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 seven series: I. Personal and professional series, 1937-1993 (diaries, correspondence, filing systems and papers pertaining to awards, memberships, biography and other); II. Business series, 1948-1982 (pertaining to guiding, outfitting, trail riding, ranching, Andy Russell and S…
6 m of textual records and printed material. -- ca.6100 photographs : prints, negatives, transparencies. -- 1 photograph album (49 prints). -- 29 motion pictures. -- 5 sound recordings
History / Biographical
Andy Russell, 1915-2005, was a trapper, guide and outfitter, writer, photographer, cinematographer, lecturer and environmental advocate in the Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada.
Russell was born in Lethbridge, Alberta and spent his childhood on a ranch in the foothills near Pincher Creek. He became a skilled horseman, hunter, fisherman and trapper, and, in 1936, was employed by Bert Riggall, a pioneer guide and outfitter of wilderness pack trips in the southern Rockies since 1907. He became Riggall's partner in 1939 and took over the business when Riggall retired in 1946. Andy Russell and Kathleen (Kay) Riggall married in 1938 and raised five children at their ranch bordering Waterton Lakes National Park, where family businesses included guiding, saddlehorses and ranching. Children are: Richard "Dick" H. (b.1938); Andrew Charles "Charlie" (b.1941); Harold John "John" (b.1944); Hugh Gordon Riggall "Gordon" (b.1947); Lorenda Anne "Anne" (b.1952).
Russell continued as a renowned guide and outfitter with a wealthy repeat clientele until he was forced out of guiding by 1960 with the advance of the oil industry concerns upon wilderness areas in southern Alberta and British Columbia. Russell began to write nature articles in 1945 and after 1960 concentrated upon writing, photography, film making, lecturing and ranching. He wrote for numerous magazines and newspapers, produced radio broadcasts, and, using colour motion picture photography, developed programs on wildlife and wilderness habitat research for live public performances. Russell's films launched his career as an author of popular wildlife and mountain culture books, which included Grizzly Country. In later years, he was an active writer, consultant and advocate of wilderness and environmental management and received numerous awards and honours, including Member of the Order of Canada.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of seven series: I. Personal and professional series, 1937-1993 (diaries, correspondence, filing systems and papers pertaining to awards, memberships, biography and other); II. Business series, 1948-1982 (pertaining to guiding, outfitting, trail riding, ranching, Andy Russell and Sons, royalties and lecturing); III. Writing, broadcasting and public appearances series, 1908-1990 (papers and photographs pertaining to writing, book projects, columns, broadcasts, reviews, advertising, promotion and other); IV. Photography and cinematography series, 1909-1990 (details below); V. Wildlife study and conservation activities series, 1945-[198-]; VI. Other activities series, 1931-[199-] (politics, interviews, information files); VII. Russell family series, [1867]-1983.
Photography and cinematography series consists of: Riggall/Russell guiding activity photographs, 1909-1962, ca.280 items; Andy Russell and Sons Production Ltd / Andy Russell professional photographs and films, ca.1940- ca.1990, ca.4200 photographs (mainly transparencies), 28 motion pictures, accompanied by some textual and printed items; personal and family photographs, 1916-1989, ca.1550 items; collected photographs, ca.1940-197-, ca.75 items. Professional photography and cinematography primarily arose from field work by Andy, Dick and Charlie Russell and pertains mainly to flora, fauna and landscape of the Canadian Rockies in continental divide region, British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska.
Motion pictures, ca.1950-1974, include original film "Grizzly Country" by Dick, Charlie and Andy Russell, produced by Evan J. Anton, ca.1969, copy print of same; also unedited wildlife and landscape footage of Waterton area, Yukon and British Columbia.
Sound recordings are interviews with Andy Russell, [ca.1970]-1988.
Fonds consists of personal photographs pertaining to Harris's life in Banff and Grade 8 Diploma, 1928. Accompanied by artifacts, including Banff High School sports ribbons, 1927- 1928, 17 items and medals and badges re Rocky Mountains Park and ski jumping, ca.1926, 3 items.
Arthur Gray Harris was born in Banff, Alberta, Canada in 1913. He worked for the Calgary Herald as a newspaper boy, at the Banff Springs Hotel as dining room staff and on the golf course, and as a lifeguard at the Upper Hot Springs, ca.1928.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of personal photographs pertaining to Harris's life in Banff and Grade 8 Diploma, 1928.
Accompanied by artifacts, including Banff High School sports ribbons, 1927- 1928, 17 items and medals and badges re Rocky Mountains Park and ski jumping, ca.1926, 3 items.
Fonds consist of six separate series: A. Motion Picture; B. Photograph Albums; C. Negatives; D. Copy Negatives; E. Film Transparencies; F. Written Materials. Fonds consists mainly of photographs pertaining to Barbara and Dave White, family, friends, activities, friends; Barbara and Ruth Carpenter, …
Barbara Carpenter, 1907-2000, and her twin sister, Ruth Carpenter, 1907-1932, married Dave (Jack) White and Alan Mather respectively, of Banff, in 1931. Barbara Whyte adopted an alternate family name spelling. Barbara Whyte and her children, David, Barbara, Harold and Jon, later moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Scope & Content
Fonds consist of six separate series: A. Motion Picture; B. Photograph Albums; C. Negatives; D. Copy Negatives; E. Film Transparencies; F. Written Materials. Fonds consists mainly of photographs pertaining to Barbara and Dave White, family, friends, activities, friends; Barbara and Ruth Carpenter, wedding and as children; Carpenter family; Dave White Jr. and White family; Jon Whyte, 1941-ca.1960; Banff people, places, events; other. Includes photographs by George Noble re banjo promotion; include Cliff White Sr. and Chief Calf Child. Also includes obituary of Ruth Carpenter Mather; birth notice for Barbara Jayne Whyte, ca.1933; nursery rhymes by Florence Carpenter, n.d.; and biography of Jon Whyte by Barbara Whyte, 1992, 6 pages. Textual records also include a register ca.1941-1955 of room rentals at the Whyte House, 111 Bear Street, a marriage certificate for Allan Mather and Ruth Carpenter as well as various diplomas for Ruth (Mather) and Barbara Carpenter (Whyte).
Fonds consist primarily of warden service photographs, including Bert Davies on horse, horse patrol and backcountry activities, warden cabins in Banff National Park; photographs by British Photographic Laboratories of Banff Winter Carnival beard-growing contest; view of Loder Mine at Exshaw, Albert…
40 photographs : prints, negative. -- 1 textual record
History / Biographical
H. C. (Bert) Davies, 1908-1973, was a national park warden and businessman at Banff, Alberta, Canada
Scope & Content
Fonds consist primarily of warden service photographs, including Bert Davies on horse, horse patrol and backcountry activities, warden cabins in Banff National Park; photographs by British Photographic Laboratories of Banff Winter Carnival beard-growing contest; view of Loder Mine at Exshaw, Alberta; and portrait of Bert Davies with parents, 1913. Fonds also includes letter from Silas Abraham to Bert Davies re coat, 1941
Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959. Personal and pro…
ca.13,100 photographs: ca.7080 prints, ca.5310 negatives, ca.700 transparencies. -- 9 photograph albums. -- ca.2 m textual records, print material and graphic records. -- 33 cartographic records
History / Biographical
Frederick Herbert (Bert) Riggall, 1884-1959, was a mountain guide, outfitter, hunter, trapper, rancher, naturalist, photographer, writer and gunsmith/loader in southern Alberta. Born in 1884 at Gayton-le-Wold Grange, Lincolnshire, his family moved to Grimsby where his father was an auctioneer and, in 1905, served as Mayor. In England, Riggall was an athlete, avid sportsman and naturalist. He was exposed to alpine country on school holidays in Switzerland and, determined to visit Canada, left for North America in 1904.
Upon arriving in western Canada, Riggall worked for a year at Craighurst Farm near Calgary. There he met Dorothea (Dora) Williams, 1877-1951, an Irish Quaker ranch cook who had emigrated with her sister Anna in 1902. In 1905, Bert worked on the Correction Land Survey in southwestern Alberta and explored Waterton Lakes. Bert and Dora married in 1906 and until 1946 they homesteaded and ranched adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Initially, Bert and partner Jack Hazzard built boats and guided fishing parties on Waterton Lakes. In 1909, with partner Cyril Watmough, the Riggalls began guiding and outfitting summer and fall hunting and fishing trips for numerous repeat clients, especially, after 1913, four Minneapolis, Minnesota families: Bovey, Crosby, Bennett and McKnight. Hunts involved Big Horn Sheep, goats, black and grizzly bears. Bert served as chief guide and Dora as camp cook. Prior to 1911, the Riggalls worked at Gloyne's oil camp and Oil City to supplement their income. In 1911, Bert and partner Cyril Watmough made a 1000 mile (1600 km) exploratory trip from Fort Steele, B.C. to the Yellowhead Pass and beyond. Following that trip, Riggall concentrated guiding activities on the continental divide as far north as the Highwood region, but primarily in the upper Oldman River Valley and Gap in the Livingstone Range. Their outfit grew to include numerous saddle and pack horses.
Of five children, only two daughters survived infancy. Kay Riggall (Russell), 1909-1984, and Doris (Babe) Riggall (Burton), 1910-1999, were both able riders, markswomen and packtrain workers. They accompanied their parents on summer back country trips starting in 1918. Bert Riggall was renowned for his knowledge of botany, geology, zoology, wilderness life and lore as well as literature and current affairs. He was especially endeared to his clients for his skill as a raconteur and campfire storyteller. He wrote articles for magazines such as: Arms and the Man, American Rifleman, Field and Stream and the Boone and Crockett Club's book: North American Big Game. Riggall was an accomplished semi-professional photographer who specialized in wildlife studies, panoramic landscapes, Dufaycolor and later Kodachrome transparencies. His photographs appear in Department of Interior Reports and other publications.
Bert's heart problems forced the Riggalls to move to Pincher Creek in 1947. Daughter Kay and son-in-law Andy Russell continued the packtrain and guiding business until 1960. After Dora's death, Bert experienced medical problems and lived with or close to Doris.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959.
Personal and professional series consists of diaries and notes, correspondence and personal papers.
Business and financial series consists of guiding and ranching records, gunsmithing, shooting and loading records; and legal and financial records.
Professional photography series consists of standard photographs, panoramas, transparencies and textual records
Writing series contains manuscripts, published magazines, book outlines, newspaper articles and letters to the editor
Natural history series contains bird and plant records, and other natural history papers
Other interests series consist of clippings, annotated books and collected material
Riggall family series contains Bert and Dora Riggall family papers and photographs, Williams family photographs, Frederick W. and Fanny Riggall papers and photographs, and Allan Riggall papers and photographs. Negatives and transparencies pertain to Andy Russell as a young man with Bert Riggall.
Notes
Some transparencies in V110 Dick Russell are marked Andy Russell, some marked 64 dup; V110 - original transparencies have full set of duplicates (2 sets were made, 1 for Dick Russell and the other is part of this accession)
Fonds includes textual material in the form of a manuscript, ephemera and photographs made by and collected by Bill de Haan. The manuscript is titled "Photographs to accompany P. M. Sauders report of snow survey in the vicinity of Lake Louise . . . June 14, 1918." Also includes posters and calend…
ca.220 photographs : prints, transparencies. -- ca.1 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Bill de Haan, b.1903, was a hotel worker, labourer and government worker at Banff, Alberta, Canada. De Haan came to Banff in 1944 after working across Canada. From ca.1950 to ca.1968, he worked for Banff National Park at Tunnel Mountain campground, the east park gate and the warden service equipment building. After 1968, de Haan was a volunteer at the government fish hatchery in Banff. An avid photographer, de Haan was a member of the Bow Valley Camera Club. He photographed wildflowers and warden cabins throughout the park.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes textual material in the form of a manuscript, ephemera and photographs made by and collected by Bill de Haan. The manuscript is titled "Photographs to accompany P. M. Sauders report of snow survey in the vicinity of Lake Louise . . . June 14, 1918." Also includes posters and calendar pertaining to Banff National Park and Banff Indian Days. Photographs pertain mainly to cabins, including warden cabins, Banff National Park, 1963-1966; also Brett family, early Banff and area, Bankhead, Canmore cemetery (1975); flooding along Bow River, 1972; and construction of archives and library building, 1967-1968, (now Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies).
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 textual records and photographs. Textual records include: certificate of appreciation, University of Calgary, 1972; newsclippings pertaining to Ann Boon, 1962-1972; annotated copy of Salute to the Past by Gladys Cynthia Rebecca Shope Diesel, n.d.; information pamphlet re the Moun…
1 cm of textual records. -- 27 photographs (26 prints, 1 negative)
History / Biographical
The Boon family were residents of Banff, Alberta, Canada, ca.1935-ca.1975. Ann Boon, d.1972, was a business woman, served as President of the Banff Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the Senate of the University of Calgary. Charles Alfred Boon, 1889-1968, worked for B.A. Oil.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records and photographs. Textual records include: certificate of appreciation, University of Calgary, 1972; newsclippings pertaining to Ann Boon, 1962-1972; annotated copy of Salute to the Past by Gladys Cynthia Rebecca Shope Diesel, n.d.; information pamphlet re the Mountain School, Banff, ca.1930. Photographs pertain to royal visit, 1939; Ann Boon, people, places and activities in Banff, 1941-1966. Royal visit photographs are by Charles Boon. 1 b/w photograph of group skating on First Vermilion Lake, December 1941 includes (l-r): George Oxborough, Tom Boon, Mr. Oxborough (George's father), Walter Roos, Peter Young, Lorna Boon and David Boon, photograph taken by Mrs. C. A. Boon