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 12 portrait photographs depicting Norman Luxton's mother, his siblings and their immediate family. Includes portraits of George Luxton (Norman's brother), George's wife, Ada (Livingston) Luxton, and their daughter, Patricia Luxton; Harold Malloch Luxton (Norman's youngest brother);…
Some photographs produced by: Rembrandt Bros. (Minneapolis), Golliug Hesse (Minneapolis), and Hubner (Minneapolis)
Date Range
[1900-1920]
1901
Physical Description
12 photographs : b&w prints ; 19.5 x 26.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 12 portrait photographs depicting Norman Luxton's mother, his siblings and their immediate family. Includes portraits of George Luxton (Norman's brother), George's wife, Ada (Livingston) Luxton, and their daughter, Patricia Luxton; Harold Malloch Luxton (Norman's youngest brother); and Sarah Jane (Edwards) Luxton (Norman's mother).
File consists of 34 photographs pertaining to extended relatives of the McDougall and Ross families which were taken post-1940. Includes individual portraits of a man [possibly George Ross, 1941] and an unidentified young girl (1945). FIle also includes group photographs depicting Eleanor, Georgina…
34 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 18.5 x 20 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 34 photographs pertaining to extended relatives of the McDougall and Ross families which were taken post-1940. Includes individual portraits of a man [possibly George Ross, 1941] and an unidentified young girl (1945). FIle also includes group photographs depicting Eleanor, Georgina (McDougall) and Norman Luxton; Annie (McKenzie Hall) McDougall; Norah Fortune (granddaughter of Annie McDougall's cousin, Alexander Begg), with her husband Arthur and son Art; David Arthur McDougall; and several members of the May family.
Notes
Some individuals in photographs are not identified
Series consists of: one postcard inside a protective cover (H9 x W14.5 cm) one hand-written note (H14.5 x W15 cm) one 13-page hand-written memoir/family history by Oswald A. McGuinness (H28 x W21.5 cm) one envelope (H40 x W23 cm) Content includes: McGuinness family tree; history of the McGuinness f…
1 cm of textual records (16 pages ; 23 x 40 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
Series consists of:
one postcard inside a protective cover (H9 x W14.5 cm)
one hand-written note (H14.5 x W15 cm)
one 13-page hand-written memoir/family history by Oswald A. McGuinness (H28 x W21.5 cm)
one envelope (H40 x W23 cm)
Content includes: McGuinness family tree; history of the McGuinness family and their time in Belleville, Ontario; Robert's role as inspecting engineer in the Banff Springs expansion; Robert's artwork on the CPR postcard depicting the spiral tunnels; and the envelope that was used to gift the above items to the Whyte Museum
Notes
Oswald A. McGuinness is the younger brother of Father Robert McGuinness. Oswald was a surveyor and helped build the road from Invermere to Calgary, and he lived in Invermere
The McGuinness family tree goes back to Oswald and Robert's great-grandparents, from Ireland to England and then to Ontario
In the hand-written note, which is undated and the author is unknown although it is possible that it was written by Flora McGuinness when she gave it to Mark Nightingale, an association between Robert and the building of the Bow River Bridge is made
Mark Nightingale also gifted 3 newspaper clippings located in M460 / I / B / 3-5
M460 / II / 1 : created by the Canadian Pacific Railway
File consists of 37 photographs depicting friends and extended members of the Luxton family. Includes professional portraits, postcard prints and candid photographs. Individuals include members of the Nolan and Boswell families, Mary Watson, Will Kidner, John and Ada Wilson, Sam Kellock, W.W. Kemp,…
37 photographs : b&w prints ; 15 x 21 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 37 photographs depicting friends and extended members of the Luxton family. Includes professional portraits, postcard prints and candid photographs. Individuals include members of the Nolan and Boswell families, Mary Watson, Will Kidner, John and Ada Wilson, Sam Kellock, W.W. Kemp, Arnold and Charles Douglas, Sam Howe, and George and Bob Findlay. Items LUX/III/C3/PA-192 to 204 pertain to trips to Marble Canyon and Sibbald Ranch with Norman Luxton and members of the Sibbald and Fisher families [ca.1904].
File consists of 10 photographs depicting Eleanor, Norman and Georgina Luxton. Includes two professional portraits of Eleanor as a baby and toddler, and photographs of Eleanor and her parents dressed in traditional Indigenous clothing as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway Exhibition in Toronto, 1…
Photographs produced by G & W Fear (Banff), and Pringle & Booth (Toronto)
Date Range
[ca.1909]
[ca.1910-1912]
1920
Physical Description
10 photographs : b&w prints ; 19 x 24.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 10 photographs depicting Eleanor, Norman and Georgina Luxton. Includes two professional portraits of Eleanor as a baby and toddler, and photographs of Eleanor and her parents dressed in traditional Indigenous clothing as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway Exhibition in Toronto, 1920.
Notes
Some items in file are annotated
Items LUX/II/C5/PA-38 to 45 accompanied in file by original mailing envelope (annotated on back)
File consists of photographs sent to Norman Luxton from various friends, including "Red" [Cathcart?], Eugene LaPorte, Woodworth and Theodora Campbell, the Green family, and Ernest Maunder. Content pertains to Red [Cathcart's?] work transporting oil to mines, and views from his travels in British Co…
77 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 14.5 x 8.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs sent to Norman Luxton from various friends, including "Red" [Cathcart?], Eugene LaPorte, Woodworth and Theodora Campbell, the Green family, and Ernest Maunder. Content pertains to Red [Cathcart's?] work transporting oil to mines, and views from his travels in British Columbia and Camp Debert in Nova Scotia; Eugene LaPorte fishing near Lake Ontario; Indigenous communities in Panama [sent by Mr. and Mrs. Campbell]; photos of the Green family [names missing]; photos from a community and nearby forested areas [location and source unknown] with detailed notes on back of related personal memories; Ernest Maunder's model boat hobby; "Dorothy" feeding geese in February 1954 in Inglewood [region in Calgary?]; and photographs of various wildlife by J.H. [Jack?] Munroe.
Notes
Some photographs have annotations on back. Items LUX/I/E4/PA-389 and 397 also have directions and illustrations of property layouts