Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including cor…
154 cm of textual records. -- 1304 photographs (1190 prints, 95 negatives, 19 transparencies). -- 6 photograph albums.
History / Biographical
The Wardle family was comprised of husband and wife, James Morey Wardle (June 26,1888 - May 18,1971) and Maud Leette (Roney) Wardle (May 24,1889 - December 1,1969), and their one child, Dorothy Hope Wardle (May 23,1919 - July 20,2003).
James Wardle, born in Chiliwack, British Columbia, was a civil engineer and public servant. He was the Superintendent of Banff National Park from 1918-1921, Chief Engineer for Parks Canada from 1921-1935, and Deputy Minister of the Interior from 1935-1936. He is primarily known as a highway design engineer, particularly for building the Banff-Windermere, Banff-Lake Louise, and Banff-Jasper highways. He was a councillor for the Municipality of Rockcliffe Park in Ontario and he was the President of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in Banff from 1925-1929. Mount Wardle in Vermillion was named after him in 1921. James married Leette on November 4, 1913, with whom he had one child, Dorothy.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Dorothy (also known as Dot and Dorie) grew up in Banff, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario, due to her father's position with the federal government. She was educated at the Mountain School in Banff and at the Elmwood School in Ottawa. All three family members were graduates of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. James graduated in 1912 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Leette graduated with a Bachelor's degree, and in 1942, Dorothy also earned a Bachelor's degree. Dorothy was prominent in student life and active in athletics. In 1941, Dorothy became the first woman elected as President of the Alma Mater Society and during her academic career, Dorothy was a member of the Levana Intercollegiate Debative, University Centenary Committee, and Queen’s War Aid Commission.
Dorothy spent her career as a freelance writer however, upon graduation she served as the first Secretary-In-Charge of Records at Carleton College (now Carleton University) from 1942-1944 in Ottawa and in the mid-1950s worked as a secretary for the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. Dorothy pursued a lifelong interest in traveling, art, and antiques. Although she was fiercely proud and protective of Banff and the Park, and remained a volunteer and patron of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Dorothy eventually settled in Sidney, British Columbia and shared an apartment with Sheila Iris Ritchie, with whom Dorothy travelled extensively. After her death in 2003, Dorothy, "Dorie," was laid to rest alongside her parents in the Old Banff Cemetery.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including correspondence with Carl Rungius and Mrs. Helen Brett, and Christmas and other greeting cards from Peter and Catharine Whyte). Series III: Queen's University, 7.5 cm, 1911-1980 (including graduation certificates for each family member and records pertaining to Dorothy's participation on the Alma Mater Society). Series IV: Travel, 44.5 cm, ca.1950-1988 (includes hand-written notebooks meticulously detailing their travels).
V75 consists of two series, 79.5 cm, ca. 1912-2001. Series I: Wardle Family, ca. 1912-1971, 6 albums, 31 cm of photograph prints and negatives (including family trips, trail rides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and family gatherings). Series II: Dorothy Wardle, 1972-2001, 34 cm of photograph prints, negatives, and transparencies (including Dorothy's travels in Alberta and British Columbia, overseas, and various outings with friends).
File pertains to 58 handwritten and typewritten letters by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb between April 1933 and September 1933. Topics include news from Concord, daily life in Banff, the fire at Bretton Hall, Peter out painting and sketching, Sam Ward continuously adding cab…
1.3 cm of textual records (173 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to 58 handwritten and typewritten letters by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb between April 1933 and September 1933. Topics include news from Concord, daily life in Banff, the fire at Bretton Hall, Peter out painting and sketching, Sam Ward continuously adding cabinets and cupboards to the Whyte Home, Catharine practicing typewriting and the beginning of some typewritten letters to her mother, the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. John Walker, moving a cabin on the property for their Stoney friends to stay in while they paint portraits, selling two sketches, various baking recipes from Edith, Peter painting Mark Poucette, a visit from children from the Mountain School, Peter and Catharine visiting the west coast [via Bonners Ferry and Spokane] and seeing Fern Brewster in Vancouver, writing Mrs. Paley, attending the Calgary Stampede, painting J.D. Curren, painting David Bearspaw, hiking at Lake O'Hara with Skyline Trail Hikers [with participant names], a visit with Mary Vaux in Banff, a Pacific Relations Conference at the Banff Springs Hotel and cleaning the house expecting visits from participants, Catharine discussing Adolf Hitler with a Swiss man visiting the house, a boat trip with the White Family and Allen Mather to Lake Minnewanka, meeting Mr. Anasaki from the Conference [an old friend of Edward Morse] and looking at Catharine's Japanese collection with Mr. Miyoaka and Mr. Takaki, Peter taking photographs at the Indigenous Camp during Banff Indian Days, Peter receiving a beaded coat from Mrs. Jonie, buying some items from the Indigenous Camp that belonged to Old Hector [Crawler?], Jackie heading east to meet Barbara before the birth of their child, and Peter and Catharine heading east via the United States to attend the World Fair and visit Edith Morse Robb and then family in Gorham, Maine.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, people of colour, and those of the Jewish faith used throughout is outdated and offensive.
Letters are all handwritten and typewritten and include some hotel, business and camp letterheads. 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. Some letters also have numbers written in pencil crayon, believed to be from when originally processed.
File pertains to 56 letters and envelopes written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from February 1931 to October 1931. Topics include visiting J.E.H. MacDonald in Toronto and meeting Lawren Harris, day to day life in Banff, skiing at Skoki, bringing materials out to Skoki in …
1.3 cm of textual records (310 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to 56 letters and envelopes written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from February 1931 to October 1931. Topics include visiting J.E.H. MacDonald in Toronto and meeting Lawren Harris, day to day life in Banff, skiing at Skoki, bringing materials out to Skoki in packs and by dogsled, Bill Oliver filming at Skoki, the description and construction details of Peter and Catharine's house and yard and moving in [including furniture details], shopping in Calgary for house items,a rock slide near Field, travel to Montana, people in Concord, installation of Peter and Catharine's paintings in the ballroom at the Banff Springs Hotel, the fire at Grand View Villa, attending the Calgary Stampede with Edmee Moore and Georgia Engelhard, painting portraits of Indigenous friends and Tom Wilson, Edith's visit to Banff, painting at Castle Mountain [including details about Joe Smith], Peter making picture frames, the visit of the King and Queen of Siam, and meeting new people, community members and house callers [including Cyril Paris, Victor Kutschera, Norman Knight, Bernie Hanson, Ike Mills, Erling Strom, Allan Mather, Betty Painter, Rick Smith, Mrs. Bill Brewster, Bill Carson, Mr. Coach, Spud White, Cliff White, Dr. Robinson, Cameron and Lila White Stockand, Mildred Jackson White, Annie White, Mr. and Mrs. Rungius, Charlie Beil, J.D. Curren, Sam Ward and Earl Spencer and others working on the Whyte Home, Mrs. Carr, Jackie White, Pearl and Philip Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Byron Harmon, Casper McCullah, Dorothy White, Mrs. Childe, Mrs. Robertson, Bobby Hunter, William Twin, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Poucette, Hank Cheever, Mr. and Mrs. Leuning [Otto?], Barbara and Ruth Carpenter, Sid Graves, Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, Fred Armbrister, Mr. Gillet, Belmore Browne, Margaret Simpson, Betty Painter, and Jim and Dell Brewster.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, people of colour, and those of the Jewish faith used throughout is outdated and offensive. Some items were stapled together and therefore scanned together as one document.
Letters are all handwritten and include some hotel, business, and camp letterheads. 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. Some letters also have numbers written in pencil crayon, believed to be from when originally processed.
File pertains to 127 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to December 29, 1948. Topics include New Years activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, weather, matters pertaining to the store on Banff Ave, hockey games [on the radi…
2.5 cm of textual records (157 pages ; 21.4 x 27.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 127 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from January 3 to December 29, 1948. Topics include New Years activities, day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, weather, matters pertaining to the store on Banff Ave, hockey games [on the radio and live], events and people in Concord, world news, radio programs, photography, painting, the new Greyhound Station being built behind the Mount Royal Hotel, the Winter Carnival, errand trips to Calgary, the annual Ski Championships at Norquay [February], putting together sketches to send to Ontario for an exhibition [the pictures were later sent to Concord to be shown], concerts, the death and funeral of Mark Poucette, cleaning and household chores, business and issues pertaining to the store on Banff Ave, installing a new electric stove in the kitchen, flooding during the spring [mostly in BC], Elizabeth Rummel leaving Skoki Lodge, Banff Indian Days [which included a ceremony to induct Pearl and Phillip Moore as honourary Princess and Chief], the Calgary Stampede, concerns over Pete's health, a day trip to Lake O'Hara with George Noble in September [they were given permission to drive themselves up], the opening of the White Groceteria on October 1, making the annual Christmas card, and various Christmas/holiday activities and parties. Also includes a pressed flower and the annual Christmas card, mounted on cardstock.
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.
123-09 has four small sketches of pictures made by Jon Whyte on the second page.
123-36 is a carbon copy of 123-35.
123-47 contains a sketch of the new electric stove.
File consists of 8 cm of textual records (40.5 x 60 cm or smaller) and 25 photographs : b&w (20 x 25 cm or smaller). Records include newspaper clippings, typed articles, research, correspondence, and photograph prints.
File pertains to Dorothy's freelance research, notes, original writing, and pub…
8 cm of textual records (40.5 x 60 cm or smaller); 25 photographs : b&w (20 x 25 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of 8 cm of textual records (40.5 x 60 cm or smaller) and 25 photographs : b&w (20 x 25 cm or smaller). Records include newspaper clippings, typed articles, research, correspondence, and photograph prints.
File pertains to Dorothy's freelance research, notes, original writing, and published articles from The Albertan and The Calgary Herald primarily in the 1960s, and short stories for Reader's Digest in 1933-1934. File documents various people, places, and events significant to Banff, including: the old days, Banff Indian Days, Mountain School, Banff Centre, Banff namesake in Scotland, the teahouses at Lake Louise, hot springs, Indigenous regalia and ceremonies, local guides, and Silver City. File also includes personal notes/stories and correspondence between Dorothy and her parents, and several articles from the Banff Crag and Canyon. Notable people include Cliff and Beverly White, Walking Buffalo (Tatanga Mani, George McLean), George Paris, Margaret Greenham, Ike Mills, and Nora Drummond-Davies.
Notes
Correspondence between Dorothy and Mrs. Margaret Greenham, dated April 4, 1942.
Correspondence between Dorothy and C.R. Walrod from the museum in Kelowna, dated November 4, 1953.
Correspondence between Dorothy and her parents, dated March 9, 1961.
M521 / I / A / 10 : title on folder changed to [Indigenous]. Original title was "Indian Story Material."
M521 / I / A / 10 : photographs of Frank Kaquitts were originally filed in this folder (see: V75).
M521 / I / A / 16 : title on folder changed to [Indigenous Ceremonial Regalia]. Original title was "Indian Ceremonial Costume."
Most of the newspaper clippings are glued on a piece of paper like an unbound scrapbook.
Many of the newspaper clippings and other textual records were taped or glued together, and some of the photograph prints are damaged by ink. May present conservation issues in the future.
Acid-free archival paper was sporadically used to protect prints.
Should consider digitizing before further degradation.