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
File consists of 8 cm of textual records, 65 x 40 cm or smaller. File pertains to the personal and professional records of the Wardle family, particularly James M. Wardle. Records include: birth certificates for each family member (James Morey Wardle, 1888; Leette (Roney) Wardle, 1889; and Dorothy …
File consists of 8 cm of textual records, 65 x 40 cm or smaller. File pertains to the personal and professional records of the Wardle family, particularly James M. Wardle. Records include: birth certificates for each family member (James Morey Wardle, 1888; Leette (Roney) Wardle, 1889; and Dorothy Hope Wardle, 1919); James and Leette's marriage certificate from 1913; proof of age certificates and various notes on family (Roney) history; records pertaining to the family plot in the Old Banff Cemetery (including a photocopy of a blueprint plan of the cemetery grounds); records pertaining to the estates of James (d. 1971) and Leette (d. 1969); miscellaneous family items (including records about Dorothy's cousin Jack WIlliams who died overseas during World War II); photocopies of records pertaining to appointments and certificates for James (including his appointment to Deputy Minister of the Interior in 1935); and James' shares with the Alaska Yukon Pipeline (1966-1967). Records also include newspaper clippings (Banff Crag and Canyon, Calgary Herald) and various correspondence (related to the material) interspersed throughout.
M521 / II / A / 1 : Includes James Wardle's original birth certificate. In okay condition (some tears), currently in mylar. Consider digitizing.
M521 / II / A / 7 : The original shareholder certificate was ripped and then heavily taped back together. It is currently in mylar but could present issues in the future. Consider digitizing.
File consists of 2 business expense journals from 1937 - 1938 and a record book for guests in Kidney Kabins between 1939 - 1953; a marriage certificate for Maud and Forest Kidney dated 1923; invoices for Banff Grocery and expenses pertaining to Elizabeth Woodworth's funeral; land sale agreements fo…
File consists of 2 business expense journals from 1937 - 1938 and a record book for guests in Kidney Kabins between 1939 - 1953; a marriage certificate for Maud and Forest Kidney dated 1923; invoices for Banff Grocery and expenses pertaining to Elizabeth Woodworth's funeral; land sale agreements for properties in the town of Banff, and related financial documents and correspondence; a transfer of land agreement granting joint ownership of the Quaker Cafe in Banff between Forest and Maud Kidney; tax notice documents from 1945 and 1947; a cheque receipt in Forest Kidney's name for $3500 from 1946; a building permit granted for Forest Kidney by Cyril Childe in 1946; numerous lease renewal documents sent by J.F. Woodworth on behalf of Forest Kidney, 1945 - 1948; and a document granting power of attorney over Russell Exton Wilson's estate to his sister, Alice Mona Wilson in 1943.
Notes
Kidney Kabins journal's dates [1939 - 1953] extend past date range of subseries M74 / V / B : 1921 - 1950. Item has been kept in this subseries as majority of content falls within date range and cannot be separated
File consists of personal correspondence and documents sent to Maud Kidney between 1921 and ca. 1945. Includes a letter from Almer H. Marshall of Marshall Realty Co. pertaining to a property sale in 1921; a letter to Maud from friends (n.d.) celebrating her birthday; a census registration certifica…
File consists of personal correspondence and documents sent to Maud Kidney between 1921 and ca. 1945. Includes a letter from Almer H. Marshall of Marshall Realty Co. pertaining to a property sale in 1921; a letter to Maud from friends (n.d.) celebrating her birthday; a census registration certificate from 1940; a personal postcard to Maud sent from Vancouver, dated 1941, sender unknown; a card awarding Maud life membership to The United Church Women; a card printed with religious verses, signed on the back, "Maud Dear. Love from Edna"; a 1933 copy of Maud's birth certificate from 1933; and a personal letter to Maud from Max Riddell sent in 1944.
Notes
Envelope for Maud Kidney's birth certificate stored with relevant item.
File consists of four chattel mortgage agreements signed by George Paris [1894, 1895 and 1905], including 4 original documents and 2 scanned copies; a receipt in Maud Woodworth's name from the Dave White & Co. grocery store in Banff, 1914; a tax notice for "Mrs. John MacAulay" [previously Maud Wood…
File consists of four chattel mortgage agreements signed by George Paris [1894, 1895 and 1905], including 4 original documents and 2 scanned copies; a receipt in Maud Woodworth's name from the Dave White & Co. grocery store in Banff, 1914; a tax notice for "Mrs. John MacAulay" [previously Maud Woodworth] sent from Medicine Hat, 1919; and a cheque signed by Maud Woodworth MacAulay in 1920 for a deposit on property in Calgary.
Notes
File includes scanned copies of two original documents