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)
Fonds consists of four series: I. Personal, II. Professional, III. Activities, IV. Brewster family. I. Personal series, 1905-1982, 18 cm of textual records, 160 photographs, 2 sound recordings. Includes correspondence, interview and recorded conversation, address/notebook, artwork, other textua…
ca.80 cm of textual material. -- ca.900 photographs : prints, postcards, transparencies, negatives, copy negatives. -- 1 photograph album (50 prints). -- 3 sound recordings : audio tape cassettes
History / Biographical
Forrest Oliver "Pat" Brewster, 1896-1982, was a trail guide, outfitter and businessman in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Pat was a native and life-long resident of Banff. As a boy, he was an active Boy Scout and, by age seventeen, was a big game guide. After serving in World War I, Brewster established the first permanent camp at Lake O'Hara for the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1926, he took over the Brewster Transport Company outfitting business from his brothers, Bill and Jim. In the 1930s, he became involved in skiing explorations in the Assiniboine, Skoki and Sunshine areas. Pat Brewster was active in community affairs and, in his later years, was an avid historian of the region. He published three books of reminiscences between 1975 and 1982.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of four series: I. Personal, II. Professional, III. Activities, IV. Brewster family.
I. Personal series, 1905-1982, 18 cm of textual records, 160 photographs, 2 sound recordings. Includes correspondence, interview and recorded conversation, address/notebook, artwork, other textual records, photographs.
II. Professional series, 1892-1982, 47.5 cm of textual records, 266 photographs, 1 sound recording. Includes papers pertaining to various Brewster family and other businesses, writing papers and sound recording, and photographs pertaining to guiding and outfitting, tourism promotion and other.
III. Activities series, 1841-1983, 6.5 cm of textual records, 262 photographs. Pertains to genealogical research, other activities and collected material.
IV. Brewster family series, 1841-1981, 2.5 cm of textual records, 132 photographs. Pertains to Brewster family, Jack Brewster, John Brewster, Pearl Brewster Moore and the Moore family.
File consists of letters regarding Arthur Oliver Wheeler, Middle Springs packshack, Mount Assiniboine Public Walking and Riding Tour, Hillsdale Meadows, Banff National Park, Banff Advisory Council. Includes maps of camps. Annotated by Pat Brewster
File consists of letters regarding Arthur Oliver Wheeler, Middle Springs packshack, Mount Assiniboine Public Walking and Riding Tour, Hillsdale Meadows, Banff National Park, Banff Advisory Council. Includes maps of camps. Annotated by Pat Brewster
Content Details
Sketch Plan of Banff Townsite, 1940 shows west half, villa lot 6, block 16. Held in oversize "F"
File consists of letters and postcards to Allan Riggall, brother of Bert Riggall, and photographs of him and his family. Also includes five letters from Allan Riggall to his mother
.5 cm of textual records. -- 29 photographs : prints, transparencies
Scope & Content
File consists of letters and postcards to Allan Riggall, brother of Bert Riggall, and photographs of him and his family. Also includes five letters from Allan Riggall to his mother
Sub-series consists of annotated books indicating Riggall's opinions, observations or involvements
Title Source
Title based on contents of subseries
Content Details
ITEM LIST :
* Boone and Crockett Club / North American big game competitions, 1939; note on Riggall's chapter "Hunting the Black Bear" in North American big game, 1939
* Gray, Prentiss N. / North American big game : official measurement records, 1934; additions of McKnight and Riggall records for bighorn sheep and black bear
* Hornaday, William T. / Campfires in the Canadian Rockies, 1907; extensive margin notes on people, places, flora and fauna
* White, Stewart Edward / The Mountains, 1904; some notes on trail life
Files consists of letters, genealogical charts, historical data sheets, typescript, newsclippings and magazine articles regarding Brewster, Donaldson, Hutton, Irvine, McLean and Thompson families. Includes family tree of Pearl Moore. Photographs transferred to V91/409-445; photocopies retained in …
Files consists of letters, genealogical charts, historical data sheets, typescript, newsclippings and magazine articles regarding Brewster, Donaldson, Hutton, Irvine, McLean and Thompson families. Includes family tree of Pearl Moore.
Photographs transferred to V91/409-445; photocopies retained in file
Content Details
Plan of Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston, Ontario, 1971 50'=1" re Thompson and Revelle families related to Pat Brewster family. Held inoversize "F"
Genealogy chart re Brewster family and various relatives, ca.1970. Held in oversize "H"
F. H. Riggall sketch book, 1903-[1912], 1 v., includes pencil drawings of birds and insects drawn while still in England; mountain sheep, 1912; house and stable plans; boat plans for fishing boats, Waterton Lakes, ca.1910. Also includes 2 sketches by American artist Philip R. Goodwin of a moose an…
1 v. of textual records (1 cm). -- 10 graphic records
Scope & Content
F. H. Riggall sketch book, 1903-[1912], 1 v., includes pencil drawings of birds and insects drawn while still in England; mountain sheep, 1912; house and stable plans; boat plans for fishing boats, Waterton Lakes, ca.1910. Also includes 2 sketches by American artist Philip R. Goodwin of a moose and a grizzly bear, 1909
Silhouettes, [ca.1930?], 10 items, include "Frenchy's horse silhouette and cutout" (perhaps referring to H. "Frenchy" Riviere), bighorn sheep profiles, bear profile. Game silhouettes were enlarged to produce target templates for shooting practice. Bear profile based on Goodwin sketch
File consists of letters from Arthur Oliver Wheeler to Stanley H. Mitchell and Major W. R. Tweedy regarding clientele; correspondence between Pat Brewster and Banff National Park superintendents regarding dispute over relocation of business from west half, villa lot #6 (Middle Springs) to Hillsdale…
File consists of letters from Arthur Oliver Wheeler to Stanley H. Mitchell and Major W. R. Tweedy regarding clientele; correspondence between Pat Brewster and Banff National Park superintendents regarding dispute over relocation of business from west half, villa lot #6 (Middle Springs) to Hillsdale Meadows; building permits, cancelled cheques, and applications for land. Annotated by Pat Brewster. Related to : Photographs, [between 1919 and 1942], 17 photographs : prints, negative (V91/189-205)
Content Details
Plan showing proposed Corral Site in sec.17, tp.26, rge.13, west of 5 mer., 1939, 1"=200' [Hillsdale area]. Held in oversize "F"
File consists of letter from President Pat Brewster to James Boyce regarding prize, part of a ticket and list of Banff Winter Carnival Queens from 1918 written on 1957 letterhead paper
File consists of letter from President Pat Brewster to James Boyce regarding prize, part of a ticket and list of Banff Winter Carnival Queens from 1918 written on 1957 letterhead paper
File consists of 22 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Bennett trips guided and outfitted by Riggall of 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936. The photographs document packtrains, camp life, hiking, Herbst glacier, and fishing. Locations of photographs include: Wall Lake, Mount …
File consists of 22 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Bennett trips guided and outfitted by Riggall of 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936. The photographs document packtrains, camp life, hiking, Herbst glacier, and fishing. Locations of photographs include: Wall Lake, Mount Festubert, Great Divide at South Kootenay Pass.
File consists of letters to Bert and Dora Riggall from friends and family; correspondence between Bert and Dora Riggall; correspondence between the Riggalls and their daughters; and letters to Bert and Dora Riggall and Doris Burton from Fanny Riggall
File consists of letters to Bert and Dora Riggall from friends and family; correspondence between Bert and Dora Riggall; correspondence between the Riggalls and their daughters; and letters to Bert and Dora Riggall and Doris Burton from Fanny Riggall
Title Source
Title based on contents of file
Content Details
CONTENT DETAILS :
* Letters to Bert and Dora Riggall from friends and family, especially overseas Riggall and Williams family members, 1906-1955, 2 cm.
* Correspondence between Bert and Dora Riggall, 1945, 1951 (.5.cm)
* Correspondence between the Riggalls and their daughters Doris "Babe" Burton and Kay Russell, 1935-1954, 2 cm. Letters pertain to family matters, illness and death of Dora Riggall and care and illness of Bert Riggall. Includes letter of instruction from Bert Riggall on disposition of his papers.
* Letters to Bert and Dora Riggall and Doris "Babe" Burton from Bert's mother Fanny Riggall, including letters from other Riggall and Williams family members to Fanny Riggall, subsequently sent by her to her son and daughter-in-law, 1926-1955, 7 cm.
File pertains mainly to Bert and Dora and their children, Kay, Doris "Babe", and Richard Herbert (b.1907-d.1911). Includes group and individual portraits and candid photographs on the ranch and in the backcountry
File pertains mainly to Bert and Dora and their children, Kay, Doris "Babe", and Richard Herbert (b.1907-d.1911). Includes group and individual portraits and candid photographs on the ranch and in the backcountry
File consists of cookbook; writings arising from Dora's death, 1951, including obituaries and articles, notes by Bert for same; extended "letter" (diary) written by Bert to Dora following her death; death, funeral and gravestone records, memorial notices
File consists of cookbook; writings arising from Dora's death, 1951, including obituaries and articles, notes by Bert for same; extended "letter" (diary) written by Bert to Dora following her death; death, funeral and gravestone records, memorial notices