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
Fonds consists of textual records, postcards, drawings and one photograph album pertaining to Mary (Molly) Wright Adams (1868-1909); transcripts of Molly's original letters which were compiled by Molly's sister, Catharine Elkin (nee Adams) between ca.1939 and 1941; and transcriptions of letters sen…
Some materials produced by Catharine (Adams) Elkin
Date Range
[ca.1844 - 1909]
[ca.1939 - 1944]
1980 - 1981
2014
Physical Description
21 cm of textual records -- 16 postcards -- 3 drawings -- 1 photograph album : 107 b&w photographs
History / Biographical
Mary Wright (Molly) Adams was born on 15 October 1868. in Ridgefield Connecticut. She was the third of five children born to Cornelia Ann Cook (1830-1902) and Daniel Lucius Adams (1814 - 1899) She died in Kobe, Japan on 23 January 1909 and was buried there.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records, postcards, drawings and one photograph album pertaining to Mary (Molly) Wright Adams (1868-1909); transcripts of Molly's original letters which were compiled by Molly's sister, Catharine Elkin (nee Adams) between ca.1939 and 1941; and transcriptions of letters sent between Molly's extended family members [including members of the Adams, Cook and Wright families], ca.1844 and 1866.
Textual records primarily consist of correspondence sent between Molly Adams and various friends and family members [ca.1891-1909].
Notes
Fonds consists of two series:
Series I : Correspondence [contains two sub-series: I / A : Molly Wright Adams ; I / B : Extended family]
Series II : Personal and collected records
File consists of transcribed correspondence between members of the Cook, Wright and Adams families. File includes letters between Catharine Cook, Mary Wright, Cornelia Cook Adams and "Arianna" [ranging between 1844-1866]; and a letter sent from Cornelia to her brother, Roger Cook Adams, pertaining …
File consists of transcribed correspondence between members of the Cook, Wright and Adams families. File includes letters between Catharine Cook, Mary Wright, Cornelia Cook Adams and "Arianna" [ranging between 1844-1866]; and a letter sent from Cornelia to her brother, Roger Cook Adams, pertaining to the transcribed letters [ca.1944].
File consists of correspondence between Broda Stuart and three individuals who donated to the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in 1983; one cropped piece of a file folder annotated on both sides with records of donations made to the Trail Riders in 1981 and 1982; and correspondence sent between…
File consists of correspondence between Broda Stuart and three individuals who donated to the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in 1983; one cropped piece of a file folder annotated on both sides with records of donations made to the Trail Riders in 1981 and 1982; and correspondence sent between Penny Egeland and Joel Lipkind, and between Penny Egeland and Anne Williams, pertaining to donations made by Joel and Anne to the Trail Riders.
Series consists of textual records pertaining to the Hans Gmoser film collection project, including related notes and transcripts of films by Hans Gmoser; project funding and donation records; and reports and publications related to the film project.
Series consists of textual records pertaining to the Hans Gmoser film collection project, including related notes and transcripts of films by Hans Gmoser; project funding and donation records; and reports and publications related to the film project.
File consists of documents pertaining to Maryalice Harvey Stewart's membership and involvement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. File includes two "Individual Leadership" award certificates, and an individual ordinance summary record.
File consists of documents pertaining to Maryalice Harvey Stewart's membership and involvement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. File includes two "Individual Leadership" award certificates, and an individual ordinance summary record.
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.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
File consists of personal interest materials, including newspaper clippings, research articles, loose notes, and other textual records collected by Ben Gadd. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject title.
Notes
Contents of individual folders in file:
M590 / I / C / 161 : Trapping, Furs
M590 / I / C / 162 : Tri-Council JNP Study
M590 / I / C / 163 : U.S. Parks
M590 / I / C / 164 : User Fees
M590 / I / C / 165 : Vermont
M590 / I / C / 166 : Volunteering
M590 / I / C / 167 : Warden-Arming Issue
M590 / I / C / 168 : WCWC [Western Canada Wilderness Committee]
M590 / I / C / 169 : Weldwood
M590 / I / C / 170 to 171 : Whitehorse Wildland Park [Files 1 and 2 of 2]
M590 / I / C / 172 : Wildflower Survey
M590 / I / C / 173 : Willmore Wilderness Park
M590 / I / C / 174 : Wolves
M590 / I / C / 175 : Yellowstone to Yukon Biodiversity Strategy
File consists of order forms for Trail Riders brochures; correspondence pertaining to brochure distribution and marketing, press releases, and requests to promote the Trail Riders in future publications [including material from Tourism Canada]; drafts of ads and brochures with corrections and notes…
File consists of order forms for Trail Riders brochures; correspondence pertaining to brochure distribution and marketing, press releases, and requests to promote the Trail Riders in future publications [including material from Tourism Canada]; drafts of ads and brochures with corrections and notes re: distribution; brochure mailing lists and distribution sheets; an updated information form for the Trail Riders' profile in Cision Media Directories' online database; and documents pertaining to a funding proposal submitted through Travel Alberta.
File consists of documents pertaining to the Smithsonian "Folklife" Festival, which Ben Gadd attended in 2006. File includes newspaper clippings, travel documents, informational booklets, correspondence and other related materials.
File consists of documents pertaining to the Smithsonian "Folklife" Festival, which Ben Gadd attended in 2006. File includes newspaper clippings, travel documents, informational booklets, correspondence and other related materials.