Street and then at 427 Marten Street. Bruce was a Scout leader and enjoyed skiing, snowshoeing, bowling and dancing at the Cascade Ballroom in Banff. Bruce and Marjorie were active members of the Kinsmen and Kinnette clubs and Bruce served on the Banff Winter Carnival Committees. Bruce and Marjorie had three children.
- Bruce Mitchell died in 2004 and he and Marjorie (d.1961) are buried in the Old Banff Cemetery.
- Scope & Content
- Fonds consists of 9 journals by K. B. (Bruce) Mitchell, 1941-1949 relating to his years as Chief Warden in Banff National Park. Photographs are of Bruce Mitchell on skis.
- Name Access
- Mitchell, K. B. (Bruce)
- Subject Access
- Banff National Park - Wardens
- Environment
- Law and justice
- Natural resources
- Language
- Language is English
- Finding Aid
- No finding aid
- Creator
- Mitchell, K. B. (Bruce)
- Category
- Environment
- Law and justice
- Natural resources
- Biographical Source Notes
- Accession record, We Live in a Postcard: Banff Family Histories (Banff: Banff History Book Committee, 2005)
- Title Source
- Title based on provenance of fonds
- Processing Status
- Unprocessed
This material is presented as originally created; it may contain outdated cultural descriptions and
potentially offensive content.
Read more.