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.
File consists of 2 cm of textual records, 43 x 28 cm, or smaller. File pertains to Murray Hay's work on various projects in Alaska, USA, specifically the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau and Anchorage's Olympic Bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics. File includes a map and/or illustration of the Mount Ro…
File consists of 2 cm of textual records, 43 x 28 cm, or smaller. File pertains to Murray Hay's work on various projects in Alaska, USA, specifically the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau and Anchorage's Olympic Bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics. File includes a map and/or illustration of the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau, Alaska; handwritten correspondence between Hay and "Ms. Hunter" and the mailing slip (1997); a rough sketch of Hay's illustrations; tourism information related to the Mount Roberts Tramway; and correspondence and a draft example of the map for the Olympic Bid.
Notes
The Mount Roberts Tramway has been in operation since 1996.
M570 / IV / A / 3 : date based on the potential connection between the records and the Olympic bid process for the 1992 Winter Olympics, for which Anchorage (Alyeska) submitted a bid using maps created by Murray Hay. The selection was determined in 1986.
Records were originally filed in two envelopes, labelled: "Mt. Roberts Trmw." and "Prince William Sound - Valdez." File titles reflect this.
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]
File consists of photographs pertaining to travel photos, family and group portraits, and other events involving friends of the Luxton family. Includes images of unidentified individuals in Egypt, standing by a large glacier in the Rockies, visiting Stanford University, and feeding birds in Paris[?…
27 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 13.5 x 19.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs pertaining to travel photos, family and group portraits, and other events involving friends of the Luxton family. Includes images of unidentified individuals in Egypt, standing by a large glacier in the Rockies, visiting Stanford University, and feeding birds in Paris[?]; group portraits of unidentified children; a pack train fording the Pipestone River; and related views.
File consists of postcards and souvenir postcard booklets sent to members and friends of the Luxton family, including Eleanor, Norman and Georgina Luxton. Content pertains to locations and landmarks in various regions, including Canada, the United States, England, France and the Ivory Coast. File a…
ca. 250 prints : b&w and col. postcards ; 16 x 12 cm or smaller -- 1 b&w photograph : print ; 16 x 10.5 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of postcards and souvenir postcard booklets sent to members and friends of the Luxton family, including Eleanor, Norman and Georgina Luxton. Content pertains to locations and landmarks in various regions, including Canada, the United States, England, France and the Ivory Coast. File also includes one b&w photograph depicting a group of unidentified children.
Notes
Items in this file have been organized by geographical location. See "Content Details" entry field for contents of individual folders.
File consists of 285 col. prints [including one small photograph album] depicting Eleanor Luxton and various friends and family members, including members of the Cooper, Miller, O'Connor, Smith, Kunst, Swan and Nickles families. Photographs pertain to family reunions, weddings, Christmas holiday ce…
File consists of 285 col. prints [including one small photograph album] depicting Eleanor Luxton and various friends and family members, including members of the Cooper, Miller, O'Connor, Smith, Kunst, Swan and Nickles families. Photographs pertain to family reunions, weddings, Christmas holiday celebrations [including a 1967 New Years party at the Luxton family home], school portraits, family trips within Canada and the United States, child and newborn portraits, and other related subjects. Items LUX / II / E / PA - 310 to 335 are stored in a miniature photo album. Several photographs are stored with corresponding holiday greeting cards which were sent to Eleanor Luxton.
Notes
Some individuals in photographs are not identified; many photographs are not dated
File consists of 18 photograph prints given to Norman Luxton by family and friends [mostly annotated]. Includes signed portraits of Red Cathcart, Emory Staley, Norman Ferguson, Tommy Burns, Jack Fuller, Eugene LaPorte, Robert LaPorte, Ernie Kehr, E. E. Gammon, “Norma”, and Mark Poucette. File also…
18 photographs : b&w prints ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller -- 2 newspaper clippings
Scope & Content
File consists of 18 photograph prints given to Norman Luxton by family and friends [mostly annotated]. Includes signed portraits of Red Cathcart, Emory Staley, Norman Ferguson, Tommy Burns, Jack Fuller, Eugene LaPorte, Robert LaPorte, Ernie Kehr, E. E. Gammon, “Norma”, and Mark Poucette. File also contains two newspaper clippings pertaining to Eugene LaPorte and Ernie Kehr.
Notes
Newspaper clipping re: Ernie Kehr stored with related photograph [LUX/I/E4/PA-481].
File consists of 34 photograph and postcard prints pertaining to friends of Norman Luxton and the Luxton family which were sent to Norman Luxton. Most photographs are annotated on the back with contextual information [dates, locations, names, etc] for photographs, some items include personal messag…
34 photographs : b&w prints ; 12.5 x 15 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 34 photograph and postcard prints pertaining to friends of Norman Luxton and the Luxton family which were sent to Norman Luxton. Most photographs are annotated on the back with contextual information [dates, locations, names, etc] for photographs, some items include personal messages written to Norman Luxton. Photograph images pertain to a fishing trip in Grande Prairie; men in military uniforms during World War II, including some taken during active duty in England; personal and group portraits; a war monument in Verdun, France; historic ships and boats; scenic views of Mistaya Canyon and Minnewanka; wildlife, including birds and a marten; and family pets.
Notes
Annotations on some photographs partly illegible or difficult to discern
File consists of photographs taken or collected by Ben Gadd between 1983 and ca.1990. Images pertain to unnamed friends at Maligne Canyon; and views of Wisconsin, South Dakota and other regions of the United States.
12 photographs : col. prints ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs taken or collected by Ben Gadd between 1983 and ca.1990. Images pertain to unnamed friends at Maligne Canyon; and views of Wisconsin, South Dakota and other regions of the United States.
File consists of brochures and other published research materials collected by Ben Gadd, pertaining to guiding, climbing and skiing excursions, cycling, snowshoeing, and other recreational activities and tourism packages in the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of brochures and other published research materials collected by Ben Gadd, pertaining to guiding, climbing and skiing excursions, cycling, snowshoeing, and other recreational activities and tourism packages in the Canadian Rockies.
File consists of notes, assignments and other records pertaining to Ben Gadd's high school education in Colorado, 1961-1964. File includes collected newspaper clippings and research material for school assignments; illustrations by Ben, including architectural drawings and design plans for model ai…
File consists of notes, assignments and other records pertaining to Ben Gadd's high school education in Colorado, 1961-1964. File includes collected newspaper clippings and research material for school assignments; illustrations by Ben, including architectural drawings and design plans for model airplanes; short stories and original poetry; and other related material.
Notes
File M590 / I / B / 3 includes one annotated map of trails in Colorado which was used by Ben Gadd from 1960-1962 during various bicycling trips.
File consists of 1 cm of textual records, 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller. File pertains to a variety of correspondence related to projects Murray Hay worked on in the 1980s and 1990s. File includes handwritten correspondence, mailing slips, and other forms of correspondence.
File consists of 1 cm of textual records, 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller. File pertains to a variety of correspondence related to projects Murray Hay worked on in the 1980s and 1990s. File includes handwritten correspondence, mailing slips, and other forms of correspondence.
File consists of portraits and other photographs pertaining to Norman Luxton, his extended relatives and friends. Name individuals include: Eleanor and Georgina Luxton; George, Ada and Patricia Luxton (Norman's brother, sister-in-law and niece); Louis Luxton, Harry Addison Luxton and Harold Malloch…
Some photographs produced by: Algot Anderson (St Paul), Byron Harmon (Banff), Nelson Photo Studios (St Paul), Ambassador Atelier (St Paul), Zintsmaster (Minneapolis), Frank Cooper (London, Ontario), Steele and Co [Coy?] (Winnipeg), A.H. Opsahl (Minneapolis), Rembrandt Grand (St Paul), Geo. E. Luxton (Minneaplos Times), Reynolds Studio (Minneapolis), Perkins, J. Douglas Eckhert (St Paul), Calgary Photo Supply Co, Pringle & Booth (Toronto), Glenbow Foundation, J [Rosrit?] Calgary Herald Photographer, Robert Lefroy
Date Range
1886
[1890-1900]
1894
1899
[ca.1900]
1904
1906-1907
1920-1921
[1920-1930]
1930
1937
1939-1940
1950
[1950-1960]
1962
Physical Description
63 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 25 x 20.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of portraits and other photographs pertaining to Norman Luxton, his extended relatives and friends. Name individuals include: Eleanor and Georgina Luxton; George, Ada and Patricia Luxton (Norman's brother, sister-in-law and niece); Louis Luxton, Harry Addison Luxton and Harold Malloch Luxton (Norman's brothers); Mary Hosking Groeber (Norman's niece); Olive Luxton Hosking (Norman's sister), her husband Edgar and her daughter Dorothy; and Eleanor "Nellie" Luxton Foster (Norman's sister).
Notes
Some photographs are annotated.
PA-15 is annotated at Emerald Lake, this is now known as Lake Louise
File consists of postcards sent to extended family members and friends of the Luxton family. Senders and recipients include John Grant and George Millward McDougall, William [Bill] LaPorte, Emmeline Wheeler, and Effie Huppe.
File consists of postcards sent to extended family members and friends of the Luxton family. Senders and recipients include John Grant and George Millward McDougall, William [Bill] LaPorte, Emmeline Wheeler, and Effie Huppe.
Notes
Some items in this file are not dated. Some postcards do not name recipients and/or senders.
File consists of pamphlets, event programmes, information booklets, song books, bound publications and other published materials collected by members of the Luxton family. Content pertains to community events, including Banff and Calgary area trapshooting tournaments and organization meetings; an e…
File consists of pamphlets, event programmes, information booklets, song books, bound publications and other published materials collected by members of the Luxton family. Content pertains to community events, including Banff and Calgary area trapshooting tournaments and organization meetings; an exhibit opening at the Glenbow Museum [1981]; scientific theory and human evolution; Japanese study books; Canadian and global politics; international travel; and various other subjects.
Items in file are organized into 4 file folders based on contents:
LUX / II / F1 / 67 : Pamphlets, event programs and booklets
LUX / II / F1 / 68 : Booklets and small publications
LUX / II / F1 / 69 : Books and bound publications
LUX / II / F1 / 70 : Loose and other published materials
Sub-series consists of textual records and photographs collected by Ben Gadd. Content pertains to various research subjects, current events and other topics of interest, including: environmental science; wildlife; sports and recreation; Parks Canada; clubs, charities and organizations; natural hist…
ca.180 cm of textual records -- 5 CDs with digital image files -- 1 floppy disk -- ca.122 photograph prints : b&w and col. -- 2 negatives : b&w ; 6 x 7.5 cm -- 26 film strips : col. negatives ; 35 mm
Scope & Content
Sub-series consists of textual records and photographs collected by Ben Gadd. Content pertains to various research subjects, current events and other topics of interest, including: environmental science; wildlife; sports and recreation; Parks Canada; clubs, charities and organizations; natural history; and conservation.
Notes
Subjects are arranged alphabetically by title. Original titles and arrangement of materials by Ben Gadd has been preserved. See file-level descriptions for content details.