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
A man wearing a dark jacket, white pants, a hat down over his eyes, a cane and a cigarette in a long holder, stands facing left under a sign which reads Curios.
A man wearing a dark jacket, white pants, a hat down over his eyes, a cane and a cigarette in a long holder, stands facing left under a sign which reads Curios.
File consists of schedules, lists of images and photograph locations, and illustrations by artists Lonnie Springer and Deke Hammell. Materials in file were used in the creation of Ben Gadd's book, "The Canadian Hiker's and Backpacker's Guide".
Illustrations produced by Lonnie Springer, Deke Hammell
Date Range
2004
2007
Physical Description
0.3 cm of textual records -- 6 illustrations
Scope & Content
File consists of schedules, lists of images and photograph locations, and illustrations by artists Lonnie Springer and Deke Hammell. Materials in file were used in the creation of Ben Gadd's book, "The Canadian Hiker's and Backpacker's Guide".
File consists of photographs used in posters and other promotional material pertaining to Ben and Cia Gadd's guiding company, Front Range Outings, in 1976.
20 photographs : 5 b&w negative film strips ; 35 mm -- 2 photographs : b&w negatives ; 13 x 10 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs used in posters and other promotional material pertaining to Ben and Cia Gadd's guiding company, Front Range Outings, in 1976.
File consists of photographs depicting interior and exterior views of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre in Jasper National Park, following renovations to the property in 1998.
30 photographs : 8 col. negative film strips ; 35 mm
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs depicting interior and exterior views of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre in Jasper National Park, following renovations to the property in 1998.
Material Details
Original photo envelope annotated in black marker: "Icefield Ctr. 1998 Photos by Ben [Gadd] with Jill Seaton's camera"
File consists of research notes, sample drafts, photo lists and other materials collected or produced by Ben Gadd while working on illustrations for his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of research notes, sample drafts, photo lists and other materials collected or produced by Ben Gadd while working on illustrations for his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of photographs taken or collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to rock formations and other geological features near Meadow Creek and Miette in Jasper National Park.
File consists of photographs taken or collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to rock formations and other geological features near Meadow Creek and Miette in Jasper National Park.
Material Details
Original storage envelope (annotated) stored in folder with prints V810 / II / A / PA - 139 to 162
File consists of research notes, illustration drafts and printed sample pages from geological publications. Contents were used as reference material during the production of fossil and other geological illustrations for Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of research notes, illustration drafts and printed sample pages from geological publications. Contents were used as reference material during the production of fossil and other geological illustrations for Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of hand-drawn illustrations and descriptions pertaining to insect species in the Canadian Rockies. Contents were used during the production of Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
ca.54 drawings : illustration, marker ; 27.5 x 21 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of hand-drawn illustrations and descriptions pertaining to insect species in the Canadian Rockies. Contents were used during the production of Ben Gadd's book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
Notes
Illustrations in file processed as textual records to maintain original order
File consists of research notes, scanned sample pages and illustrations pertaining to various mammal species and their footprints. Materials were collected or produced by Ben Gadd as reference material for his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of research notes, scanned sample pages and illustrations pertaining to various mammal species and their footprints. Materials were collected or produced by Ben Gadd as reference material for his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of drawings produced by Will Gadd as a child, ca.1968-1972; and caricatures and other drawings, possibly by Ben Gadd, from the same time period.
File consists of drawings produced by Will Gadd as a child, ca.1968-1972; and caricatures and other drawings, possibly by Ben Gadd, from the same time period.
Material Details
Illustrations consist of different media, including graphite pencils, pens, pencil crayons, markers and paint.
