Fonds consists of papers and photographs of James Irvine (Jim) Brewster, Fern Brewster, Dell Brewster and the Brewster family. I. James Irvine Brewster papers and photographs, before 1948 and ca.1959, consist mainly of professional papers and photographs relating to guiding and outfitting activitie…
24 cm of textual records. -- ca.830 photographs : prints, negatives. -- 12 photograph albums (ca.1000 prints). -- 1 motion picture
History / Biographical
James Irvine Brewster, 1882-1947, came to Banff with his parents in 1888. While still boys, he and his brother Bill started guiding fishing parties and later formed an outfitting partnership. With silent partners Fred Hussey and Phil Moore, they established Brewster Brothers in 1904. Jim Brewster and Hussey left the business in 1906. In 1909, Jim returned to guide the business. Under his control, it became a major transportation supplier, Brewster Transport Company. Fern Brewster, 1902-1967, daughter of Jim Brewster and Lade Brewster (d.1915), was a sportswoman, businesswoman and homemaker. She was involved in the operation of Sunshine ski area and was a director of Brewster Transportation after her father's death. Fern Brewster's married names were Clarkson and Dooley. Adele (Dell) Brewster (Sibbald), 1896-1983, Jim Brewster's second wife, was also a director of Brewster Transportation.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of papers and photographs of James Irvine (Jim) Brewster, Fern Brewster, Dell Brewster and the Brewster family.
I. James Irvine Brewster papers and photographs, before 1948 and ca.1959, consist mainly of professional papers and photographs relating to guiding and outfitting activities, and to Brewster Transport Company records, including Sunshine ski area records. Series includes correspondence, diaries, legal papers, Sunshine Lodge addition papers, Brewster house plans and other material. Correspondence is incoming and outgoing letters between Brewster and Hussey, clients, and associates regarding guiding and outfitting, real estate speculation and personal matters, etc. 1906-1907. Diaries pertain to guiding, hunting and horse trips, 1897-1901, 1904-1906; entries mainly record clients, territory covered and game observations and records. Also includes articles and hand-drawn map by Brewster on hunting, 1903-1906. Includes 54 photographs pertaining to Brewster Transport after Jim Brewster period.
II. Fern Brewster papers and photographs, before 1967, includes mainly personal papers, correspondence, recipes, press clippings and photographs regarding friends and family, education, Jim Brewster's death and cooking. Correspondents include Carl Rungius, Les Peters, Charlie Beil and Fern Bedaux.
III. Dell Brewster papers, 1925-1967, pertain mainly to Jim Brewster's death. Dell Brewster photographs pertain to the Sibbald, Grier and McDougall families.
IV. Brewster family papers and photographs pertain to Jack Walker Brewster, and Brewster family and friends.
V. Other material, before 1978, consists of greeting cards.
VI. Later Acquisitions, pertain to various Brewster family members including Fern Brewster, Jim Brewster, and Pat Brewster.
File consists of collected photographs depicting Fern and Jim Brewster, as well as friends, extended family members and other unidentified individuals. Images depict local events, including Banff Indian Days and Banff Winter Carnival; a funeral ceremony, possibly for Jim Brewster; professional and …
130 photograph prints : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of collected photographs depicting Fern and Jim Brewster, as well as friends, extended family members and other unidentified individuals. Images depict local events, including Banff Indian Days and Banff Winter Carnival; a funeral ceremony, possibly for Jim Brewster; professional and candid portraits [mostly unidentified]; military events; views of Banff and surrounding landmarks; and related subjects.
File pertains to photographs of Jim Brewster and family; other Brewster family members including John & Bella Brewster, Bill Brewster, Lade Bagley Brewster, Fern Brewster, George Clarkson, Edmee Moore (also Edmee and Charlie Reid's wedding), Pearl Moore, Philip Moore, George Brewster family and fr…
File pertains to photographs of Jim Brewster and family; other Brewster family members including John & Bella Brewster, Bill Brewster, Lade Bagley Brewster, Fern Brewster, George Clarkson, Edmee Moore (also Edmee and Charlie Reid's wedding), Pearl Moore, Philip Moore, George Brewster family and friends, Jack Brewster; also Rudolf Aemmer, Joe and Don Brewster, hockey team photos; views of Jim Brewster's house on Bow Avenue; Bow Falls, Banff townsite, Mount Royal Hotel, Mount Norquay Ski Lodge and ski school, Jim Brewster with school class, Banff Station; Irvine Castle, Ireland. One item is tintype
File pertaints to photographs of Brewster Transport operations, facilities, cars, buildings, staff, etc. Includes scenic views with Brewster packard touring cars at Banff, Kootenay and Yoho NP, Banff Springs Hotel; Mount Royal Hotel; Brewster buses; Jim and Bill Brewster with Brewster Transport car…
113 photographs : prints; some duplicates, 1 oversize
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertaints to photographs of Brewster Transport operations, facilities, cars, buildings, staff, etc. Includes scenic views with Brewster packard touring cars at Banff, Kootenay and Yoho NP, Banff Springs Hotel; Mount Royal Hotel; Brewster buses; Jim and Bill Brewster with Brewster Transport car, ca.1920; Brewster's Royal Hawaiian fleet of packards, ca.1927; views of Columbia Icefield area and chalet construction, ca.1938, also military training hut?; sketch map showing route from Mt. Norquay ski area to Mount Royal Hotel, n.d. Fifty four views date from. ca.1959, after Jim Brewster's death (V90 / 182-235)
Series pertains to photograph prints of Canadian Pacific Railway properties and surrounding locations. Includes scenes from around the town of Banff and Banff National Park, interior and exterior views of hotels [particularly the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise], trophies, portraits…
Series pertains to photograph prints of Canadian Pacific Railway properties and surrounding locations. Includes scenes from around the town of Banff and Banff National Park, interior and exterior views of hotels [particularly the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise], trophies, portraits, horses and horseback riding, skiing, trains, photographs of paintings, and various scenic views.
Notes
Most prints have titles or captions on the backs, as well as negatives information.
File consists of four framed photographs depicting members of the Brewster family and extended friends and family. Photographs depict a 1951 high school graduating class [Banff High School?]; Jack Brewster performing a song during a trail ride in 1946; Jim Brewster with Fern Brewster as a baby, sta…
4 framed photographs : b&w prints ; 40 x 32.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of four framed photographs depicting members of the Brewster family and extended friends and family. Photographs depict a 1951 high school graduating class [Banff High School?]; Jack Brewster performing a song during a trail ride in 1946; Jim Brewster with Fern Brewster as a baby, standing with their family dog; and Fern Brewster as a child, sitting on a horse.
Notes
V90 / VI / PC - 1 : Lists names of individual students in photograph, including Joe Brewster
V90 / VI / PC - 2 : text on back reads "Jack Brewster Trail Ride 1946"
V90 / VI / PC - 3 : text on back reads "Fern & Jim Brewster with Musquaw [the dog]"
V90 / VI / PC - 4 : text on back reads "Fern Brewster on Peter Pan [the horse]"
Material Details
Photographs are in individual wood and glass frames
File pertains to photographs of Jim Brewster. Includes portraits of Jim Brewster, with friends, activities (on the trail, at camp); also Jim with King George and Queen Elizabeth, and with King and Queen of Siam; Jim with Tom Wilson; Tom Wilson with his wife; also portraits from friends and acquanta…
60 photographs : prints, negatives; some oversize.
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to photographs of Jim Brewster. Includes portraits of Jim Brewster, with friends, activities (on the trail, at camp); also Jim with King George and Queen Elizabeth, and with King and Queen of Siam; Jim with Tom Wilson; Tom Wilson with his wife; also portraits from friends and acquantances, with inscriptions to Jim, including William Lyon Mackenzie King, 1933, and Johnny Coulon; also photograph of George Simpson blaze, 1844.
File pertains to 119 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to December 31, 1947. Topics include New Years activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, weather, hockey games [on the radio and live], curling, skiing, cameras and phot…
2.4 cm of textual records (142 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 119 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 1 to December 31, 1947. Topics include New Years activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, weather, hockey games [on the radio and live], curling, skiing, cameras and photography, events and people in Concord, world news, radio programs, painting [including making sketches for a show in Montreal next year], Jim Brewster's death and funeral in February, ski races and ski jumping at Norquay, the Winter Carnival, Catharine working with the local Red Cross, business pertaining to the shop and apartments on Banff Ave, cleaning and household chores, matters pertaining to the Ski Club, gardening, day trips around Banff National Park for sketching and picnics, Banff Indian Days [including helping Norman Luxton by handling the financials], the Calgary Stampede, going to Calgary for a few days in August for Pete to see an ear specialist [they stay at the Hotel Paliser], beginning construction of a ski lift at Norquay and of the new Banff Art School [Banff School of Fine Arts], Gray & Eleanor Campbell moving to their ranch in Cowley, minor renovations to the house [mostly pertaining to water lines and the roof], expansion of Num-Ti-Jah Lodge [adding the dining room, entrance hall, and second floor], construction of the new Hudson's Bay Store and a new hotel on Banff Ave [possibly the King Edward], the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, errand trips to Calgary, making the annual Christmas card, and various Christmas/holiday activities and parties.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Letters are mostly typed, some hand-written. Many typed letters have hand-written notes and post scripts added throughout. Some letters have small notes written in pencil, possibly by Edith or Pete.
Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981.
122-01 contains quotes from two letters [September 12 & August 7, 1947] written by an unknown author.
122-57 contains a few interesting anecdotes about life in Anthracite.
File pertains to views of the construction of Sunshine Ski Lodge; Sunshine area, including Mt. Assiniboine area; skiing at Sunshine; Sunshine area and skiers at Sunshine by R.B.R. [Rushworth], 14 items; panorama prints and negatives of Sunshine area; some views by Nicholas Morant; postcards of Suns…
File pertains to views of the construction of Sunshine Ski Lodge; Sunshine area, including Mt. Assiniboine area; skiing at Sunshine; Sunshine area and skiers at Sunshine by R.B.R. [Rushworth], 14 items; panorama prints and negatives of Sunshine area; some views by Nicholas Morant; postcards of Sunshine Ski Lodge by C.A. Beil, 2 items; also views of early snowmobiles at Sunshine.