Fonds consists of two series: I. St. Mary's Parish, ca.1945-1983, 0.16 cm, and contains two sub-series: A. Architecture, ca.1945-1983 (architectural plans, general information); B. Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings (pertaining to Father McGuinness and St. Mary's Parish), 1950-1978. II. McGuinn…
1.11 cm of textual records (34 pages : 29 x 42 cm or smaller) -- 9 architectural drawings : annotations ; 89 x 58 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
Originally from ancient Iveagh, which is now County Down, Ireland, the McGuinness family eventually migrated to Liverpool at an unknown time. The McGuinness family were provision merchants in Liverpool, but found supplies limited so they emigrated to Canada. Born on June 20, 1886 in Liverpool, Father Robert James McGuinness moved to Belleville, Ontario, Canada with his family in 1890. He had 7 brothers and sisters, including Oswald A. McGuinness, who settled in Invermere, British Columbia.
Robert attended St. Lawrence College in Ampleforth, Yorkshire, and completed his studies at St. Servan in Rhiems, France, qualifying as an engineer. He held a position with the federal government upon his return to Canada, however when World War I broke out Robert served in the 29th Battalion of CRTS building pontoons behind European battle lines. After returning to Canada, Robert worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway as an architectural engineer, which brought him west to Banff, Alberta. Robert was the resident architectural engineer overlooking the construction of the Banff Springs Hotel expansion in the 1920's.
In the late 1920's, Robert traveled to Rome to enter the seminary and four years later he was ordained as a priest. After serving as priest in Calgary, Robert was appointed Catholic priest in Banff in 1936, where he lived and worked until his death in 1961. To fulfill a personal dream, Robert designed and supervised the construction of the new church building and grounds for St. Mary's Parish (St. Mary's of the Assumption) which was completed in 1951. During his years in Europe, Robert visited ancient churches and cathedrals which influenced the design of the church, primarily the Norman Chateau architectural style.
Robert was also a talented artist. Some of his work can be seen in galleries in New York and in Banff. His work has been reproduced for Canadian Pacific Railway tourism material, including the Spiral Tunnels postcard included in this fonds.
Robert died in Calgary on June 17, 1961, just shy of his 75th birthday, after being ill for a few months.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two series:
I. St. Mary's Parish, ca.1945-1983, 0.16 cm, and contains two sub-series: A. Architecture, ca.1945-1983 (architectural plans, general information); B. Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings (pertaining to Father McGuinness and St. Mary's Parish), 1950-1978.
II. McGuinness Family, 1953-1977, 1 cm (private records, including handwritten notes, a memoir, and a postcard).
Notes
. IYounger brother Oswald was a surveyor who built the road from Invermere to Calgary
There is some indication that Robert had a role in the construction of the Bow River Bridge or the collection of the stones used for the bridge, but this is unconfirmed
File consists of architectural and grounds plans and drawings for St. Mary's Parish in Banff, comprising 9 sheets, H58 x W89 cm to H43 x W58 cm. Plans are possibly diazotype (diazo) prints. Designed by Father Robert McGuinness. Donated by Stevenson Raines Barrett Christie Hutton Seton & Partners (l…
9 architectural drawings : annotations ; 89 x 58 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of architectural and grounds plans and drawings for St. Mary's Parish in Banff, comprising 9 sheets, H58 x W89 cm to H43 x W58 cm.
Plans are possibly diazotype (diazo) prints.
Designed by Father Robert McGuinness.
Donated by Stevenson Raines Barrett Christie Hutton Seton & Partners (later Raines Finlayson Barrett) to the Canadian Architectural Archives at the University of Calgary.
Notes
Father Robert McGuinness was an engineer with the Canadian federal government and the Canadian Pacific Railway before entering the priesthood. After becoming ordained in Rome, Father McGuinness traveled around Europe and his designs for St. Mary's Parish were influenced by the ancient stone churches he visited during his travels.
The church was known by different names, including: St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Mary's Catholic Church. It is currently called St. Mary's Parish.
1 framed print, black and white, titled 'Hermit's Hut Castle Mt'. Attached clear plastic pocket at back of the frame holding a biographical article about Harry Pollard (presumably the creator of the photograph).
Harry Pollard (1880 - 1968) was a famous photographer in Western Canada, who was notable for his photography of Canadian Indigenous peoples and cultures. From the Provincial Archives of Alberta:
"In 1924 the Associated Screen News, a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), hired [Harry] Pollard to photograph their global ocean cruises for promotional purposes. It was this job that took him around the world 14 times".
Scope & Content
1 framed print, black and white, titled 'Hermit's Hut Castle Mt'. Attached clear plastic pocket at back of the frame holding a biographical article about Harry Pollard (presumably the creator of the photograph).
File consists of a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, brochures, business cards, and advertisements for businesses around Banff and Lake Louise. Includes a mix of magazine and newspaper clippings in both black and white and in colour, postcards, advertising for hotels like the King Edward Hotel, Hom…
File consists of a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, brochures, business cards, and advertisements for businesses around Banff and Lake Louise. Includes a mix of magazine and newspaper clippings in both black and white and in colour, postcards, advertising for hotels like the King Edward Hotel, Homestead Inn, Mount Royal Hotel, Castle Mountain Lodge, and the Chateau Lake Louise, and a cover of the Sky Line Trail Hiker bulletin featuring members of the Royal Family.
File consists of 166 negative photographs (b&w and colour) and 54 colour transparencies taken during Nicholas and Ivy "Willie" Morant's personal travels. Content pertains to unidentified people in Mexico and Peru, architecture and ruins, assorted travel scenes.
220 Photographs: negatives and transparencies; b&w and colour
Scope & Content
File consists of 166 negative photographs (b&w and colour) and 54 colour transparencies taken during Nicholas and Ivy "Willie" Morant's personal travels. Content pertains to unidentified people in Mexico and Peru, architecture and ruins, assorted travel scenes.
Notes
Contains some duplicate photographs. Negatives and transparencies are stored in separate file boxes.
See also V500 / I / A7 / 28
File consists of 66 negative photographs (b&w) taken during Nicholas and Ivy "Willie" Morant's personal travels. Content pertains to unidentified people in Mexico and Peru, architecture and ruins, assorted travel scenes.
File consists of 66 negative photographs (b&w) taken during Nicholas and Ivy "Willie" Morant's personal travels. Content pertains to unidentified people in Mexico and Peru, architecture and ruins, assorted travel scenes.
Notes
Contains duplicates.
Related to V500 / I / A7 / 27
File consists of one photograph album, comprising 108 photographs, 17.5 x 12.5 cm or smaller.
Photographs pertain to community life, schooling, business, and religion in and around Morely from the late 1800s to the early 1940s. File also contains three loose pages, possibly from the same album, wit…
1 album (108 photographs : b&w ; 17.5 x 12.5 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of one photograph album, comprising 108 photographs, 17.5 x 12.5 cm or smaller.
Photographs pertain to community life, schooling, business, and religion in and around Morely from the late 1800s to the early 1940s. File also contains three loose pages, possibly from the same album, with a total of nine full-colour photographs of structures around Morely taken ca. 1970s.
File consists of a scrapbook of newspaper clippings regarding Banff, Cascade of Times gardens, Banff history, events, personalities, also includes articles on wildlife and wildlife management, etc. Includes clippings from Banff Crag & Canyon, Calgary Herald, The Albertan, Toronto Star, etc.
File consists of a scrapbook of newspaper clippings regarding Banff, Cascade of Times gardens, Banff history, events, personalities, also includes articles on wildlife and wildlife management, etc. Includes clippings from Banff Crag & Canyon, Calgary Herald, The Albertan, Toronto Star, etc.