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 consists of a scrapbook containing magazine and newspaper clippings of articles and advertisements featuring Nicholas Morant's photographs. Also includes articles, notices, and ads for Morant's lectures and photography shows. Many clippings are the front covers of various Canadian magazine pub…
4.5 cm of textual records (139 pages ; 29 x 37 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook containing magazine and newspaper clippings of articles and advertisements featuring Nicholas Morant's photographs. Also includes articles, notices, and ads for Morant's lectures and photography shows. Many clippings are the front covers of various Canadian magazine publications.
Includes articles and ads for travel destinations throughout Canada, articles featuring other Canadian photographers, and pages from calendars.
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 1/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
3 cm of textual records (130 pages ; 25.5 x 30 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 1/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 2/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
3.5 cm of textual records (152 pages ; 25.5 x 30 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook (volume 2/2) containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets using Morant's photographs or pertaining to Morant dating back to the 1930s and 1940s; includes adversizing work.
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings pertaining to Canada's WWII war effort. Includes articles and clippings about ship building, planes, munitions factories, coastal protection efforts, and raw material collection efforts.
3.5 cm of textual records (103 pages ; 26.5 x 30 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings pertaining to Canada's WWII war effort. Includes articles and clippings about ship building, planes, munitions factories, coastal protection efforts, and raw material collection efforts.
File consists of a scrapbook containing newspaper and magazine clippings, magazine articles and covers, and pamphlets featuring leisure activities and travel/tourism activities across Canada.
Includes some ads featuring Morant's photographs and a newspaper article about a murder investigation in Br…
File consists of a scrapbook containing newspaper and magazine clippings, magazine articles and covers, and pamphlets featuring leisure activities and travel/tourism activities across Canada.
Includes some ads featuring Morant's photographs and a newspaper article about a murder investigation in British Columbia.
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings of summer leisure advertisements, summer travel around Canada, and news stories.
Includes newspaper and magazine articles about Morant being attacked by a grizzly bear, articles about concentration camp liberations …
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings of summer leisure advertisements, summer travel around Canada, and news stories.
Includes newspaper and magazine articles about Morant being attacked by a grizzly bear, articles about concentration camp liberations in World War II (graphic), and articles about photography in war zones.
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings pertaining mostly to Nova Scotia and Vancouver boating, houseboats, and tourism. Includes a magazine article about Nicholas Morant, pamphlets and advertisements featuring Morant's photographs, and tourism adverts fo…
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings pertaining mostly to Nova Scotia and Vancouver boating, houseboats, and tourism. Includes a magazine article about Nicholas Morant, pamphlets and advertisements featuring Morant's photographs, and tourism adverts for locations throughout Canada.
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets regarding homes and home decorating. Contents are mainly focussed on Dutch-style woodworking and other European home designes and themes.
Includes pencil sketches for a clock, a magazine article about …
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and pamphlets regarding homes and home decorating. Contents are mainly focussed on Dutch-style woodworking and other European home designes and themes.
Includes pencil sketches for a clock, a magazine article about Maud Lewis, magazine clippings of advertisements, and a single photograph of Lake Louise.
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings pertaining to cruise ship vacations, boating, manufacturing, ship yards, skiing, RCMP forensic procedures. Includes a few advertisements and articles featuring Nicholas Morant's photographs.
2.5 cm of textual records (55 pages ; 26.5 x 30 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File consists of a scrapbook containing articles, newspaper, and magazine clippings pertaining to cruise ship vacations, boating, manufacturing, ship yards, skiing, RCMP forensic procedures. Includes a few advertisements and articles featuring Nicholas Morant's photographs.