Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpin…
ca.42 m of textual records. -- ca.12,500 photographs: prints, stereographic prints, transparencies, slides, negatives, postcards. -- 85 photograph albums. -- 8 motion pictures: films, video recordings. -- 3 sound recordings
History / Biographical
The Alpine Club of Canada, the national mountaineering club, was co-founded in 1906 by A. O. Wheeler and Elizabeth Parker, and other like-minded climbers. The club espoused scientific study and exploration, cultivation of art, public education, acquisition of climbing skills, and preservation of natural areas within the mountainous regions of Canada. Through a national executive, local sections and volunteer committees, the club provided climbing camps, clubhouse, huts, and publications, including the Canadian Alpine Journal. ACC expeditions and projects resulted in pioneer exploration, first ascents, and included mountain warfare training during the Second World War. In recent years, the club's membership has increased dramatically with the popularity of climbing and its programs have evolved to serve the needs of unguided climbers using sophisticated technical aids.
Scope & Content
Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpine Club itself.
The fonds consists of four Sous-fonds: I. Alpine Club of Canada records; II. Mount Everest Expedition (1982) records; III. Personal papers and photographs; IV. Other material. Club administration records (series I.A.) pertain to executive positions; head office; finance; camps, climbing and treks; expeditions; huts and properties; clubhouses; library; publications; photography; other committees; other activities; and other. Other club records include section records (series I.B.), hut registers and summit records (series I.C.).
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.
Sub-series consists of the meeting minutes and reports of the Alpine Club of Canada between 1913 and 2011. Records pertain to meetings of the Executive Committee of the ACC, as well as the Executives of the various sections of the ACC, including the Banff Section, the Calgary Section, the Edmonton …
Sub-series consists of the meeting minutes and reports of the Alpine Club of Canada between 1913 and 2011. Records pertain to meetings of the Executive Committee of the ACC, as well as the Executives of the various sections of the ACC, including the Banff Section, the Calgary Section, the Edmonton Section and others. Records also include the Annual General Meeting minutes of the ACC during this time period.
Sub-series is arranged chronologically.
Notes
See file-level entries for inventories of club meeting minutes and reports.
Sub-series consists of correspondence with Catharine Robb Whyte, 1927-1962; chronological correspondence files, 1909-1962; and other papers, [ca.1920- ca.1930], in the form of business cards, addresses, greeting cards, and other.
Sub-series consists of correspondence with Catharine Robb Whyte, 1927-1962; chronological correspondence files, 1909-1962; and other papers, [ca.1920- ca.1930], in the form of business cards, addresses, greeting cards, and other.
Finding Aid
File description available in printed form and through this database.
Related Material
Constitutes Sub-series 2 of I.B. Peter Whyte papers and photographs.
Sub-series consists of the Financial Statements and Reports of the Alpine Club of Canada between ca. 1936 to 2008. Records pertain to the Audited Financial reports and statements, the Fiscal Year financials, and the Finance Committee reports for the Club. These financial statements and reports show…
Sub-series consists of the Financial Statements and Reports of the Alpine Club of Canada between ca. 1936 to 2008. Records pertain to the Audited Financial reports and statements, the Fiscal Year financials, and the Finance Committee reports for the Club. These financial statements and reports show the financial state of the Club throughout 1936 to 2008.
Sub-series is arranged chronologically.
Notes
See file-level entries for inventories of club financial statements and reports.
Sub-series consists of registers placed and maintained in ACC huts and clubhouses. Includes registers for: A. O. Wheeler Hut, Abbot Pass Hut, Banff Clubhouse, Balfour Pass Hut, Bow (Glacier) Hut, Canmore Clubhouse, Elizabeth Parker Hut, Fairy Meadows Hut, Fay Hut, Fryatt Hut, Glacier Circle Hut, Graham Cooper Bivouac Hut, Great Cairn Hut, Memorial Hut, Mount Robson Hut, Mount Seymour Cabin, Neil Colgan Hut, Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut (Peyto Hut), R. C. Hind Hut, Ralph Forster Hut, Sapphire Col Hut, Saskatchewan Glacier Hut, Seaver Cabin, Scott Duncan Hut, Stanley Mitchell Hut, Vermilion Cabin and Wates-Gibson Memorial Hut.
Language
English
Finding Aid
Inventory available in this database; select Alpine Club of Canada - inventory from list
Related Material
Forms Sub-series I.C.1. Hut and clubhouse registers of the Alpine Club of Canada fonds. Other records pertaining to huts and clubhouses are found in Series I.A. Administrative records, sub-series 1 to 3. Registers for government cabins can be found in the Parks Canada fonds (M317).
Sub-series of identified summit registers and notes produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1930 and 2022. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit…
Summit Registers and Notes produced by Alpine Club of Canada
Date Range
1930-1931
1959-1968
1970-1989
1992 -2022
Physical Description
100 cm of textual records
223 volumes
Scope & Content
Sub-series of identified summit registers and notes produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1930 and 2022. Summit records include entries from visitors to the various summits which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while at the summit, wildlife sightings, trail updates, and related topics.
The sub-series is separated into individual identified summit records.
Notes
See file-level entries for inventories of identified summit registers and notes.
Sub-series of hut registers from various Huts, including the Boswell Cabin, Castle Mountain Bivouac Shelter/Hut, Graham Cooper Hut, Lawrence Grassi Hut, Lloyd Mackay Hut, Memorial Hut, R C (Bob) Hind Hut, the Sapphire Col Bivouac Hut, and the Woodbury Cabin. These registers were produced by the Alp…
According to the Alpine Club of Canada:
Woodbury Cabin: The Woodbury Cabin was built over the summers of 1983 and 1984 at the site on which an old mining cabin once existed. The hut was also built to draw park users into the less crowded areas by providing a base for their recreational activities.
Sapphire Col Bivouac Hut: The Sapphire Col Bivouac is a basic mountaineering shelter in the Asulkan Ridge. The hut is located in Glacier National Park.
R. C. Hind Hut: The hut is named after Robert (Bob) Hind, a lifelong, active member of the ACC. The hut was built by the ACC for BC Parks in 1971. The hut is maintained and booked through Assiniboine Lodge.
Robin Cyril (Bob) Hind, 1911-2000, was an electrical engineer and mountaineer at Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was a Life Member of ACC, joining in 1933, and attended over 30 ACC camps. Hind received the Silver Rope Award in 1935, was recipient of Centennial Medal, and served the ACC in offices of President, Vice-President and Chairman of Hut Committee. Bob Hind climbed most of the peaks in Rockies and Selkirks, including some first ascents. He also climbed in Wales and the Alps. Hind was a member of the American Alpine Club and The Alpine Club, London.
Lloyd Mackay Hut: The hut is located on Mt. Alberta and is a basic mountaineering shelter. The hut was renovated just before the 75th Anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Alberta. The hut sleeps 6 people.
Lawrence Grassi Hut: Named after legendary mountain guide and coal miner, Lawrence Grassi. When he retired from the coal mines, Grassi became the assistant warden at Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park, and he built various trails throughout the Park. Mount Lawrence Grassi, near Canmore, and Grassi Lakes, along with this hut, are named after him.
Graham Cooper Hut: The hut was located between Mt. Little and Mt. Bowlen in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, along the Alberta and British Columbia border. The hut was named after Graham Cooper, who was a member of the team that built the hut, who had passed just after the hut was built. In 1983, this hut was replaced by the Neil Colgan Hut.
Castle Mountain Hut: Is located in Banff National Park, on the Goat Plateau of Castle Mountain. It is a basic mountaineering shelter. It serves as a base for those climbing Brewer’s Buttress, Bass Buttress, and Eisenhower Tower. The hut is closed during the winter months.
Boswell Cabin: The Pat Boswell (Toronto Section) Cabin is located at the Canmore Clubhouse site, and is named after Pat Boswell, a long-time Club member and Club Manager of the ACC. The cabin was designed to accommodate families and small groups, it includes a partition wall and sleeps up to 6 people.
The Memorial Hut: The original Memorial Hut was built in 1930 for the War Veterans, the building was made of stone in an unstable area near Penstock Creek. The second Memorial Hut was built in the Outpost Lake area in 1947 and was named after Cyril Wates, who joined the ACC in 1916 and was a prominent mountaineer and ACC member, including Club President from 1938 to 1941. This Hut, however, was built too close to the lake, as per Parks regulations. The third version of the Memorial Hut was built in 1962 and opened in 1963 at the ACC Camp in the Valley. It was named in honour of the late President Rex Gibson, as well as Cyril Wates, known as the Wates-Gibson Memorial Hut.
The Jacques Lake Cabin is the ACC's newest backcountry hut, located in Jasper National Park, AB. It was originally a Jasper Park patrol cabin, and it is only open during the winter months.
Scope & Content
Sub-series of hut registers from various Huts, including the Boswell Cabin, Castle Mountain Bivouac Shelter/Hut, Graham Cooper Hut, Lawrence Grassi Hut, Lloyd Mackay Hut, Memorial Hut, R C (Bob) Hind Hut, the Sapphire Col Bivouac Hut, and the Woodbury Cabin. These registers were produced by the Alpine Club of Canada between 1930 and 2018. Registers include entries from visitors to the huts which pertain to individuals' hiking and climbing trips; details of specific events which occurred while staying at the hut, wildlife sightings, custodial issues and updates, and related topics.
The sub-series includes:
M200 / IV / U / 1: Boswell Cabin Hut Register [2007 - 2010]
M200 / IV / U / 2: Boswell Cabin Registry [2007 - 2013]
M200 / IV / U / 3: Boswell Cabin Registry [2010-2016]
M200 / IV / U / 4: Castle Mountain Bivouac Shelter Register Mar. 19, 1985 - Oct. 4, 1995
M200 / IV / U / 5: [Castle Mountain Hut 2000 - 2012]
M200 / IV / U / 6: Graham Cooper Hut [1965-73]
M200 / IV / U / 7: “Hut Register Lawrence Grassi Hut” August 4, 1981 – August 1, 1998
M200 / IV / U / 8: LLOYD MACKAY HUT [1984-1989]
M200 / IV / U / 9: Alpine Club of Canada Memorial Hut Register 1930 – 1965
M200 / IV / U / 10: R C Hind Hut [register 1971-1979]
M200 / IV / U / 11: Sapphire Col Bivouac Hut [1965-1976]
M200 / IV / U / 12: [Unidentified Register 2013 – 2017]
M200 / IV / U / 13: [Unidentified Hut Register 2013?]
M200 / IV / U / 14: [Woodbury Cabin 2015-2018]
M200 / IV / U / 15: Boswell Cabin Hut Register [2014-2020]
M200 / IV / U / 16: [Jacques Lake Hut Register 2019-2022]
Notes
The Memorial Hut has changed locations and titles since it was originally built in 1930. Today, the Hut is known as the Wates-Gibson Memorial Hut. For other Wates-Gibson Hut Registers, see M200 / IV / C: Wates-Gibson Hut Registers.
Alpine Club of Canada website:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/huts/
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/sapphire-col-hut/
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/castle-mountain-hut/
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/neil-colgan-hut/
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/woodbury-cabin/
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wates-gibson-hut/
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/jacques-lake-cabin/
Alpine Club of Canada Backcountry Huts: Clubhouse Info Sheet:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Clubhouse_Directions-1.pdf
Alpine Club of Canada Backcountry Huts: Woodbury Cabin Info Sheet:
https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/WoodburyCabin-InfoSheet.pdf
Informal interview with Chic Scott, Intellectual Property of Chic Scott.
Sub-series consists of 31 oversize b&w prints. The prints pertain to various activities in and around the Banff area. Prints document the royal visit, boats on the Bow River, Banff Indian Days, ski jumping, waxing skis, and downhill skiing.
V683 / II / E : Peter Whyte Banff and Area Activities and Events Sub-Series
Sous-Fonds
V683
Reference Code
V683 / II / E / PA - 271 O.S. to PA - 302 O.S.
Date Range
[ca.1900-ca.1930]
Physical Description
Photographs: 31 prints; b&w, oversized --
Scope & Content
Sub-series consists of 31 oversize b&w prints. The prints pertain to various activities in and around the Banff area. Prints document the royal visit, boats on the Bow River, Banff Indian Days, ski jumping, waxing skis, and downhill skiing.
V683 / II / E / PA - 271 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 272 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 273 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 274 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 275 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 276 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 277 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 278 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 279 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 280 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 281 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 282 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 283 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 284 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 285 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 286 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 287 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 288 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 289 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 290 O.S. - Portrait of two Stoney Nakoda men by F.Gully
V683 / II / E / PA - 291 O.S. - Portrait of two Stoney Nakoda men by F.Gully
V683 / II / E / PA - 292 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 293 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 294 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 295 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 296 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 297 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 298 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 299 O.S.
V683 / II / E / PA - 300 O.S. - Mounted print taken by R.H.Trueman, captioned "Bow River and Twin Peaks, Banff, ALTA."
V683 / II / E / PA - 301 O.S.- Mounted print taken by R.H.Trueman, captioned "Bow River and Twin Peaks, Banff, ALTA."
V683 / II / E / PA - 302 O.S.
Sub-series consists of personal writings, 1913-1956; trip diaries, 1930; note books, 1913-1935; notes, 1929, 1956, n.d.; and other material, 1905- 1960, in the form of certificates, memberships, cards, permits, passes, letters of introduction, and other.
Sub-series consists of personal writings, 1913-1956; trip diaries, 1930; note books, 1913-1935; notes, 1929, 1956, n.d.; and other material, 1905- 1960, in the form of certificates, memberships, cards, permits, passes, letters of introduction, and other.
Finding Aid
File description available in printed form and through this database.
Related Material
Constitutes Sub-series 1 of I.B. Peter Whyte papers and photographs.
Sub-series consists of skiing papers, 1920-1928; photography papers, 1932-1958; art papers, 1925-1961; army papers, 1940-1943; airforce papers, 1941-1956; and other papers, 1923-1930.
Sub-series consists of skiing papers, 1920-1928; photography papers, 1932-1958; art papers, 1925-1961; army papers, 1940-1943; airforce papers, 1941-1956; and other papers, 1923-1930.
Finding Aid
File description available in printed form and through this database.
Related Material
Constitutes Sub-series 4 of I.B., Peter Whyte papers and photographs.