Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, …
ca. 7.9 metres of textual records -- ca. 274 maps -- 29 VHS tapes -- ca.15 discs with digital files -- 21 cassettes -- photographs -- oversized materials -- USB stick with 15 sldeshows
History / Biographical
Ben Gadd (1946-) is a retired naturalist, guide, geologist, instructor, freelance writer and award-winning author based in the Canadian Rockies.
Ben was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1946. He met his wife, Cia (Langdon) Gadd at Colorado College in 1965, and the couple married four weeks later. Ben and Cia had two sons, Will and Toby. Ben and his family relocated to Jasper in the late 1960s. Ben later attended the University of Lethbridge and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Earth Science in 1972.
Between 1976 and 1980, Ben taught classes at Mount Royal College and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; he later taught additional classes at Grant MacEwan College and Lakeland College. From 1981, Ben also worked as a seasonal naturalist/guide for Parks Canada. Ben left Parks Canada in 1985 to start an independent naturalist guiding business with Cia based in Jasper and other parts of the Canadian Rockies, which the couple continued to operate for over two decades.
Ben published his best-known work, "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies", through his publishing company Corax Press in 1986. The second edition of "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies" received multiple awards after its release in 1995. Ben's fiction book, "Raven's End" won the title of Best Canadian Rockies Book at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2001 and became a Canadian bestseller. Overall, Ben has authored or co-authored 11 books and received nearly one dozen awards for his achievements as a writer, researcher and guide.
Ben continued to lead guided hikes and school programs until his retirement in 2016.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, video and sound recordings, and other related material. Materials donated in 2024 include one USB stick containing
Notes
Ben Gadd fonds arrangement:
Series I : Personal records
- Subseries A : Travel guides and maps
- Subseries B : Education and early writings
- Subseries C : Personal interest files
- Subseries D : Other personal and collected
Series II : Research and publication records
- Subseries A : Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
- Subseries B : Other publications
Series III : Professional records
- Subseries A : Parks Canada Records
- Subseries B : Interpretive guiding
- Subseries C : Teaching records
- Subseries D : Other contracts and projects
Series IV : Legal and financial records
- Subseries A : Legal records
- Subseries B : Financial records
File consists of two discs containing digital image files which were used in the creation of an exhibit about Dr. Eric Mountjoy at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives. File also includes printed paper copies of 10 images which are included on the two discs. Images pertain to Eric Mountjoy and…
Two discs (80 image files) -- 10 paper reference copies of images
Scope & Content
File consists of two discs containing digital image files which were used in the creation of an exhibit about Dr. Eric Mountjoy at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives. File also includes printed paper copies of 10 images which are included on the two discs. Images pertain to Eric Mountjoy and fellow geologists assessing and working in areas near Miette, Alberta.
Notes
Discs are labelled on front:
V810 / III / D / DF - 1 : "Roger Macqueen's slides Miette mapsheet geo party 1958" [contains 60 image files]
NOTE: DF - 1 is accompanied by typed summary list of images in file
V810 / III / D / DF - 2 : "Roger Macqueen's slides Miette mapsheet (1st 7 images), rest are Shell Canada 1959" [contains 20 image files]
File consists of printed photographs compiled by Ben Gadd pertaining to his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Images depict mountain views; bighorn sheep posing on steep rock; and highway views, possibly including Icefields Parkway.
File consists of printed photographs compiled by Ben Gadd pertaining to his book, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Images depict mountain views; bighorn sheep posing on steep rock; and highway views, possibly including Icefields Parkway.
Material Details
Photographs were originally stored in Tekarra Color Lab envelope
File consists of published research material collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to stratigraphy and fossils. File includes one print photograph depicting a fossil found near Mt. Stephen, British Columbia [in folder M590/II/A/27] and one print depicting a geological feature in Jasper National Park.
Photographs produced by Christian W. Gronau of Whaletown, B.C. and Ron Kratochvil
Date Range
[1980-2012]
Physical Description
10 cm of textual records -- 2 photographs : col. prints ; 10 x 15 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of published research material collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to stratigraphy and fossils. File includes one print photograph depicting a fossil found near Mt. Stephen, British Columbia [in folder M590/II/A/27] and one print depicting a geological feature in Jasper National Park.
Notes
Some items in file are annotated by Ben Gadd
Material Details
Photographs stored in file with textual records to maintain original order
File consists of photographs depicting interior and exterior views of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre in Jasper National Park, following renovations to the property in 1998.
File consists of photographs depicting interior and exterior views of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre in Jasper National Park, following renovations to the property in 1998.
Material Details
Original photo envelope annotated in black marker: "Icefield Ctr. 1998 Photos by Ben with Jill Seaton's camera"
File consists of photographs depicting interior and exterior views of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre in Jasper National Park, following renovations to the property in 1998.
30 photographs : 8 col. negative film strips ; 35 mm
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs depicting interior and exterior views of the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre in Jasper National Park, following renovations to the property in 1998.
Material Details
Original photo envelope annotated in black marker: "Icefield Ctr. 1998 Photos by Ben [Gadd] with Jill Seaton's camera"
File consists of photographs taken or collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to rock formations and other geological features near Meadow Creek and Miette in Jasper National Park. File also includes four photographs from Jim Aitken and the Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary, Ottawa).
Produced by Ben Gadd, Jim Aitken, Geological Survey of Canada
Date Range
[ca.1990-1995]
Physical Description
24 photographs : b&w and col. prints ; 20 x 15 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of photographs taken or collected by Ben Gadd pertaining to rock formations and other geological features near Meadow Creek and Miette in Jasper National Park. File also includes four photographs from Jim Aitken and the Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary, Ottawa).
Notes
Most photographs are annotated on back by Ben Gadd. Photos V810/II/A/PA-10 and 162 accompanied in file by corresponding notes/textual records
Material Details
Original storage envelopes (annotated) stored in folder with prints