Fonds consists of textual records and photographs by and about Aileen Harmon, as well as collected items. Textual records include: letter from Harmon to the Director of Alberta's provincial parks re addition of Yamnuska area to Bow Valley Provincial Park, 1973; brief, from Harvie Heights and Bow Va…
26.5 cm of textual records. -- 33 photographs (26 prints : b&w and col. ; 20.5 x 30 cm or smaller -- 6 negatives : b&w nitrate negatives ; 12.5 x 10 cm -- 1 transparency : col. slide ; 35 mm)
History / Biographical
Aileen Harmon (1912 - 2015), daughter of Byron Harmon, worked as a government naturalist at Banff, Alberta, Canada and was involved in local natural history groups and activities. Aileen was a founding member, alongside Bruce Gordon, of the Bow Valley Naturalists, and was also on the Board of The Canadian Wildlife Federation and The Society of Alberta Naturalists. Aileen moved to Mill Bay on Vancouver Island, B.C. in 1981 following the end of a lengthy career with Parks Canada. During her retirement years, Aileen travelled extensively, reaching all seven continents. She also authored an autobiographical book, titled "Tales of My Mountain Life", in 2004. Aileen passed away on January 9, 2015 at the age of 102.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records and photographs by and about Aileen Harmon, as well as collected items. Textual records include: letter from Harmon to the Director of Alberta's provincial parks re addition of Yamnuska area to Bow Valley Provincial Park, 1973; brief, from Harvie Heights and Bow Valley subdivision residents to public hearings on land use and resource development in the eastern slopes, 1973; letter re James Hector, 1979; notes on career, 2003; notes on Catharine Whyte for CBC recording, 2004; Christmas cards and collected articles, ca.1960. Photographs, made by and collected by Aileen Harmon, pertain to Aileen Harmon and friends, skiing, Skoki area, Mount Yamnuska, Banff Indian Days. Includes photographs by Byron Harmon.
Added content from accession 2016.8596 : ca. 25 cm of textual records including personal correspondence, guest book, original writing and notes by Aileen Harmon, personal travel journals from a 1931 packing trip and 1933 ski trip to Skoki, drafts of autobiographical book "Tales of My Mountain Life", articles pertaining to or written by Aileen Harmon, Christmas cards, and letters of condolence to Carole Harmon following Aileen's passing. Also 26 print photographs, 6 negative photographs from a 1937 hiking trip, and one transparency.
Fonds consists of one series :
Series I - Personal records
Fonds consists of notes, correspondence and articles pertaining to the Astley family and early history of Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka areas. Fonds includes correspondence between Willoughby Astley and J. A. Jaffary of the Provincial Library, Alberta, 1928-1929, re place names in the Lake Louise…
Willoughby John Astley, 1859-1948, came to Banff in 1888 and built the Beach House Hotel at Lake Minnewanka. He moved to Lake Louise in 1889. Brother, Charles D'Oyley Astley, 1849-1937, and Lucy Ann Astley continued to operate the hotel until 1907 when they retired to Banff. The hotel was destroyed as part of power development at Lake Minnewanka, ca.1912.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of notes, correspondence and articles pertaining to the Astley family and early history of Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka areas. Fonds includes correspondence between Willoughby Astley and J. A. Jaffary of the Provincial Library, Alberta, 1928-1929, re place names in the Lake Louise area; scrapbook of clippings re World War I, including a list of Banff men who enlisted; Beach House Hotel guest register, 1890-1906, recording name and residence of guest, and occasionally record of fish caught; Astley family photographs, ca.1886-1930s. Photographs pertain to fishing and boating on Lake Minnewanka; Beach House Hotel and Lady of the Lake steam launch; Devil's Canyon, Bankhead and Banff; views of avalanche clearing in Roger's Pass by Byron Harmon. Includes one panorama view of group at Lake Minnewanka.
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 2 books; one 18th century, one 20th century stamp book. Includes 1723 copy of ‘A Life of Mahomet’ by Humphrey Prideaux; missing front/back covers, replaced with plain brown paper covers. Handwritten title ‘Mahomet’ written on front cover and side binding in different handwritings; …
Humphrey Prideaux (1648-1724) was born in Cornwall and eventually became a Doctor of Divinity. Prideaux was an author of multiple textual works pertaining to faith and particularly Christianity. He was the Dean of Norwich from 1702 until his death in 1724.
Scope & Content
File consists of 2 books; one 18th century, one 20th century stamp book. Includes 1723 copy of ‘A Life of Mahomet’ by Humphrey Prideaux; missing front/back covers, replaced with plain brown paper covers. Handwritten title ‘Mahomet’ written on front cover and side binding in different handwritings; front believed to be by Nicholas Morant (?), side unknown. Also includes book of Japanese stamps collected by Nicholas Morant; many not dated, various designs and sizes, annotated on covers with Nicholas Morant's personal ink stamp.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / III / D / 5 / 75 to M300 / III / D / 5 / 91
File consists of two bound journals/diaries with handwritten notes pertaining to a 1931 packing trip [entries are from July and August, approx. 38 days]. Item M287/I/6 appears to contain original account by Aileen Harmon, and M287/I/7 is rewritten duplicate, also handwritten, likely made for legibi…
File consists of two bound journals/diaries with handwritten notes pertaining to a 1931 packing trip [entries are from July and August, approx. 38 days]. Item M287/I/6 appears to contain original account by Aileen Harmon, and M287/I/7 is rewritten duplicate, also handwritten, likely made for legibility reasons. Author and date of copied version are unknown [possibly similar time period].
Notes
The inside front cover of item M287/I/7 is annotated in pencil with names "Jay Nowlin" and "Jack Cooley".
File consists of an original travel journal/diary annotated by Aileen Harmon pertaining to a 1933 ski trip to Skoki Lodge. File also includes two complete, typed copies of text from original 1933 account [one accompanied by typed letter to "Kathryn", likely Catharine Robb Whyte], and one incomplete…
File consists of an original travel journal/diary annotated by Aileen Harmon pertaining to a 1933 ski trip to Skoki Lodge. File also includes two complete, typed copies of text from original 1933 account [one accompanied by typed letter to "Kathryn", likely Catharine Robb Whyte], and one incomplete typed copy.
File consists of 13 antique maps, 6 of which depict regions in India and 7 which depict regions in Germany. Content pertains to a small map collection originally issued to Tim Ffrench (?) during WWII which were later owned by Nicholas Morant. Some maps of reserves contain personal annotations and h…
Date Range
1868
1892
1894
1903
1904
1917
1921
1950
Reference Code
M300 / III / D / 5 / 54 to 66 O.S. & V500 / III / D / 5 / PA - 96 O.S.
13 Maps: print; b&w, and set of 4 rag paper mounts
Scope & Content
File consists of 13 antique maps, 6 of which depict regions in India and 7 which depict regions in Germany. Content pertains to a small map collection originally issued to Tim Ffrench (?) during WWII which were later owned by Nicholas Morant. Some maps of reserves contain personal annotations and highlighted/coloured routes; none of German maps are annotated.
File also contains set of 4 rag paper mounts, annotated. 3 naming artist Walter Wilcox (likely formerly held his works but are now blank). One labelled 'Model'.
Notes
Maps were originally stored together in one poster tube labelled:
"MAPS OF GERMANY INDIA See notes inside"
Shipping label: PLS HOLD Armand To Nicholas Morant 222 Melville Ave Westmount Montreal" (with two 3 - cent stamps attached)
Note inside, written by Nicholas Morant:
"These maps were among those issued to Capt. Tim Ffrench (?) preparatory to intelligence work done during W. War II"
Signed "Nick M."
Wilcox mounts were stored in brown paper packaging with several other blank mounts (disposed of). Labelled section of original paper packaging has been stored with mounts in oversize box for reference.
File consists of 4 hardcover books (various subjects) and 1 softcover Kodak booklet. Includes the following works:
- "Handbook of Old Pottery and Porcelain Marks" (C. Jordan Thorn, 1947) with Nicholas Morant stamp inside and signed "Ivy May Morant Banff, Alta." on first page; contains bookmark with…
File consists of 4 hardcover books (various subjects) and 1 softcover Kodak booklet. Includes the following works:
- "Handbook of Old Pottery and Porcelain Marks" (C. Jordan Thorn, 1947) with Nicholas Morant stamp inside and signed "Ivy May Morant Banff, Alta." on first page; contains bookmark with blue tassel; also with envelope of handwritten notes by Ivy "Willie" Morant attached inside. Envelope labelled: "Willie Morant (Ivy May) Some notes and reference research bearing on her collection of early chinaware. These made some weeks before she passed away... Banff 1986 April 15th"
- "Slater's Telegraphic Code" 5th edition (London 1906). Various signatures and handwritten notes inside, not by Morant
- “Kodak Data Book on Formulas and Processing” (n.d.). Some handwritten notes inside, other pages/clippings inserted with adhesives, several loose pages inside (some annotated).
- “The Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss” (Rupert Hart-Davis, 1955). With Nicholas Morant stamp and attached clippings inside.
- Tilikum: Luxton’s Pacific Crossing” (Eleanor Georgina Luxton, 1971). Contains Nicholas Morant stamp and 2 attached clippings: blurb of the book glued to inside of front cover, and biographical page about Eleanor Luxton glued to inside of back cover.
Notes
“Kodak Data Book on Formulas and Processing” was stored with other booklet, “Ansco Formulas for Black-and-White Photography” (1952), non-annotated; both items were in white CP Rail envelope with handwritten title “FORMULAE”.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / III / D / 5 / 75 to M300 / III / D / 5 / 91
Items in this file are not to be accessed or distributed without the explicit permission of their identified copyright owners.
Reproduction Restrictions
Items in this file are not to be reproduced without the explicit permission of their identified copyright owners.
Language
English
Conservation
Items with adhesives and other risky materials inside must be monitored or possibly have acid-free paper inserted to prevent damage to adjacent materials
File consists of 3 poster-sized calendars with colour and b/w prints created by Nicholas Morant, and one loose calendar page (colour). Includes one calendar dated 1949, promoting "E. J.(?) & A. Robinson Limited Canada", with image of 2 models and horse posing by Mt. Biddle and Lake Arthur; one cale…
File consists of 3 poster-sized calendars with colour and b/w prints created by Nicholas Morant, and one loose calendar page (colour). Includes one calendar dated 1949, promoting "E. J.(?) & A. Robinson Limited Canada", with image of 2 models and horse posing by Mt. Biddle and Lake Arthur; one calendar dated 1961, with image and descriptive text pertaining to a model steam locomotive and relevant history; one calendar by Canadian Allis-Chalmers Ltd. (1953) featuring Nicholas Morant b&w photograph titled 'Industrial Patterns' for the month of March; one loose calendar page, Allis-Chalmers Ltd., with large image by Nicholas Morant of man in red jacket fishing with mountain / forest background.
Notes
Mt. Biddle / Lake McArthur calendar was stored in a poster tube labelled:
"Calendar Lake McArthur" with torn shipping address label by Canadian Pacific addressed to "Banff, Alta." (presumably once addressed to Nicholas Morant).
Model Locomotive calendar stored in poster tube labelled:
"CALENDAR WITH MODEL LOCOMOTIVES"
Shipping label: "PLS HOLD Ernie." "N. Morant c/o E. Larson Esq. Box 49 BANFF Alberta"
Postage Stamp: "Mar. 18 '54 Montreal Quebec"
Paper cover inside with Canadian Pacific label: " Model Steam Locos - Calendar - "
Allis-Chalmers poster stored in poster tube labelled:
'ALLIS CHALMERS CALENDAR with Hugh Frith's pix of PAMIR under sail"
Address label: "CANADIAN ALLIS-CHALMERS LIMITED To Mr. Nicholas Morant, P.O. Box 63, Banff, Alta."
Canadian Pacific Label: "Allis-Chalmers Calendar Contains pix by Hugh Frith of 'Pamir'."
File consists of 4 published books. Contains 1 copy of 'New World Ballads' by John Murray Gibbons (1939) with a note to Nicholas Morant from the author inside; 1 copy of 'Tom Brown's School Days' (1894) with a certificate attached labelling the book as a prize for Mollie Wylde (Morant) dated 'Xmas …
John Murray Gibbons , Mollie Morant , R.C. MacBeth , Stephen Coleridge
Date Range
1894
1896
1921
1923
1931
1939
Physical Description
4 Textual Records: books
Scope & Content
File consists of 4 published books. Contains 1 copy of 'New World Ballads' by John Murray Gibbons (1939) with a note to Nicholas Morant from the author inside; 1 copy of 'Tom Brown's School Days' (1894) with a certificate attached labelling the book as a prize for Mollie Wylde (Morant) dated 'Xmas 1896'; 1 copy of 'The Romance of the Canadian Pacific Railway' by R.C. MacBeth (1931) signed by author and annotated by Nicholas Morant; 1 copy of 'Letters to My Grandson' by Stephen Coleridge (1921) with writing prize certificate for Nicholas Morant from the Victoria University Boys' School, dated 1923.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / III / D / 5 / 26 to M300 / III / D / 5 / 29