Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, …
ca. 7.9 metres of textual records -- ca. 274 maps -- 29 VHS tapes -- ca.15 discs with digital files -- 21 cassettes -- photographs -- oversized materials -- USB stick with 15 sldeshows
History / Biographical
Ben Gadd (1946-) is a retired naturalist, guide, geologist, instructor, freelance writer and award-winning author based in the Canadian Rockies.
Ben was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1946. He met his wife, Cia (Langdon) Gadd at Colorado College in 1965, and the couple married four weeks later. Ben and Cia had two sons, Will and Toby. Ben and his family relocated to Jasper in the late 1960s. Ben later attended the University of Lethbridge and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Earth Science in 1972.
Between 1976 and 1980, Ben taught classes at Mount Royal College and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; he later taught additional classes at Grant MacEwan College and Lakeland College. From 1981, Ben also worked as a seasonal naturalist/guide for Parks Canada. Ben left Parks Canada in 1985 to start an independent naturalist guiding business with Cia based in Jasper and other parts of the Canadian Rockies, which the couple continued to operate for over two decades.
Ben published his best-known work, "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies", through his publishing company Corax Press in 1986. The second edition of "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies" received multiple awards after its release in 1995. Ben's fiction book, "Raven's End" won the title of Best Canadian Rockies Book at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2001 and became a Canadian bestseller. Overall, Ben has authored or co-authored 11 books and received nearly one dozen awards for his achievements as a writer, researcher and guide.
Ben continued to lead guided hikes and school programs until his retirement in 2016.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, video and sound recordings, and other related material. Materials donated in 2024 include one USB stick containing
Notes
Ben Gadd fonds arrangement:
Series I : Personal records
- Subseries A : Travel guides and maps
- Subseries B : Education and early writings
- Subseries C : Personal interest files
- Subseries D : Other personal and collected
Series II : Research and publication records
- Subseries A : Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
- Subseries B : Other publications
Series III : Professional records
- Subseries A : Parks Canada Records
- Subseries B : Interpretive guiding
- Subseries C : Teaching records
- Subseries D : Other contracts and projects
Series IV : Legal and financial records
- Subseries A : Legal records
- Subseries B : Financial records
The Charlie Russell fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the filming of "Grizzly Country", ranching, friends and family, wildlife, and recreational activities, ca.1961-ca.1968. The majority of the images were made in the Waterton Lakes area. There are some images made in New York City, Briti…
ca. 2520 photographs : b&w negatives ; 35 mm and 4x5, 2 transparencies; col.
History / Biographical
Andrew Charles "Charlie" Russell (August 19, 1941 – May 7, 2018) was a naturalist, photographer, pilot, wilderness guide, and rancher. One of the son's of Andy Russell and Kay Russell and grandson of Bert Riggall, Charlie grew up at the Hawk's Nest ranch on the N.E. boundary of Waterton Lake National Park.
Alongside his brother Dick Russell, Charlie assisted his father Andy in the production and filming of Grizzly Country throughout the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, and Alaska from 1961-1964. In 1967 he returned to the Tolkat River in Alaska to photograph and observe bears alone. In 1970 he purchased a large percentage of his fathers land on Waterton's north-east border to run a cattle operation. In 1991, he made his first visit to Princess Royal Island, British Columbia, and began photographing for "Spirit Bear", a book of photographs and writings published in 1994. Beginning in 1997, Charlie spent 6 years among the grizzlies of Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia alongside artist and partner Maureen Enns. After returning to Alberta from Russia, Charlie continued to be a conservation advocate until he passed from a surgery-related complication in May 2018.
The bulk of Charlie Russell's work was destroyed in a house fire in [1991?].
Scope & Content
The Charlie Russell fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the filming of "Grizzly Country", ranching, friends and family, wildlife, and recreational activities, ca.1961-ca.1968. The majority of the images were made in the Waterton Lakes area. There are some images made in New York City, British Columbia, and Alaska.
The fonds is comprised of two series: I. Black and white negatives; II. Transparencies;
I. Black and white negatives consists of A. 1964, B. Waterton Park Flood, June 8-9, 1963, C. 35mm Books, D. 4x5 Book, E. Bert Riggall Copy Negatives. II. Transparencies consist of two 4x5 colour transparencies depicting Cal Wellman's Cattle.
Notes
I.C. was received in the form of three separate negative books. The books have been arranged numerically in subseries I.C, with the negative book book and page number of origin written on the negative sleeves. For example, V557/I/C/NA-1a to NA-6e [Book 1, pg. 1,2].
Select 35mm negatives in I.C. are marked with red stickers and overlaid with rectangles on the negative sleeve. These negatives correspond to the negatives used in "Spirit Bear" and their cropping for publication. Each image is listed and described in the case file on the document titled "These are the negs used in Spirit Bear Chapter One". Some of the dots have a number corresponding to the document, others do not (the stickers were taken from the original negative sleeves and re-applied to the new negative sleeves).
Fonds consists of motion picture titled "Canadian Rockies, 1930 Maligne Lake Camp, Mount Brazeau" and a scrapbook containing letters, brochures, maps, newsletters, and photographs pertaining to Allyn Ford and Nancy Dart's respective memberships with the Alpine Club of Canada, as well as a trip to J…
1 motion picture : 16 mm, b/w, silent, ca.500 ft ; 4 cm of textual records (1 volumes ; 24.5 x 29.3 cm)
History / Biographical
Allyn K. Ford (1878-1964) was a businessman and collector in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a member of the Alpine Club of Canada from 1908 onwards. He was married to Emily Powell Ford (1886-1976) and had at least two daughters, Alice Carpenter Ford and Nancy (Ford) Dart. Nancy also became a member of the ACC in 1953.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of motion picture titled "Canadian Rockies, 1930 Maligne Lake Camp, Mount Brazeau" and a scrapbook containing letters, brochures, maps, newsletters, and photographs pertaining to Allyn Ford and Nancy Dart's respective memberships with the Alpine Club of Canada, as well as a trip to Jasper in the mid-1950s.
Fonds consists of textual records, postcards, drawings and one photograph album pertaining to Mary (Molly) Wright Adams (1868-1909); transcripts of Molly's original letters which were compiled by Molly's sister, Catharine Elkin (nee Adams) between ca.1939 and 1941; and transcriptions of letters sen…
Some materials produced by Catharine (Adams) Elkin
Date Range
[ca.1844 - 1909]
[ca.1939 - 1944]
1980 - 1981
2014
Physical Description
21 cm of textual records -- 16 postcards -- 3 drawings -- 1 photograph album : 107 b&w photographs
History / Biographical
Mary Wright (Molly) Adams was born on 15 October 1868. in Ridgefield Connecticut. She was the third of five children born to Cornelia Ann Cook (1830-1902) and Daniel Lucius Adams (1814 - 1899) She died in Kobe, Japan on 23 January 1909 and was buried there.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records, postcards, drawings and one photograph album pertaining to Mary (Molly) Wright Adams (1868-1909); transcripts of Molly's original letters which were compiled by Molly's sister, Catharine Elkin (nee Adams) between ca.1939 and 1941; and transcriptions of letters sent between Molly's extended family members [including members of the Adams, Cook and Wright families], ca.1844 and 1866.
Textual records primarily consist of correspondence sent between Molly Adams and various friends and family members [ca.1891-1909].
Notes
Fonds consists of two series:
Series I : Correspondence [contains two sub-series: I / A : Molly Wright Adams ; I / B : Extended family]
Series II : Personal and collected records
File consists of 168 negative photographs (colour, b&w) and 54 colour transparencies. Content pertains to cruise ships, glaciers and scenery, travellers, activities in British Columbia and Alaska. Includes ships: Princess Kathleen (betw.1948 and 1952), Princess Marguerite II and Princess Patricia.
222 Photographs: negatives and transparencies; b&w, colour
Scope & Content
File consists of 168 negative photographs (colour, b&w) and 54 colour transparencies. Content pertains to cruise ships, glaciers and scenery, travellers, activities in British Columbia and Alaska. Includes ships: Princess Kathleen (betw.1948 and 1952), Princess Marguerite II and Princess Patricia.
Notes
Contains duplicates. Negatives and transparencies are stored in separate file boxes.
File consists of 70 personal and family photograph prints. Content pertains to trips to the Okanagan region in British Columbia, Jasper, New Hampshire, and Banff; and views of the Luxton family property [206 Beaver St.]
File consists of 70 personal and family photograph prints. Content pertains to trips to the Okanagan region in British Columbia, Jasper, New Hampshire, and Banff; and views of the Luxton family property [206 Beaver St.]
File consists of brochures, souvenir booklets, travel guides and related materials pertaining to Canadian Pacific trips and destinations within North America. Locations include: Banff Springs Hotel and Banff National Park; the Empress Hotel in Victoria; British Columbia; Ontario and the the Great L…
File consists of brochures, souvenir booklets, travel guides and related materials pertaining to Canadian Pacific trips and destinations within North America. Locations include: Banff Springs Hotel and Banff National Park; the Empress Hotel in Victoria; British Columbia; Ontario and the the Great Lakes; Quebec; Alaska; and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. File also includes a map of the Canadian Pacific rail system [1918] and a copy of "Empress of the Pacific" cruise magazine [1936].
Items divided into 3 files:
LUX/II/C4/15: Ontario, Quebec, Alaska and Canadian coastal guide books [ca. 1915-1920]
LUX/II/C4/16: Canadian Rockies guides and information booklets
LUX/II/C4/17: Other Canadian Pacific material
Item pertains to one black soft cover scrapbook with alternating paper dividers and plastic sleeves. Book contains newsletters, brochures, and letters pertaining to the Alpine Club of Canada dated 1922-2003, newsletters from the American Alpine Club 1941, and various travel and dining brochures for…
4 cm of textual records (1 volumes ; 24.5 x 29.3 cm)
History / Biographical
Nancy (Ford) Dart, daughter of Minneapolis businessman Allyn K. Ford, became a member of the Alpine Club of Canada in 1953. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Scope & Content
Item pertains to one black soft cover scrapbook with alternating paper dividers and plastic sleeves. Book contains newsletters, brochures, and letters pertaining to the Alpine Club of Canada dated 1922-2003, newsletters from the American Alpine Club 1941, and various travel and dining brochures for Jasper and the Jasper Park Lodge from ca. 1954.
Tucked into a pouch inside the front cover are two letters addressed to Nancy Dart in 2003 regarding her 50th anniversary as a member of the ACC, four ACC annual newsletter booklets from 1922, 1923, and 1925, and an envelope addressed to Nancy Ford (Dart) containing paperwork pertaining to her admission to the ACC in 1953.
Items throughout the scrapbook are either tucked into the plastic sleeves or dispersed throughout the pages. Contents include annual ACC camp brochures (one from 1908, others from the 1940s and 50s), letters (one addressed to Geoffrey Howard from Allyn K. Ford, in 1941 and another addressed to Mr. Ford, probably Allyn Ford, in 1953), photographs/postcards taped to a page divider, seven dinner lists from 1953 for the Jasper Park Lodge (all dated Friday, July 10 but each has a different header picture), a booklet from the third annual ACC membership dinner, a brochure for the 1941 annual American Alpine Club meeting and dinner, three tourism magazines for Jasper from the Canadian National Railway, one trail map of Jasper and one of Banff, an ACC newsletter and brochure for the Mountain Leadership Conference from 1989, a typed copy of a short story "A Journey with the Men of Alps" held together with a small pin (possibly a dramatic retelling of Allyn Ford's first trip to the Rockies), two ACC crossword puzzels (one partially completed), and a notice from the American Alpine Club pertaining to America's involvement in World War II from 1941. Tucked inside the back cover is a red paper envelope containing two photographs (possibly printed off the computer) of A.O. Wheeler from the 1923 ACC camp in Larch Valley.
File consists of 10 photographs collected by member(s) of the Luxton family. Photographs depict children fishing and attending school, two pictures from the wedding of Hugh Lee, Eleanor Luxton and friends in Quebec [ca.1990], and a portrait of an unidentified RCMP officer.
10 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 23 x 28 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 10 photographs collected by member(s) of the Luxton family. Photographs depict children fishing and attending school, two pictures from the wedding of Hugh Lee, Eleanor Luxton and friends in Quebec [ca.1990], and a portrait of an unidentified RCMP officer.
File consists of collected commercial postcards from Canada, the United States, Central America, Europe and the United Kingdom [non-annotated]. File includes loose postcards, postcard sets and fold-out photo card booklets.
ca. 630 b&w and col. postcards ; 23 x 18 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of collected commercial postcards from Canada, the United States, Central America, Europe and the United Kingdom [non-annotated]. File includes loose postcards, postcard sets and fold-out photo card booklets.
Notes
Items in this file have been organized by geographical location. See "Content Details" entry field for contents of individual folders.
File is organized into 8 folders, numbered LUX / III / D / PG - 1 to 8.
PG - 1 : Banff National Park
PG - 2 : Canadian Rockies and Selkirks
PG - 3 : Alberta and British Columbia [Other]
PG - 4 : Canada
PG - 5 : United States of America
PG - 6 : United States of America, cont.'d [postcard sets and 1933 Chicago World Fair]
PG - 7 : Foreign
PG - 8 : Other [location not specified]