Fonds consists of textual records and photographs by and about Aileen Harmon, as well as collected items. Textual records include: letter from Harmon to the Director of Alberta's provincial parks re addition of Yamnuska area to Bow Valley Provincial Park, 1973; brief, from Harvie Heights and Bow Va…
26.5 cm of textual records. -- 33 photographs (26 prints : b&w and col. ; 20.5 x 30 cm or smaller -- 6 negatives : b&w nitrate negatives ; 12.5 x 10 cm -- 1 transparency : col. slide ; 35 mm)
History / Biographical
Aileen Harmon (1912 - 2015), daughter of Byron Harmon, worked as a government naturalist at Banff, Alberta, Canada and was involved in local natural history groups and activities. Aileen was a founding member, alongside Bruce Gordon, of the Bow Valley Naturalists, and was also on the Board of The Canadian Wildlife Federation and The Society of Alberta Naturalists. Aileen moved to Mill Bay on Vancouver Island, B.C. in 1981 following the end of a lengthy career with Parks Canada. During her retirement years, Aileen travelled extensively, reaching all seven continents. She also authored an autobiographical book, titled "Tales of My Mountain Life", in 2004. Aileen passed away on January 9, 2015 at the age of 102.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records and photographs by and about Aileen Harmon, as well as collected items. Textual records include: letter from Harmon to the Director of Alberta's provincial parks re addition of Yamnuska area to Bow Valley Provincial Park, 1973; brief, from Harvie Heights and Bow Valley subdivision residents to public hearings on land use and resource development in the eastern slopes, 1973; letter re James Hector, 1979; notes on career, 2003; notes on Catharine Whyte for CBC recording, 2004; Christmas cards and collected articles, ca.1960. Photographs, made by and collected by Aileen Harmon, pertain to Aileen Harmon and friends, skiing, Skoki area, Mount Yamnuska, Banff Indian Days. Includes photographs by Byron Harmon.
Added content from accession 2016.8596 : ca. 25 cm of textual records including personal correspondence, guest book, original writing and notes by Aileen Harmon, personal travel journals from a 1931 packing trip and 1933 ski trip to Skoki, drafts of autobiographical book "Tales of My Mountain Life", articles pertaining to or written by Aileen Harmon, Christmas cards, and letters of condolence to Carole Harmon following Aileen's passing. Also 26 print photographs, 6 negative photographs from a 1937 hiking trip, and one transparency.
Fonds consists of one series :
Series I - Personal records
Fonds consists of papers, photographs and sound recordings of Peter and Catharine Whyte and the papers and photographs of their respective families. Consists of three sous-fonds: V683, S37 and M36. M36 and S37 consists of three series. Series I: Peter and Catharine Whyte, Series II: Robb and Morse …
25 m of textual records. -- ca.46,000 photographs : prints, albums, postcards, cased photographs, transparencies, negatives. -- 178 sound recordings : audio tape reels, audio tape cassettes. -- 6 motion pictures (and film strips)
History / Biographical
Peter and Catharine Whyte were artists, photographers, outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, philanthropists and cultural workers at Banff, Alberta, Canada. Peter Whyte, 1905-1966, was born at Banff in 1905 to pioneer merchant Dave White and Annie (Curren) White. He was an accomplished skier and ski jumper and one of the region's first native-born painters with an intimate knowledge of the mountains and was an active photographer from ca.1920 until the 1950s. Peter Whyte studied art at the Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, 1923-1924, and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston, 1925, where he met Catharine Robb. Catharine Robb Whyte, 1906-1979, was born in 1906 at Concord, Massachusetts and grew up amongst the wealth and creativity of the Robb and Morse families. She studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston, 1925-1929.
Following their marriage in 1930, the Whytes pursued a life of painting, photography, hiking, skiing and travelling. Their log home and studio in Banff became a focal point for their artist friends, Stoney Indians and local pioneers. Catharine shared Pete's involvement in skiing and hiking organizations and together they managed Skoki Lodge from 1932-1934. In following years, the Whytes travelled extensively. During the Second World War, Peter served in the reserve army, with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a photographer and, briefly, as an official war artist. Catharine continued to paint and maintain their home and, when possible, accompanied Pete to his military postings. In civilian life, Pete resumed his art career, explored new photographic techniques and sculpted.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Whytes formulated plans for a foundation to preserve the art and history of the Canadian Rockies. Plans for a building to house an archives, public library and gallery were in preparation when Pete died in 1966. The Peter Whyte Foundation was named in his honour. Catharine immersed herself in the development of what is now the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, in the cultural community, painting, outdoor activity, travel and work with the Stoney First Nations. She became a more active photographer, recording her travels and outdoor pursuits. She served in an official capacity with numerous cultural and charitable organizations, was a patron to individuals studying art and music, and supported numerous causes relating to the Stoney First Nations. Catharine also supported causes related to multiculturalism, regional culture and recreation, and cancer research. Despite her modesty and often anonymous patronage of causes, Catharine was recognized with numerous awards and honours, including the Order of Canada in 1978. She died in Banff in 1979.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of papers, photographs and sound recordings of Peter and Catharine Whyte and the papers and photographs of their respective families. Consists of three sous-fonds: V683, S37 and M36. M36 and S37 consists of three series. Series I: Peter and Catharine Whyte, Series II: Robb and Morse families, Series III: White and Curren families. Within Series I, there are four Sub-series: Series: A. Catharine Robb Whyte papers; B. Peter Whyte papers; C. Peter and Catharine Whyte papers accessioned after 2017; D. Peter and Catharine Whyte sound recordings.
File consists of two bound journals/diaries with handwritten notes pertaining to a 1931 packing trip [entries are from July and August, approx. 38 days]. Item M287/I/6 appears to contain original account by Aileen Harmon, and M287/I/7 is rewritten duplicate, also handwritten, likely made for legibi…
File consists of two bound journals/diaries with handwritten notes pertaining to a 1931 packing trip [entries are from July and August, approx. 38 days]. Item M287/I/6 appears to contain original account by Aileen Harmon, and M287/I/7 is rewritten duplicate, also handwritten, likely made for legibility reasons. Author and date of copied version are unknown [possibly similar time period].
Notes
The inside front cover of item M287/I/7 is annotated in pencil with names "Jay Nowlin" and "Jack Cooley".
File consists of an original travel journal/diary annotated by Aileen Harmon pertaining to a 1933 ski trip to Skoki Lodge. File also includes two complete, typed copies of text from original 1933 account [one accompanied by typed letter to "Kathryn", likely Catharine Robb Whyte], and one incomplete…
File consists of an original travel journal/diary annotated by Aileen Harmon pertaining to a 1933 ski trip to Skoki Lodge. File also includes two complete, typed copies of text from original 1933 account [one accompanied by typed letter to "Kathryn", likely Catharine Robb Whyte], and one incomplete typed copy.
File consists of one guest book for visitors to see Aileen Harmon, with dates between December 31, 2014 and January 3, 2015 during a hospital stay. 4 pages are annotated with 69 individual entries, and the rest of the book is blank. Also includes note by Carole Harmon.
File consists of one guest book for visitors to see Aileen Harmon, with dates between December 31, 2014 and January 3, 2015 during a hospital stay. 4 pages are annotated with 69 individual entries, and the rest of the book is blank. Also includes note by Carole Harmon.
Annora Brown was an artist from Fort Macleod, Alta. & moved to Sidney, B.C. in 1965. Note on original file: "Mother was a Cody."
Addition of 2 letters in 2018: M36/219/45 and M36/219/46
Annora Brown was an artist from Fort Macleod, Alta. & moved to Sidney, B.C. in 1965. Note on original file: "Mother was a Cody."
Addition of 2 letters in 2018: M36/219/45 and M36/219/46
File consists of typed notes by Carole Harmon for a speech given at Aileen Harmon's celebration of life ceremony in 2015, as well as 4 copies of a small handout card for guests commemorating Aileen Harmon. Speech is titled "Bon Voyage Aileen".
File consists of typed notes by Carole Harmon for a speech given at Aileen Harmon's celebration of life ceremony in 2015, as well as 4 copies of a small handout card for guests commemorating Aileen Harmon. Speech is titled "Bon Voyage Aileen".
File consists of personal correspondence between Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Includes a letter from John Macdonald pertaining to Aileen Harmon's Canadian Geographic article, a wedding programme for the marriage of Carole Harmon and Gary Sill, numerous Christmas letters, a…
File consists of personal correspondence between Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Includes a letter from John Macdonald pertaining to Aileen Harmon's Canadian Geographic article, a wedding programme for the marriage of Carole Harmon and Gary Sill, numerous Christmas letters, an envelope labelled "For the travellin' man Happy New Year" containing three Ethiopian dollar bills and one 10-shilling South African bank note, and a card celebrating Aileen Harmon's 100th birthday.
Currency has been stored in mylar inside folder with original envelope. Consider separate storage (i.e. individual folder) if off-gassing becomes an issue
File consists of approximately 200 printed emails sent between Carole Harmon and numerous friends and family members pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Correspondence discusses well wishes for Aileen following her hospital visit in late 2014, as well as messages of condolence following her passing in Jan…
File consists of approximately 200 printed emails sent between Carole Harmon and numerous friends and family members pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Correspondence discusses well wishes for Aileen following her hospital visit in late 2014, as well as messages of condolence following her passing in January 2015. Items also pertain to funeral arrangements and obituary articles about Aileen.
File consists of 35 letters of condolence addressed to Carole Harmon pertaining to the death of her aunt, Aileen Harmon. Includes two handwritten loose pages with condolence notes and one typed loose letter; the rest are in the form of cards.
File consists of 35 letters of condolence addressed to Carole Harmon pertaining to the death of her aunt, Aileen Harmon. Includes two handwritten loose pages with condolence notes and one typed loose letter; the rest are in the form of cards.
File consists of 5 magazines dated between 2002 - 2015, some scanned pages from a 1978 newspaper, and an article with attached correspondence, each with content pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Includes 2 [duplicate] Canadian Wilderness magazines and an Alpine Club of Canada magazine with posthumous ar…
Items produced by Canadian Wilderness, Alpine Club of Canada, Univrsity of Alberta, Parks and Wilderness Quarterly, The Spectator and Fred Roots
Date Range
1978
2002
2011 - 2015
Physical Description
1.5 cm of textual records
Scope & Content
File consists of 5 magazines dated between 2002 - 2015, some scanned pages from a 1978 newspaper, and an article with attached correspondence, each with content pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Includes 2 [duplicate] Canadian Wilderness magazines and an Alpine Club of Canada magazine with posthumous articles on Aileen Harmon, a University of Alberta alumni magazine, a Parks and Wilderness Quarterly magazine with an article written by Aileen, scanned pages from The Spectator of an article quoting Aileen with a photograph of her included, and an article by Fred Roots published in Island Bushwacker magazine about Aileen, accompanied by a letter to Aileen from Fred Roots.
Notes
Contains two copies of the same magazine [Canadian Wilderness Spring/Summer 2015 issue].
File consists of assorted textual documents either written, copied or scanned by Aileen Harmon. Documents include correspondence, written accounts of life events by Aileen Harmon, scanned and written notes, poem "Awakening" by Theodore Stephanides, list of Aileen's life travels including dates, lis…
File consists of assorted textual documents either written, copied or scanned by Aileen Harmon. Documents include correspondence, written accounts of life events by Aileen Harmon, scanned and written notes, poem "Awakening" by Theodore Stephanides, list of Aileen's life travels including dates, lists of Latin plant names, a 1926 Toronto Star article, notes on Cree word translations, Harmon family genealogy notes, and text documents for a Canadian Geographic article titled "Hiking in the Canadian Rockies".
Notes
File originally contained 6 b&w negative photographs dated 1937 which have since been removed. Negatives are now processed under reference codes V262 / I / NA - 1 to 6 and stored accordingly
File consists of 16 typed accounts and recollections by Aileen Harmon of her life, work and travel experiences in the 1930's and 1940's. Content pertains to her early career with Parks Canada, trips throughout the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and personal memories with friends and colleagues.
File consists of 16 typed accounts and recollections by Aileen Harmon of her life, work and travel experiences in the 1930's and 1940's. Content pertains to her early career with Parks Canada, trips throughout the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and personal memories with friends and colleagues.
Notes
Documents may have been used as notes/drafts of published material.
Dates provided for textual records are based on dates given in personal accounts. Date of production of physical notes unknown, but possibly between 1975 - 1990 [estimate by Processing Archivist based on similar documents in fonds]
File consists of 3 postcards, two of which are addressed to Aileen Harmon. M287/1 pertains to an account of a 1916 trip to Mexico, addressed to Mrs. J.G.[?] Jones; the name of the sender could not be accurately deciphered but may read "Macpearson"[?].
M287/I/2 is a postcard-style invitation to an o…
3 postcards : b&w and col. ; 17 x 12.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 3 postcards, two of which are addressed to Aileen Harmon. M287/1 pertains to an account of a 1916 trip to Mexico, addressed to Mrs. J.G.[?] Jones; the name of the sender could not be accurately deciphered but may read "Macpearson"[?].
M287/I/2 is a postcard-style invitation to an opening event for the exhibit "In Mountain Light" in honour of Byron Harmon's photography at the Whyte Museum in 1978, addressed to Aileen Harmon.
M287/I/3 is a postcard from Firenze, Italy sent by members of the Moody family, Tom, Stephanie, Charlie and Gwen, to Aileen Harmon on June 17, 2003 which recounts their European vacation.
File consists of four drafts of Aileen Harmon's published autobiography, "Tales from my Mountain Life". First and last drafts are annotated in pen with corrections. File also includes correspondence between Aileen Harmon and her great-nephew Sebastian Hutchings, and between Aileen and Donald Bourdo…
File consists of four drafts of Aileen Harmon's published autobiography, "Tales from my Mountain Life". First and last drafts are annotated in pen with corrections. File also includes correspondence between Aileen Harmon and her great-nephew Sebastian Hutchings, and between Aileen and Donald Bourdon [previous Head Archivist of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies].
Notes
Name of publication changes from "Tales of a Mountain Woman" to "Tales from my Mountain Life" between second and third drafts.