The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photograp…
Nicholas Everard Morant, 1910-1999, was a professional photographer based at Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was a Canadian commercial photographer of international repute and Canada's premier railway photographer of the 20th century.
Morant was born at Kamloops, British Columbia, the son of Francis and Mollie Morant. After attending the University School at Victoria, Morant served as Special Photographer to the CPR from 1929 to 1935 and again from 1944 to 1981. From 1935 to 1939, he was a cameraman for the Winnipeg Free Press, and from 1940 to 1944 worked with the Wartime Information Branch of the federal government (later to be known as the National Film Board Stills Division).
Morant had a prolific career as a freelance commercial, portrait, magazine, landscape and documentary photographer. His work appeared in numerous books and magazines, including Time, Life, Liberty, Saturday Evening Post, (Toronto) Star Weekly, Northern Sportsman, Reader's Digest, Country Guide, The Standard, National Home Monthly, Canadian Photography, Outdoor Canada, National Geographic, the Globe & Mail, Winnipeg Tribune, New York Daily News, and the two Canadian Pacific Railway magazines, The Spanner and Rail News.
Two wartime images were featured on postage stamps, while three landscape views appeared on Canadian $10, $50 and $100 bills. His images were also used for corporate annual reports, postcards, brochures, calendars and advertisements. From the 1950s to 1980s Morant gave public slide shows of his work, two of the most popular being "A Talk Without Words" and "The World At Your Feet".
Morant married Ivy May "Willie" Young in 1936 when he was a photographer with the Winnipeg Free Press. Beginning in 1929, and until the end of her life, Morant's travelling and working companion was his wife, "Willie," 1910-1986.
Scope & Content
The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photography; II. Professional records; III. Personal and family records.
I. Photography series consists of: A. Negatives and transparencies, B. Transparencies, C. Prints, D. Other photographs. II. Professional records series consists of: A. Working records, B. Career records, C. Topical files. III. Personal and family records series consists of: A. Nick and Willie Morant, B. Nick Morant funeral and memorial, C. Francis and Mollie Morant, D. Collected material
Notes
Full summary of sub-sub-series levels:
I / A : 1) Darkroom Files [ a) Negative Albums b) Black/White Series I and II c) Colour Series I and II
d) Leica Negs ]
2) GD Files
I / B : 1) Presentations [ a) Topical Files b) Thematic Files ]
2) General Files
3) Other
I / C : 1) Print Files
I / D : 1) Exhibition and Display Prints
2) Photographs used by John Garden
3) Other Photographs
II / A : 1) Log Books
2) Notebooks
II / B : 1) Career Binders [ a) Postcards b) Brochures and Advertising c) clippings and articles
d) Calendar Photographs ]
2) Scrapbooks [ a) Content 1933 - 1946 b) Content 1940 - 1980 ]
II / C : 1) Numbered / Titled Files [ a) Group A b) Group B c) Group C d) Group D e) Group H
f) Group P g) Group R ]
2) Other Topical Files [ a) Railway; i) Timetables ii) Publications iii) Other
b) Photography; i) Textual Records ii) Print Material
c) Travel d) Exhibitions and Galleries e)Personal f) Other ]
3) Postcards, Greeting Cards and Ephemera Collection
4) Published Images and Text
5) Professional Photography
6) Promotional Items, Awards and Correspondence
7) Presentation and Interview Materials
III / A : 1) Correspondence
2) Personal Papers [ a) Personal Records b) Notes and Notebooks c) Lists and Card Files
d) Awards and Retirement ]
3) Personal Photographs
4) House Records [ a) Construction b) Household Records ]
5) Business, Financial and Legal Papers
6) Interviews, Reminiscences Personal Recordings
7) Other Records (Signs, Cartoons, Drawings, etc.)
8) Personal Correspondence and Notes
9) Travel Documents and Maps
III / B : 1) Nick Morant Funeral, Memorial and Estate
III / C : 1) Mollie Morant Papers
2) Other Family Papers
III / D : 1) Sound Recordings
2) Biographical Material
3) Other Papers and Photographs [ a) Burton Wheatley Family b) Other ]
4) Personal and Family Photography
5) Personal Interest and Gifts
FIle pertains to photographs of Soapy Smith, pack trips, associates and clients, hunting, wildlife, Rafter Six Guest Ranch and scenic views.
Notes
IMAGES :
1. Youngest Trail Rider was five years old - rode pint sized saddle but full sized horse [identified as Michael Guinn]
2. Man identified as John Murray Gibbon presenting a Hundred Mile Button to a child identifed as Michael Guinn
3. First Ranch Rafter Six
4. S. Smith at his ranch
5. Unidentified
6. Road at Soapy Smith’s ranch
7. Rafter Six Ranch [Nov. 29, 1963]
8. [Missing?]
9. Soapy Smith on the Saskatchewan Glacier [1924]
10. DeMott [at horse’s head], Bill Bagley [behind horse], DeMott [pulling on rope]
11. [Unidentified men with horse]
12. [Unidentified men chopping wood]
13. From left to right: DeMott brothers, Soapy Smith, Johnny Muska
14. From left to right: Bill Bagley, DeMott brothers, Johnny Muska, Soapy Smith
15. [Horses]
16. Soapy Smith [at horse’s head], Bill Bagley [bent over horse], [unidentified man in background]
17. From left to right: Bill Bagley, DeMott, John Muska
18. [Unidentified men packing a horse] John Muska has arm raised
19. Johnny Muska [walking], C.M. DeMott, Soapy
20. [Pack train]
21. [Pack train]
22. DeMott
23. Alexandra River?
24. J. Muska
25. [Camp]
26. [Camp]
27. [Right] Soapy Smith and C.M. DeMott packing horse
28. [Unidentified mountain scene]
29. [Unidentified lake]
30. [Unidentified men packing a horse]
31. Dr. Athin? [behind horse], Bill Bagley
32. [Mountain goat]
33. DeMott
34. [Unidentified men packing horses]
35. [Unidentified man fishing]
36a & 36b DeMotts?
37. Pack train and saddle horses
38. [Horses]
39. [Unidentified river]
40. J. Muska, C. DeMott Jr.?
41. [Pack train crossing river]
42. [Unidentified mountain]
43. [Pack train in meadow]
44. [Pack horses]
45. [Pack horse]
46. [Unidentified mountain]
47. [Unidentified mountain]
48. [Camp]
49. Johnny [Muska]
50. [Pack horses fording river]
51. Soapy
52. Happy Valley – Head of the Valley of Evans-Thomas Creek
53. [Unidentified valley]
54. [Camp]
FIle pertains to photographs of Soapy Smith, pack trips, associates and clients, hunting, wildlife, Rafter Six Guest Ranch and scenic views.
Notes
IMAGES :
55. [Mountain goat]
56. [Unidentified mountain]
57. B. Bagley?
58. [Old burn forest]
59. [Unidentified mountain]
60. [Unidentified mountain]
61. J. Muska
62. [Pack train on road]
63. [View of Banff Ave and Cascade Mt. from Cascades of Time Gardens]
64. Deer on lakeside
65. [Cow Moose with calf]
66. [Unidentified mountain]
67. Hold em boys
68. Rock Mtn. Sheep – rams
69. Soapy Smith’s Rafter Six Guest Ranch
70. Camp horseshoeing equipment
71. Original bridge at Saskatchewan River Crossing
72. Rafter Six Guest Ranch of Soapy Smith
73. Rafter Six Guest Ranch of Soapy Smith
74. Rafter Six Guest Ranch of Soapy Smith [ca.1940]
75. Bow Lake
76. [Pack horse]
77. [Unidentified lake]
78. What the well dressed man will wear this season on the trail – J. Muska? And unidentified man
79. Smoke from the Jasper fire
80. Four moose
81. Deer
82. Rocky Mtn. sheep – rams
83. [Unidentified man sitting on slope]
84. [Unidentified man]
85. [Unidentified mountain]
86. [Horses at pasture]
87. Douglas Lake
88. Caribou
89. Four Moose
90. Caribou
91. Moose
92. [Unidentified mountain]
93. [Big horn sheep – rams]
94. Bull moose
95. [Unidentified mountain range]
96. Moose
97. Mountain goat
98. Banff Ave ca. 1925 [colour tinted]
99. [Unidentified men at camp]
100. J. Muska?
101. [Unidentified man with ram skull]
102. [Unidentified man at camp]
103. [Pack train in valley]
104. [Pack train in valley]
105. [Pack horses]
106. [Horses at pasture]
107. [Unidentified valley]
108. One of the DeMott family?
FIle pertains to photographs of Soapy Smith, pack trips, associates and clients, hunting, wildlife, Rafter Six Guest Ranch and scenic views.
Notes
IMAGES :
109. Soapy Smith [note on back reads: “Soapy I am sending you this not that the picture is any good but I know it will bring back happy memories of Buttercup and the Days of the [illegible] Brigade]
110. B. Bagley? Soapy Smith
111. Soapy Smith [with cigarette] C.M. DeMott [on right]
112. C.M. DeMott
113. Soapy Smith? Bill Bagley?
114. Camp scene – Soapy Smith on right
115. J. Muska?
116. J. Muska C. DeMott Jr.?
117. [Unidentified man and Bill Bagley?]
118. [Unidentified man and horses in tall grass]
119. [Bighorn sheep - ram]
120. The cook at work! Soapy Smith
121a & 121b Soapy Smith [in vest]
122. Soapy Smith
123. Soapy Smith
124. Soapy Smith directly in front of tent
125. Soapy Smith – right
126. [Rafter Six Guest Ranch of Soapy Smith]
127. [Rafter Six Guest Ranch of Soapy Smith]
128. [Cat climbing screen door]
129. [Camp]
130. Rocky Mtn. sheep (rams)
131. Campsite cooking area?
132. [Unidentified cabin]
133. [Fire warning sign]
134. [Unidentified man at river]
135. [Unidentified mountain]
136. [Unidentified man at river]
137. [Camp]
138. George Brown painting
139. [Horses at pasture]
140. In the good old days before being lost in the sea of matrimony – Ahem! Soapy Smith ca.1930?
141. Soapy Smith ca.1930?
142. The Browne’s New House. Marine County, California (Belmore Browne)
143. Mr. and Mrs. Browne with Spike
144. Evelyn Browne
145. Entrance to the Browne’s House
146. Bruce Air Dale
147. Cow moose and calf
148. [Bighorn sheep]
149. [Unidentified men on mountain slope]
150. [Unidentified mountain]
151. [Unidentified men in field]
152. [Pack train crossing a river]
153. Fording
154. Buck thought it was Saturday night
155. The pack train on the move, slow but sure
156. [Unidentified mountain and glacier]
157. “When the Day is Done” this is home
158. All in a day’s work
159. The Kananaskis Dam at Seebe
160. The Four Musty Steers – Soapy Smith, J. Muska?, DeMott?, DeMott?
161. [Unidentified mountain]
162. [Unidentified mountain lake]
163. [Unidentified mountain range]