Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpin…
ca.42 m of textual records. -- ca.12,500 photographs: prints, stereographic prints, transparencies, slides, negatives, postcards. -- 85 photograph albums. -- 8 motion pictures: films, video recordings. -- 3 sound recordings
History / Biographical
The Alpine Club of Canada, the national mountaineering club, was co-founded in 1906 by A. O. Wheeler and Elizabeth Parker, and other like-minded climbers. The club espoused scientific study and exploration, cultivation of art, public education, acquisition of climbing skills, and preservation of natural areas within the mountainous regions of Canada. Through a national executive, local sections and volunteer committees, the club provided climbing camps, clubhouse, huts, and publications, including the Canadian Alpine Journal. ACC expeditions and projects resulted in pioneer exploration, first ascents, and included mountain warfare training during the Second World War. In recent years, the club's membership has increased dramatically with the popularity of climbing and its programs have evolved to serve the needs of unguided climbers using sophisticated technical aids.
Scope & Content
Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpine Club itself.
The fonds consists of four Sous-fonds: I. Alpine Club of Canada records; II. Mount Everest Expedition (1982) records; III. Personal papers and photographs; IV. Other material. Club administration records (series I.A.) pertain to executive positions; head office; finance; camps, climbing and treks; expeditions; huts and properties; clubhouses; library; publications; photography; other committees; other activities; and other. Other club records include section records (series I.B.), hut registers and summit records (series I.C.).
File pertains to a photograph album containing some photographs of various Alpine Club of Canada, American Alpine Club, Sky-Line Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, and personal trips. Photographs primarily depict mountain views, buildings, lakes, and people, some of whom are identified.
The bulk…
1 album (173 prints : b&w and col. ; 25 x 22.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to a photograph album containing some photographs of various Alpine Club of Canada, American Alpine Club, Sky-Line Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, and personal trips. Photographs primarily depict mountain views, buildings, lakes, and people, some of whom are identified.
The bulk of the album is dedicated to Christmas cards sent to Lillian Gest by various people from 1949-1958.
Inserts pertain to two photographs of a group of people sitting on the front porch of a cabin in Lake O'Hara. Ernest Feuz is seated far right.
File pertains to 43 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 2 to November 14, 1950. Topics include trips to Bow Lake [mostly to sketch/paint] during the summer, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, the Calgary Stampede, photography, painting,…
1.3 cm of textual records (69 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fond level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 43 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 2 to November 14, 1950. Topics include trips to Bow Lake [mostly to sketch/paint] during the summer, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, the Calgary Stampede, photography, painting, weather, Banff Indian Days, events and people in Concord, radio programs, getting a new recorder [possibly a reel-to-reel], a train strike in August, a trip to visit the Capmbells in Cowley, funerals, day trips to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, meeting composer Alec Templeton and playing recorded First Nations songs for him, getting the annual Christmas card together, and planning a trip to Hawaii for the winter. Also includes postcards.
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 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.
127 - 22 insert 01 was sealed prior to accession - the envelope is empty.
File pertains to a photograph album containing photographs from various trips taken by Lillian Gest, some of which include Alpine Club of Canada Annual Trips, and Christmas cards sent to Gest by various friends and club members. Greeting cards are dated from 1938-1948.
Contents include:
1938: [Alpi…
1 album (306 photographs : b&w ; 23 x 18 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to a photograph album containing photographs from various trips taken by Lillian Gest, some of which include Alpine Club of Canada Annual Trips, and Christmas cards sent to Gest by various friends and club members. Greeting cards are dated from 1938-1948.
Contents include:
1938: [Alpine Club camp, Columbia Icefields; Maligne Lake and canyon, Caroline Hinman trip; Banff; Lake Louise; Christian Hasler].
1939: [Ptarmigan Lake; Crosby Lake; Mount Vaux, Mount Ennis and Hanbury Peak; Ice River Valley; Goodsirs; Kate Gardiner; Phyllis Munday; Eric Brooks; Charles Hunter ranch, Pincher Creek; postcards of Washington and Oregon].
1940: [Mount Athabasca; Lyell Glacier; Wapta River; Christian Hasler; Mount Waddington, Phyllis and Don Munday].
1941: [Banff Indian Days; climbing Mount Odaray].
1942: [Three Sisters; White Man's Pass area; Grassi Lakes; Bow River; Banff Indian Days; Lake Louise area; Mounts Temple, Fay and Pinnacle; Mount Quadra; Mount Neptuak from Tower of Babel].
1943: [Lake O'Hara, Alpine Club camp; Browne home, Banff; Mount Edith].
1946: [Bow Lake; Jimmy and Billie Simpson; St. Nicholas Peak].
1948?: [Lake Minnewanka; Bow Lake; Mount Chephren; Peyto Glacier; Mount Rhonda; Dolomite Peak; Mummery Group; Freshfields; Mount Baker; Sherbrooke Lake; Mount Daly; Mount Balfour].
Inserts pertain to two typed text letters from Caroline Hinman to Lillian Gest and discuss various Off the Beaten Track information.
Notes
Blank pages not scanned.
Inserts are photocopies of the originals that were included with the album.
Microfilm copy available for reference use by appointment only.
Language
English
Conservation
Removed from plastic sleeve and rehoused in acid-free paper, tied with flat string.
Locate original copies of inserts and return them to PD - 11 Documents file - notes on the backs of the inserts note that the originals were moved to M67 but the documents could not be found.
File pertains to a photograph album depicting three seperate trips taken by Lillian Gest: Summer in the Canadian Rockies 1928 ; Hunting Trip September 1928 ; Summer of 1929 The Tyrol and the Alps.
The Summer 1928 trip was undertaken primarily by horseback, but included some hiking/climbing trips. I…
1 album (385 photographs : b&w ; 25.5 x 15.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to a photograph album depicting three seperate trips taken by Lillian Gest: Summer in the Canadian Rockies 1928 ; Hunting Trip September 1928 ; Summer of 1929 The Tyrol and the Alps.
The Summer 1928 trip was undertaken primarily by horseback, but included some hiking/climbing trips. It began at Grant Brook and the Moose River in Mt. Robson Provincial Park, worked southeast through the Tonquin Valley, and then further to the Saskatchewan River. This trip was organized by Caroline Hinman and corresponds with Insert 1.
The Septemeber 1928 Hunting Trip may have been organized by a guide named Wilson and began around Sheep River, AB before working into the Pipestone Pass on horseback. Includes photographs of stag and ram heads at what is possibly Gest's home. Also includes enlargements and greeting cards from "fellow-campers."
The Summer 1929 trip begins with arriving by boat before heading inland to Verona and Cortina before reaching Austria. From there the party heads into the Alps, includes many photographs of climbers on glaciers. Also includes views of the Matterhorn, Lake Geneva, the Castle of Chiffon, greeting cards, and a newspaper clipping detailing Caroline Hinman's group of ladies crossing the Saskatchewan Glacier [date unknown]. Photographs from this trip are a mix of personal photographs and souvineer photographs.
Inserts pertain to overviews/advertisements for the Summer 1928 trip and the Summer 1929 trip that would have been sent out by Caroline Hinman in advance detailing routes, expectations, and prices.
Notes
Please note: some pictures depict close-ups of dead animals.
Blank pages not scanned - 54 and 55 have captions written at the bottom of the page, but no photograph and were scanned