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 relate to mountaineering with the Alpine Club of Canada. The fond consists of three series: I. Textual records consist of 8 newsclippings from July 1938 pertaining to the first ascent of Mount Columbia by women: Lillian Gest, Kathleen Chapman, Christine Reid, Jean McDonald, and Jean Petrie as…
1 cm textual records. -- 8 albums (257 photographs : b&w ; 25 x 20 cm or smaller). -- 4 photographs : b&w silver gelatin prints ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller.
History / Biographical
Dr. Jean Knox (McDonald) Petrie, born 1913, was an active member of the Alpine Club of Canada, Edmonton Section during the 1930s and 1940s, attending the Alpine Club of Canada summer camps from 1937-1940, 1942 and 1946 as well as making many weekend climbs in the Jasper area with Captain E. R. Gibson. In 1938 she was one of the four women to make a first ascent of Mount Columbia by women, as well as Mount Forbes in 1940. Married in 1960 to Robert Petrie (died 1966), Dr. Jean Petrie worked in Ottawa, Ontario (1940-1945) in munitions gauge testing for the National Research Council. Following the war, she worked as an astrophysicist for the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia (1945-1966) and taught at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. (1966-1971).
Scope & Content
Fonds relate to mountaineering with the Alpine Club of Canada. The fond consists of three series: I. Textual records consist of 8 newsclippings from July 1938 pertaining to the first ascent of Mount Columbia by women: Lillian Gest, Kathleen Chapman, Christine Reid, Jean McDonald, and Jean Petrie as well as a photocopied "Guide to the Tonquin" signed by K. G. Chapman ca.1935. II. Photographic records include an unbound album of 44 pages: 111 prints divided by the donor into 3 sections: 1. To the Tonquin Valley, July 1938; 2. Alpine Club Camp, Columbia Icefields, July 12-31, 1938; 3. Alpine Club Camp Tonquin Valley, April 1939. The album also includes artwork and map. A second unbound photograph album of 28p: 170 prints are divided into 5 sections: 1. ACC camp in the Ice River Valley, July 1939; 2. ACC ski camp in Little Yoho Valley, March 23-31, 1940; 3. Our climb of Roche Miette, May 24, 1940; 4. Our summertime journey into the Little Yoho Valley, July 1940; 5. Our climb of Mts. Fitzwilliam & Bucephelas, September 3, 1940. III. Photographic Prints consist of 4 loose prints unrelated to other contents of the fond.
Notes
Unbound books are numbered in pencil by the creator, pages appear to be missing due to absent page numbers.