Fonds consists of personal photographs, biographical notes, memoir drafts and other collected materials pertaining to Robert Neville (Bob) Smith. Fonds also includes plans and maps pertaining to the development of land near Lake Minnewanka and the Cascade Power Plant project (1943).
ca.300 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 12 x 18 cm or smaller -- 7 cm of textual records -- 7 topographical maps/plans -- 8 postcards
History / Biographical
Robert Neville (Bob) Smith (1926-2021) was born in Banff. He was the only child of parents Enoch Smith and Laurene Smith (nee Munson). Bob grew up near Lake Minnewanka until 1941, when a hydro dam was installed resulting in the intentional flooding of the area. The family moved to Banff, where Bob met his future wife, Mary Parkinson. The couple were married in 1953 and moved to Seebe, where they raised two daughters, Marjory and Shirley.
Bob worked for Calgary Power Co. (later renamed TransAlta Utilities) from 1953 until his retirement in 1986. In his spare time, Bob founded the Bow Valley Camera Club and the Bow Valley Naturalists organization. In 1999, Bob was part of a successful project with the Bow Valley Naturalists to designate the Mount Yamnuska area as a Bow Valley Protected Area, following 25 years of lobbying with the Government of Alberta. Bob also formed the Meanderthals seniors hiking club in 1993 and led various local hiking trips in his later years.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of personal photographs, biographical notes, memoir drafts and other collected materials pertaining to Robert Neville (Bob) Smith. Fonds also includes plans and maps pertaining to the development of land near Lake Minnewanka and the Cascade Power Plant project (1943).
Fonds consists of research materials, publications, ephemera, and other materials collected by Jon Whelan. Fonds includes three Canadian Pacific bell boy log books, 1970-1980; five bound scrapbooks with collected newspaper clippings, ca.1880-1890; and collected advertisements and articles pertainin…
Jon Whelan (1952-2022) was a researcher, historian, and collector based in Banff, Alberta. Jon had a special interest in topics related to Banff National Park and Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Jon conducted independent research, as well as research for various authors and historians, from the 1980s onwards. Jon was also an active participant in municipal politics in Banff.
"For most of Jon’s life, he was engaged in community affairs and fearless in voicing an opinion. He was successful in raising public awareness and his tenacity achieved a personal goal, which was to initiate the use of video for regular Town of Banff council meetings. He dedicated himself to the concerns of Banff residents."
-Barry Kelly, Rocky Mountain Outlook, July 30, 2022
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of research materials, publications, ephemera, and other materials collected by Jon Whelan. Fonds includes three Canadian Pacific bell boy log books, 1970-1980; five bound scrapbooks with collected newspaper clippings, ca.1880-1890; and collected advertisements and articles pertaining to Canadian Pacific, Banff, travel and tourism within Canada, and related subjects.
Fonds consists of textual, visual and sound materials pertaining to Norman Luxton, Eleanor Luxton and their family members and friends (including Georgina Luxton, Norman's parents and siblings, and members of the Ross, Graham and McDougall families). Includes correspondence, personal and profession…
ca.32.1 m of textual records (29.3 m textual records, 47 scrapbooks) -- ca.7290 photographs (ca.5300 b&w and col. prints, ca.1915 negatives, 75 transparencies, 2 tintypes) -- 17 albums -- ca.74 cm sound recordings (29 CDs, 45 audio cassettes, 17 R120 DAT tapes, 1 VHS, 8 voicewriter discs)
History / Biographical
The Norman Luxton family was a prominent family in Banff, Alberta, Canada from 1904 until 1962. Daughter Eleanor Luxton maintained the family's position in the town until her death in 1995.
Publisher and businessman Norman K. Luxton, 1876-1962, was the son of Winnipeg Free Press co-founder William Luxton. After working for the Winnipeg Free Press, Norman Luxton travelled, then joined the Calgary Herald for eight years. In 1901, he journeyed 10,000 miles on the Pacific in the dug-out canoe Tilikum. After becoming ill, Luxton abandoned the trip in Fiji and came to Banff to recuperate. The around-the-world trip was subsequently completed by his sailing partner, Capt. John Voss.
Luxton bought Banff's Crag and Canyon newspaper in 1902 and remained as publisher until 1951. Also in 1902, he established the Sign of the Goat Curio store which specialized in Stoney Indian handicrafts and taxidermy specimens. Other significant Luxton businesses were the King Edward Hotel and Livery, Luxton Bros. insurance (with brother Louis Luxton) and the Lux Block, which included a hotel, the Lux Theatre and retail stores.
In 1904, Norman Luxton married Georgina (Georgie) Elizabeth McDougall, 1870-1965, of the pioneer missionary McDougall family of Morley, Alberta. In addition to her McDougall connections, Georgie Luxton was related by marriage to Senator George Ross. Norman and Georgie Luxton had one child, Eleanor Georgina, born in Banff in 1908.
The Luxtons were important Banff "boosters" with involvement in numerous local organizations and events. Norman Luxton managed the Banff Indian Days from 1909 to 1950, was a founder of Banff Winter Carnival and was involved with native events at the Calgary Stampede for 25 years. In 1953, Norman established a museum to house his native artifacts. The Luxton Museum was built in co-operation with Eric Harvie of the Glenbow Foundation of Calgary. After Luxton's death, the museum continued to be managed by the Glenbow until 1992.
Eleanor Luxton, 1908-1995, was a writer, historian, researcher, engineer, teacher and business woman. After graduating from high school in Banff in 1926, she attended the University of Alberta from 1926 until 1939, receiving degrees in history (BA '30, MA'33), a Diploma in Education (1931) and subsequent education, biology and natural history courses during the summers.
Between 1937 and 1956, Eleanor received further degrees and certificates from studies at Garbutt Business College (Calgary), St. Stephen's College (Edmonton), Ottawa Technical High School, Havergal Ladies College (Ontario), St. George Williams College (Montreal), McGill University (Montreal) and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Subjects studied included office practices, shorthand, machine draughting, English, civil engineering (BSc '46), German, broadcast writing, management, commerce, accounting and commercial law.
Eleanor Luxton's extensive education overlapped and preceded a long and varied professional career. Her teaching career extended from high school teacher in Alberta (Banff and Sexsmith), 1933-1940, to university lecturer in Montreal in the 1950s. During the 1940s, she worked in locomotive design for the CPR in Montreal. Beginning in 1956 and continuing until 1965, when she returned to Banff to care for her mother, Eleanor worked throughout southern Alberta as a field researcher for Calgary's Glenbow Foundation. From 1965 until her death in 1995, Eleanor remained in Banff in her family home and pursued an active career in writing and research.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual, visual and sound materials pertaining to Norman Luxton, Eleanor Luxton and their family members and friends (including Georgina Luxton, Norman's parents and siblings, and members of the Ross, Graham and McDougall families). Includes correspondence, personal and professional records, financial documents, organization and volunteer records, business and property records, scrapbooks and albums, research materials, candid and professional portraits, various collected materials, and other related content.
Notes
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds:
I. Norman Luxton sous-fonds, [ca.1880]-1962, ca. 7.5 m. of textual records and photographs in four series: A. Correspondence, B. Business, financial and legal, C. Personal, D. Personal and professional, E. Collected materials.
II. Eleanor Luxton sous-fonds, [ca.1890]-1995, ca. 15 m. of textual records, sound recordings and photographs in six series: A. Correspondence, B. Professional, C. Personal, D. Business, financial and legal, E. Travel and events, F. Collected materials.
III. Luxton family sous-fonds, 1836-1972, ca.6.5 m. of textual records and photographs in four series: A. Norman Luxton family series, [ca.1900-ca.1970]; B. Georgina Luxton series, [ca.1890]-1967; C. Related family series, [ca.1890]-1972; D. Other material series, 1836-1970; E. Luxton family home records [1996].
File consists of 144 photographs : col. negatives ; 35 m
m; 12 prints : col. ; 42 x 35 cm or smaller ; 1 cm of visual material. File pertains to various projects Murray Hay was involved with related to Alaska, USA, particularly in the mid-1990s. File includes: aerial photographs of the landscape (A…
File consists of 144 photographs : col. negatives ; 35 m
m; 12 prints : col. ; 42 x 35 cm or smaller ; 1 cm of visual material. File pertains to various projects Murray Hay was involved with related to Alaska, USA, particularly in the mid-1990s. File includes: aerial photographs of the landscape (Anchorage area, Homer, Prince William Sound, Valdez); hand-drawn draft maps of the Prince William Sound region (created for a cruise line); a variety of printed maps with annotations demonstrating comments (including a fax with an attached map from Dana at Adventure Media International); and a variety of printed reproductions of draft maps (Alyeska Ski Resort, City of Anchorage for the 1992 Olympic Bid, and Glacier Bay and the Tongass National Forest).
Notes
Items not in oversize (negatives) stored in downstairs vault.
File consists of 4 prints : col. ; 22 x 15.5 cm or smaller on sheet 35 x 30 cm. FIle pertains to Murray Hay's work for Alts Golf and Ski Resort in Japan. File includes multiple prints glued/taped to a sheet of paper depicting different areas of the ski area, and is titled "Alts Golf and Ski Resort …
4 prints : col. ; 22 x 15.5 cm or smaller on sheet 35 x 30 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of 4 prints : col. ; 22 x 15.5 cm or smaller on sheet 35 x 30 cm. FIle pertains to Murray Hay's work for Alts Golf and Ski Resort in Japan. File includes multiple prints glued/taped to a sheet of paper depicting different areas of the ski area, and is titled "Alts Golf and Ski Resort in the Bandai Area of Japan."
Prints are taped or otherwise glued to the sheet of paper. Adhesives should be removed and alternative preservation methods used at a reasonable time to do so.
File consists of 1 map (1 base, 4 overlays) : col., annotations, on mylar ; 83 x 61.5 cm, and 1 print : b&w ; 25.5 x 20.5 cm. File pertains to ski maps Murray Hay created for Apex Mountain Ski Resort in Penticton, British Columbia. File includes one oversize map with four overlays (held together wi…
1 map (1 base, 4 overlays) : col., annotations, on mylar ; 83 x 61.5 cm
1 print : b&w ; 25.5 x 20.5 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of 1 map (1 base, 4 overlays) : col., annotations, on mylar ; 83 x 61.5 cm, and 1 print : b&w ; 25.5 x 20.5 cm. File pertains to ski maps Murray Hay created for Apex Mountain Ski Resort in Penticton, British Columbia. File includes one oversize map with four overlays (held together with masking tape), and one print of the general ski area.
Notes
V795 / II / A / iv / 4 : has "16488" and "Hold" written in pencil on the masking tape.
File pertains to 58 b&w prints of various avalanche areas and slides around Banff National Park, mostly focussed along stretches of highways and in and around ski areas, including backcountry ski areas like Assiniboine.
File pertains to 58 b&w prints of various avalanche areas and slides around Banff National Park, mostly focussed along stretches of highways and in and around ski areas, including backcountry ski areas like Assiniboine.
File consists of 4 prings : col. 35.1 x 24.8 cm or smaller and 4 maps (2 paper, 2 overlays) : col., on mylar ; 60.4 x 30. cm or smaller. File pertains to aerial views of Banff National Park, showing the towns of Banff and Lake Louise, ski hills (Norqay Ski Hill, Sunshine Village, and Lake Louise Sk…
4 maps (2 paper, 2 overlays) : col., annotations, on mylar ; 60.4 x 30. cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 4 prings : col. 35.1 x 24.8 cm or smaller and 4 maps (2 paper, 2 overlays) : col., on mylar ; 60.4 x 30. cm or smaller. File pertains to aerial views of Banff National Park, showing the towns of Banff and Lake Louise, ski hills (Norqay Ski Hill, Sunshine Village, and Lake Louise Ski Resort), as well as other georgraphic features. The mylar overlays contain various amounts of detail and annotations - one consists of a dark red sheet overlayed with place names in negative.
File consists of 2 prints : col ; 35 x 28 cm. File pertains to Murray Hay's rendering of the ski area at Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, British Columbia. File includes two unlabelled, draft print reproductions of original paintings.
File consists of 2 prints : col ; 35 x 28 cm. File pertains to Murray Hay's rendering of the ski area at Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, British Columbia. File includes two unlabelled, draft print reproductions of original paintings.
Records in this series relate to Eleanor Luxton's business, legal and financial activities and consist of banking records; income tax returns; correspondence and invoices related to property and building construction, maintenance and management; household receipts; medical receipts; commercial and …
4.8 m textual records -- oversize materials -- 31 photographs (15 prints, 16 negatives)
Scope & Content
Records in this series relate to Eleanor Luxton's business, legal and financial activities and consist of banking records; income tax returns; correspondence and invoices related to property and building construction, maintenance and management; household receipts; medical receipts; commercial and residential leases; insurance; investments; donations; rentals; legal papers relating to the estate of Annie McDougall and May Ross McDougall; mortgage papers; Parks Canada Lease agreements and need to reside challenge; Eleanor Luxton's living will.
Notes
Contents arranged by subject - see file level descriptions
File pertains to 36 b&w prints of the Canmore area. Includes scenic views of trails, rivers, and mountains, people hiking, a child feeding ducks, and buildings.
File pertains to 36 b&w prints of the Canmore area. Includes scenic views of trails, rivers, and mountains, people hiking, a child feeding ducks, and buildings.
File pertains to 129 b&w prints of various Canmore events. Includes parades, dogsledding, biathlons, rodeos, various races, a man paragliding, various fires, the Canmore Centennial celebrations, Grassi Lakes, and interior shots of a building, possibly a new hospital.
File pertains to 129 b&w prints of various Canmore events. Includes parades, dogsledding, biathlons, rodeos, various races, a man paragliding, various fires, the Canmore Centennial celebrations, Grassi Lakes, and interior shots of a building, possibly a new hospital.
File pertains to 24 b&w prints of historical buildings and sites around the town of Canmore. Includes the exteriors of homes (including Lawrence Grassi's), businesses, and hotels, the train station, the Canmore Mine, and portraits of men with dogs.
File pertains to 24 b&w prints of historical buildings and sites around the town of Canmore. Includes the exteriors of homes (including Lawrence Grassi's), businesses, and hotels, the train station, the Canmore Mine, and portraits of men with dogs.
File consists of 1 print : col. ; 35.5 x 28 cm. File pertains to Murray Hay's work on Charlevoix, Quebec. FIle includes one print, labelled "Charlevoix Region - Quebec," that depicts the landscape of the region.
File consists of 1 print : col. ; 35.5 x 28 cm. File pertains to Murray Hay's work on Charlevoix, Quebec. FIle includes one print, labelled "Charlevoix Region - Quebec," that depicts the landscape of the region.
Files consist of copies of commercial leases for Eleanor Luxton's Banff property Block 1, Lot 20. Includes one folder of notes and photographs compiled by Eleanor Luxton pertaining to the addition of a new roof at 203 Caribou Street in Banff.
6 cm of textual records -- 21 photographs : col. prints ; 15 x 10 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
Files consist of copies of commercial leases for Eleanor Luxton's Banff property Block 1, Lot 20. Includes one folder of notes and photographs compiled by Eleanor Luxton pertaining to the addition of a new roof at 203 Caribou Street in Banff.
Notes
One illustrated layout plan and three-dimensional drawing depicting the front of the Magpie and Stump restaurant in Banff was removed from folder LUX/II/D/85. Item has been moved to oversize storage, with reference number LUX/II/D/220.
File consists of printed photographs compiled by Ben Gadd pertaining to his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Images depict mountain views and geological formations in the Canadian Rockies; a compass and a map of Banff National Park; Ben Gadd working as a naturalist/interpreter; artist Matthe…
File consists of printed photographs compiled by Ben Gadd pertaining to his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Images depict mountain views and geological formations in the Canadian Rockies; a compass and a map of Banff National Park; Ben Gadd working as a naturalist/interpreter; artist Matthew Wheeler creating illustrations for the book; the construction of commercial buildings in Jasper; Cia Gadd comparing colour swatches; and deer grazing, possibly outside of the Gadd family home in Jasper.
Material Details
Photographs were originally stored in Tekarra Color Lab envelope
File consists of negative photographs compiled by Ben Gadd pertaining to his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Images depict mountain views and geological formations in the Canadian Rockies; a compass and a map of Banff National Park; Ben Gadd working as a naturalist/interpreter; artist Matth…
File consists of negative photographs compiled by Ben Gadd pertaining to his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Images depict mountain views and geological formations in the Canadian Rockies; a compass and a map of Banff National Park; Ben Gadd working as a naturalist/interpreter; artist Matthew Wheeler creating illustrations for the book; the construction of commercial buildings in Jasper; Cia Gadd comparing colour swatches; and deer grazing, possibly outside of the Gadd family home in Jasper.
Material Details
Photographs were originally stored in Tekarra Color Lab envelope
File consists of 4 photographs pertaining to Eleanor Luxton. Includes a high school or university graduation portrait, Eleanor as a young woman standing outside of the Luxton family home in Banff, Eleanor laying down (possibly in a hospital room), and Eleanor sitting at a table in a restaurant.
4 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 9 x 11 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 4 photographs pertaining to Eleanor Luxton. Includes a high school or university graduation portrait, Eleanor as a young woman standing outside of the Luxton family home in Banff, Eleanor laying down (possibly in a hospital room), and Eleanor sitting at a table in a restaurant.
File consists of 35 photographs sent to Eleanor Luxton by various friends and family between 1957 and 1990. Includes family photographs, child portraits, interior views of the Luxton family home, and a photograph of Norman Luxton posing with his brothers Louis and George Luxton and two of Norman's …
35 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 25.5 x 17.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 35 photographs sent to Eleanor Luxton by various friends and family between 1957 and 1990. Includes family photographs, child portraits, interior views of the Luxton family home, and a photograph of Norman Luxton posing with his brothers Louis and George Luxton and two of Norman's dogs.
Notes
Some photographs in file are accompanied by scanned copies of original letters sent to Eleanor Luxton with photographs.