Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959. Personal and pro…
ca.13,100 photographs: ca.7080 prints, ca.5310 negatives, ca.700 transparencies. -- 9 photograph albums. -- ca.2 m textual records, print material and graphic records. -- 33 cartographic records
History / Biographical
Frederick Herbert (Bert) Riggall, 1884-1959, was a mountain guide, outfitter, hunter, trapper, rancher, naturalist, photographer, writer and gunsmith/loader in southern Alberta. Born in 1884 at Gayton-le-Wold Grange, Lincolnshire, his family moved to Grimsby where his father was an auctioneer and, in 1905, served as Mayor. In England, Riggall was an athlete, avid sportsman and naturalist. He was exposed to alpine country on school holidays in Switzerland and, determined to visit Canada, left for North America in 1904.
Upon arriving in western Canada, Riggall worked for a year at Craighurst Farm near Calgary. There he met Dorothea (Dora) Williams, 1877-1951, an Irish Quaker ranch cook who had emigrated with her sister Anna in 1902. In 1905, Bert worked on the Correction Land Survey in southwestern Alberta and explored Waterton Lakes. Bert and Dora married in 1906 and until 1946 they homesteaded and ranched adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Initially, Bert and partner Jack Hazzard built boats and guided fishing parties on Waterton Lakes. In 1909, with partner Cyril Watmough, the Riggalls began guiding and outfitting summer and fall hunting and fishing trips for numerous repeat clients, especially, after 1913, four Minneapolis, Minnesota families: Bovey, Crosby, Bennett and McKnight. Hunts involved Big Horn Sheep, goats, black and grizzly bears. Bert served as chief guide and Dora as camp cook. Prior to 1911, the Riggalls worked at Gloyne's oil camp and Oil City to supplement their income. In 1911, Bert and partner Cyril Watmough made a 1000 mile (1600 km) exploratory trip from Fort Steele, B.C. to the Yellowhead Pass and beyond. Following that trip, Riggall concentrated guiding activities on the continental divide as far north as the Highwood region, but primarily in the upper Oldman River Valley and Gap in the Livingstone Range. Their outfit grew to include numerous saddle and pack horses.
Of five children, only two daughters survived infancy. Kay Riggall (Russell), 1909-1984, and Doris (Babe) Riggall (Burton), 1910-1999, were both able riders, markswomen and packtrain workers. They accompanied their parents on summer back country trips starting in 1918. Bert Riggall was renowned for his knowledge of botany, geology, zoology, wilderness life and lore as well as literature and current affairs. He was especially endeared to his clients for his skill as a raconteur and campfire storyteller. He wrote articles for magazines such as: Arms and the Man, American Rifleman, Field and Stream and the Boone and Crockett Club's book: North American Big Game. Riggall was an accomplished semi-professional photographer who specialized in wildlife studies, panoramic landscapes, Dufaycolor and later Kodachrome transparencies. His photographs appear in Department of Interior Reports and other publications.
Bert's heart problems forced the Riggalls to move to Pincher Creek in 1947. Daughter Kay and son-in-law Andy Russell continued the packtrain and guiding business until 1960. After Dora's death, Bert experienced medical problems and lived with or close to Doris.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959.
Personal and professional series consists of diaries and notes, correspondence and personal papers.
Business and financial series consists of guiding and ranching records, gunsmithing, shooting and loading records; and legal and financial records.
Professional photography series consists of standard photographs, panoramas, transparencies and textual records
Writing series contains manuscripts, published magazines, book outlines, newspaper articles and letters to the editor
Natural history series contains bird and plant records, and other natural history papers
Other interests series consist of clippings, annotated books and collected material
Riggall family series contains Bert and Dora Riggall family papers and photographs, Williams family photographs, Frederick W. and Fanny Riggall papers and photographs, and Allan Riggall papers and photographs. Negatives and transparencies pertain to Andy Russell as a young man with Bert Riggall.
Notes
Some transparencies in V110 Dick Russell are marked Andy Russell, some marked 64 dup; V110 - original transparencies have full set of duplicates (2 sets were made, 1 for Dick Russell and the other is part of this accession)
The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photograp…
Nicholas Everard Morant, 1910-1999, was a professional photographer based at Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was a Canadian commercial photographer of international repute and Canada's premier railway photographer of the 20th century.
Morant was born at Kamloops, British Columbia, the son of Francis and Mollie Morant. After attending the University School at Victoria, Morant served as Special Photographer to the CPR from 1929 to 1935 and again from 1944 to 1981. From 1935 to 1939, he was a cameraman for the Winnipeg Free Press, and from 1940 to 1944 worked with the Wartime Information Branch of the federal government (later to be known as the National Film Board Stills Division).
Morant had a prolific career as a freelance commercial, portrait, magazine, landscape and documentary photographer. His work appeared in numerous books and magazines, including Time, Life, Liberty, Saturday Evening Post, (Toronto) Star Weekly, Northern Sportsman, Reader's Digest, Country Guide, The Standard, National Home Monthly, Canadian Photography, Outdoor Canada, National Geographic, the Globe & Mail, Winnipeg Tribune, New York Daily News, and the two Canadian Pacific Railway magazines, The Spanner and Rail News.
Two wartime images were featured on postage stamps, while three landscape views appeared on Canadian $10, $50 and $100 bills. His images were also used for corporate annual reports, postcards, brochures, calendars and advertisements. From the 1950s to 1980s Morant gave public slide shows of his work, two of the most popular being "A Talk Without Words" and "The World At Your Feet".
Morant married Ivy May "Willie" Young in 1936 when he was a photographer with the Winnipeg Free Press. Beginning in 1929, and until the end of her life, Morant's travelling and working companion was his wife, "Willie," 1910-1986.
Scope & Content
The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photography; II. Professional records; III. Personal and family records.
I. Photography series consists of: A. Negatives and transparencies, B. Transparencies, C. Prints, D. Other photographs. II. Professional records series consists of: A. Working records, B. Career records, C. Topical files. III. Personal and family records series consists of: A. Nick and Willie Morant, B. Nick Morant funeral and memorial, C. Francis and Mollie Morant, D. Collected material
Notes
Full summary of sub-sub-series levels:
I / A : 1) Darkroom Files [ a) Negative Albums b) Black/White Series I and II c) Colour Series I and II
d) Leica Negs ]
2) GD Files
I / B : 1) Presentations [ a) Topical Files b) Thematic Files ]
2) General Files
3) Other
I / C : 1) Print Files
I / D : 1) Exhibition and Display Prints
2) Photographs used by John Garden
3) Other Photographs
II / A : 1) Log Books
2) Notebooks
II / B : 1) Career Binders [ a) Postcards b) Brochures and Advertising c) clippings and articles
d) Calendar Photographs ]
2) Scrapbooks [ a) Content 1933 - 1946 b) Content 1940 - 1980 ]
II / C : 1) Numbered / Titled Files [ a) Group A b) Group B c) Group C d) Group D e) Group H
f) Group P g) Group R ]
2) Other Topical Files [ a) Railway; i) Timetables ii) Publications iii) Other
b) Photography; i) Textual Records ii) Print Material
c) Travel d) Exhibitions and Galleries e)Personal f) Other ]
3) Postcards, Greeting Cards and Ephemera Collection
4) Published Images and Text
5) Professional Photography
6) Promotional Items, Awards and Correspondence
7) Presentation and Interview Materials
III / A : 1) Correspondence
2) Personal Papers [ a) Personal Records b) Notes and Notebooks c) Lists and Card Files
d) Awards and Retirement ]
3) Personal Photographs
4) House Records [ a) Construction b) Household Records ]
5) Business, Financial and Legal Papers
6) Interviews, Reminiscences Personal Recordings
7) Other Records (Signs, Cartoons, Drawings, etc.)
8) Personal Correspondence and Notes
9) Travel Documents and Maps
III / B : 1) Nick Morant Funeral, Memorial and Estate
III / C : 1) Mollie Morant Papers
2) Other Family Papers
III / D : 1) Sound Recordings
2) Biographical Material
3) Other Papers and Photographs [ a) Burton Wheatley Family b) Other ]
4) Personal and Family Photography
5) Personal Interest and Gifts
Transparencies returned from Miller Services, Toronto (photographic agency). Views were among Morant's most marketable work. They are related to those in file V500 / B3 / 55b : "To show J. G" [John Garden]
I.B. Photography : transparencies : 2. General files
Sous-Fonds
V500
Reference Code
V500 / B3 / 56
Other Title Info
Parallel title is original title
Date Range
[between 1940 and 1980], predominant 1959-1971
Physical Description
108 photographs : transparencies, 35mm
Scope & Content
Transparencies returned from Miller Services, Toronto (photographic agency). Views were among Morant's most marketable work. They are related to those in file V500 / B3 / 55b : "To show J. G" [John Garden]
Geographic Access
Alberta
British Columbia
Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan
Title Source
Title based on contents of file
Content Details
File consists of :
Banff National Park AB views, including autumn colours in the Bow Valley, trees, Vermilion Lakes, Mount Rundle including winter scenes, Fairholme Ranch building, teepees at Banff Indian Days, Bow Peak, Bow Lake, Lake Louise, Willie Morant at Peyto Lake, passenger train near Castle Mountain;
Glacier National Park BC views including snowshed in Rogers Pass, Mount Sir Donald, Moberly Peak
Mount Assiniboine
Other, including: harvesting, grain elevators and prairie landscapes; moose, woodpacker, flowers; Roberts Bank Kaiser coal operations; Peace River area; coastal British Columbia; Nova Scotia lighthouses, fishing boats, seascapes, shrine
File consists of 2 books; one 18th century, one 20th century stamp book. Includes 1723 copy of ‘A Life of Mahomet’ by Humphrey Prideaux; missing front/back covers, replaced with plain brown paper covers. Handwritten title ‘Mahomet’ written on front cover and side binding in different handwritings; …
Humphrey Prideaux (1648-1724) was born in Cornwall and eventually became a Doctor of Divinity. Prideaux was an author of multiple textual works pertaining to faith and particularly Christianity. He was the Dean of Norwich from 1702 until his death in 1724.
Scope & Content
File consists of 2 books; one 18th century, one 20th century stamp book. Includes 1723 copy of ‘A Life of Mahomet’ by Humphrey Prideaux; missing front/back covers, replaced with plain brown paper covers. Handwritten title ‘Mahomet’ written on front cover and side binding in different handwritings; front believed to be by Nicholas Morant (?), side unknown. Also includes book of Japanese stamps collected by Nicholas Morant; many not dated, various designs and sizes, annotated on covers with Nicholas Morant's personal ink stamp.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / III / D / 5 / 75 to M300 / III / D / 5 / 91
File consists of 66 b&w negative photographs (55 mm). Content pertains to the felling and transportation of a 2500 year old fir tree near Sooke, B.C. which was used for an exhibition in London. Images depict felled fir tree, logging machinery and employees, etc.
File consists of 66 b&w negative photographs (55 mm). Content pertains to the felling and transportation of a 2500 year old fir tree near Sooke, B.C. which was used for an exhibition in London. Images depict felled fir tree, logging machinery and employees, etc.
Notes
Contains numerous duplicates of several original images.
File consists of 4 audiotape film reels with music content recorded by Nicholas Morant. Pertains to music/audio used in slideshow presentation series "A Talk Without Words" by Nicholas and Ivy "Willie" Morant (see "History/Bio"). Items (in order) are labelled "Introduction", "Showtape", "Introducti…
"A Talk Without Words" was an original presentation by Nick and Ivy "Willie" Morant featuring some of their photographs taken while travelling across Canada for work, as well as photographs from their travels in Peru. The presentation involved a brief introduction by Nick and Willie, followed by an approximately one-hour long slideshow accompanied by music which was recorded by Nick. The couple presented this slideshow, and similar variations, to the public for about 15 years (ca. 1950 to ca. 1965).
Scope & Content
File consists of 4 audiotape film reels with music content recorded by Nicholas Morant. Pertains to music/audio used in slideshow presentation series "A Talk Without Words" by Nicholas and Ivy "Willie" Morant (see "History/Bio"). Items (in order) are labelled "Introduction", "Showtape", "Introduction B" and "Showtape B".
Notes
Item S20/II/C/7/1 originally stored in brown paper Canadian Pacific mailing envelope with shipping label: "INTRODUCTION NICHOLAS MORANT BOX 1288 BANFF, ALBERTA CANADA"
Items S20/II/C/7/2 to 4 were attached by string tied around them.
Item S20/II/C/7/2 has label taped to inside of clear plastic container reading: "SHOWTAPE. Nova Scotia 123 Trees Prairies Quiet Places World at Feet Mountains 123 Exit Music."
Item S20/II/C/7/3 and S20/II/C/7/4 were in brown paper Canadian Pacific envelope labelled: "SHOWTAPE B INTRODUCTION B Excludes - Peru - Soundpix"
S20/II/C/7/3 in "Scotch Tape" brand box labelled "Introduction B .... Okay for Revere or Magnecord."
S20/II/C/7/4 in "audiotape" brand box labelled "Showtape B. Okay for Revere and Magnecord."
https://www.whyte.org/nicholas-morant-later-career
Also referenced in book "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" by John F. Garden (Revelstoke: Footprint Publishing, 1991) under chapter "A Talk Without Words"
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 1/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
3 cm of textual records (130 pages ; 25.5 x 30 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 1/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 2/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
3.5 cm of textual records (152 pages ; 25.5 x 30 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 2/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
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 45 negative photographs (b&w, colour) and 33 colour transparencies. Content pertains to Canadian Pacific Railway hotels: Algonquin Hotel, St. Andrew's NB; Digby Pines Hotel, Digby NS; Ascot Hotel, Montreal QC(?); and Le Baron Hotel, Sherbrooke QC.
78 Photographs: negatives and transparencies; b&w and colour
Scope & Content
File consists of 45 negative photographs (b&w, colour) and 33 colour transparencies. Content pertains to Canadian Pacific Railway hotels: Algonquin Hotel, St. Andrew's NB; Digby Pines Hotel, Digby NS; Ascot Hotel, Montreal QC(?); and Le Baron Hotel, Sherbrooke QC.
Notes
Some of photographs are duplicates. Negatives and transparencies stored in separate file boxes.