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
File consists of personal photographs of Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Photographs pertain to friends Ron and Evelyn Matthews; Aileen's 95th birthday party celebration; a party in 1994; Aileen with Charlie Lockwood; a group of Guatemalan school children from a school Aileen…
23 photographs : col. prints ; 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of personal photographs of Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Photographs pertain to friends Ron and Evelyn Matthews; Aileen's 95th birthday party celebration; a party in 1994; Aileen with Charlie Lockwood; a group of Guatemalan school children from a school Aileen donated to; Aileen with river guide Tom Moody; Bea Wilkinson and David Lestock [?]; Jim Fulton; Aileen's friend Georgia Engelhart; Fran Losie [?], Joyce Hendrickson and Aileen together; and other miscellaneous images.
Notes
Numerous photographs annotated on the back with names and/or dates.
Fonds consists primarily of 155 topical files prepared by Alice Fulmer as a personal project between 1964 and 1969 and composed of historical notes, transcripts, clippings, ephemera and photographs. Topics center around Banff history and personalities; Canadian Rockies history, flora and fauna; sk…
ca.95 cm of textual records. -- 40 photographs : prints
History / Biographical
Alice G. Fulmer, 1896-1989, was a resident and amateur local historian at Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists primarily of 155 topical files prepared by Alice Fulmer as a personal project between 1964 and 1969 and composed of historical notes, transcripts, clippings, ephemera and photographs. Topics center around Banff history and personalities; Canadian Rockies history, flora and fauna; skiing, Indians and miscellaneous Alberta and British Columbia subjects. ; Also includes the marriage record of Fulmer's great-grandparents, 1833; reminiscences about Emmeline Savatard, 1980; and a scrapbook on Banff history and personalities containing mainly Walter P. Fulmer's papers.
Photographs include personal and family photographs; also photographs collected by Alice Fulmer. Photographs pertain to Alice Fulmer, alpine trips, Fulmer family, early Banff activities and buildings, 1886-1967; includes some copies.
Fonds pertains to the opening of the Cave and Basin, June 15, 1985; the opening of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, June 16, 1985; and the Canada Day Parade at Banff, July 1, 1985.
Materials donated in 2022 pertain to Alice Saltiel-Marshall and her career as an artist, ca.1970-2010, includ…
31 photographs : prints; col. -- 8 journals -- 3 sketchbooks -- 1 certificae -- 1 CD with digital image files -- ca.25 cm textual records
History / Biographical
(Mary) Alice Saltiel-Marshall (1948-2019) was an artist based in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Alice operated the company Art by Saltiel and had her work displayed and sold at various locations in the Bow Valley, including the Whyte Museum, the Banff Centre, and Avens Gallery.
Scope & Content
Fonds pertains to the opening of the Cave and Basin, June 15, 1985; the opening of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, June 16, 1985; and the Canada Day Parade at Banff, July 1, 1985.
Materials donated in 2022 pertain to Alice Saltiel-Marshall and her career as an artist, ca.1970-2010, including personal journals, sketchbooks, and a certificate naming Alice as a member of the Canmore Art Guild.
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.).
File consists of one original bulletin from 1933 describing the TRCR's [Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies] 10th anniversary with notes by Anne Wotypka; notes of memories of the Trail Riders produced by Howard Watkins in 1973, as part of 50th anniversary celebrations; 3 newspaper articles, includ…
2.5 cm of textual records (ca. 45 pages ; 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller -- 3 newspaper clippings -- 2 volumes : 17 x 25.5 cm and 26 x 18.5 cm) -- 3 photographs : col. prints ; 12.5 x 9 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of one original bulletin from 1933 describing the TRCR's [Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies] 10th anniversary with notes by Anne Wotypka; notes of memories of the Trail Riders produced by Howard Watkins in 1973, as part of 50th anniversary celebrations; 3 newspaper articles, including two scanned copies, pertaining to the TRCR's 60th anniversary with attached notes by Anne Wotypka; information and sign-up sheets for 60th anniversary trail rides and Pow Wow event; 60th anniversary write-up titled "The Call of the Mountains - A Celebration"; 14 textual records including correspondence and a meeting agenda pertaining to TRCR's 60th and 75th anniversaries, 75th anniversary buckle design templates and plaque order forms including one duplicate; and one guest list booklet for the TRCR's 60th anniversary celebrations in 1983 containing 62 signatures. File also includes 3 colour photographs [see "Notes"].
Notes
Date "2013" is for accompanying handwritten notes by donor Anne Wotypka received with newspaper articles.
3 colour photographs have been stored in mylar and kept in folder with corresponding newspaper article to preserve context
Some excess duplicates of items have not been processed due to storage reasons; items will be offered for return to Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies.
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
Fonds consists of 30 cm of textual and visual records previously held in 3 manuscript boxes, and 1 briefcase belonging to Bruno Engler. Contents have since been rehoused and processed in 3 manuscript boxes under M559, and one manuscript box each under V783/PA and V783/NA. Fonds consists of two seri…
24 cm of textual records -- 320 photographs (139 b&w and col. prints, 21 b&w negatives, 160 digital files)
History / Biographical
Bruno Engler's Veteran's Race was initially hosted by Bruno Engler at the Sunshine Village ski resort in Banff in 1967. In its earlier years, Bruno Engler would complete the downhill track first, and would use his recorded time as a benchmark for participants to beat. Engler participated in the race for many years. The race was typically divided into several competition categories by age range and men's and women's races. Following a day of races, there is an awards ceremony held each year for participants.
Bruno's ski race, renamed the Bruno Engler Memorial Ski Race after Bruno's passing in 2001, is currently "the longest consecutively running annual ski race in Canadian history". 2019 marked the 53rd annual race, which was held at Cascade Mountain. In recent years, the "Bruno Engler Family Fun Race", an additional race for parents and children, has been added as part of the original event.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of 30 cm of textual and visual records previously held in 3 manuscript boxes, and 1 briefcase belonging to Bruno Engler. Contents have since been rehoused and processed in 3 manuscript boxes under M559, and one manuscript box each under V783/PA and V783/NA. Fonds consists of two series:
Series I : 1952 - 1990
Series II : 1991 - 2016
Bruno Engler Memorial race committee information, race results and Bruno Engler's personal papers originally held in his personal briefcase. Also included are photos of the races and awards - these photos were held in Bruno's briefcase along with his own files.
Briefcase from accession has been transferred to Heritage.
Textual records (M559) range from 1952 to 2016 [includes documents from every year excluding 1953 - 1966] and pertain to annual ski races. Include meetings/agenda notes, ephemera, handwritten notes, registration forms, mailing lists, race results, and other relevant notes. [As 1967 was the ski race's first official year, items from 1952 are believed to be from a different ski event].
Visual records (V783) include 180 print photographs and 21 negative photographs/film strips depicting races, participants and award ceremonies [arranged by year].
Fonds also includes 3 CDs from 2004, 2005 and 2011 (V783), 1 USB stick from 2012 (M559), and 1 racing jersey (2016) which has been transferred to Heritage.
Notes
Folder with items V783 / I / PA - 1 to 41 contains photograph of Catharine Whyte in 1967 ski race
One folder with contact sheets from processed photographs dated 1972, 1975, 1976 and 1979 also stored within V783 file box
Fonds consists of interviews, research notes,manuscripts, printed and digital photographs, and other materials produced and collected by Chic Scott between 1982 and 2021. Content pertains to Chic's various publications and research projects, the Canadian Himalayan Foundation, the Canadian '82 Evere…
Sound recordings: 224 audio tape cassettes, 7 audio tape reels. -- 78 CD-ROM. with digital files -- Moving images: 148 videocassettes: 133 Hi8, 15 VHS. ; 149 DVDs -- 4.2 m textual records
History / Biographical
Charles (Chic) C. Scott, b.1945, is a mountaineer, mountain guide and writer based in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Scott climbed extensively in the western Canada and the Himalayas until the mid-1970s. He guided extensively in the European Alps for five seasons, ca.1970, and worked as a climber for "The Eiger Sanction," a Hollywood movie starring Clint Eastwood. Scott resumed climbing in 1988, after a period working at the University of Calgary. His publications include "Alpinism," editor, "Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies," "The History of the Calgary Mountain Club", "Summits and Icefields", "Pushing the Limits: the Story of Canadian Mountaineering", "Powder Pioneers : Ski Stories from the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains", and "Deep Powder and Steep Rock : the Life of Mountain Guide Hans Gmoser".
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of interviews, research notes,manuscripts, printed and digital photographs, and other materials produced and collected by Chic Scott between 1982 and 2021. Content pertains to Chic's various publications and research projects, the Canadian Himalayan Foundation, the Canadian '82 Everest Expedition, and collected and personal materials. Items in fonds are arranged mostly by individual projects/areas of research.
Notes
Fonds consists of 15 series:
Series I : Pushing the Limits
Series II : Mountain Romantics
Series III : Summits and Icefields
Series IV : Powder Pioneers
Series V : Deep Powder and Steep Rock
Series VI : Ski Trails of the Canadian Rockies
Series VII : Hans Gmoser Film Collection
Series VIII : The Canadian Himalayan Foundation
Series IX : The Book of Mortimer
Series X : Tommy and Lawrence
Series XI : The Yam
Series XII :Calgary Mountain Club
Series XIII : Young at Heart
Series XIV : Chic Scott personal records
Series XV : A LIFE IN THE WILD: The Story of Mountain Explorer John Baldwin
Access to interviews limited to VHS reference compilations.
Fonds consist of eight separate series: A. Moving Images; B. Photographs; C. Banff - Lake Louise - Chamber of Commerce Plaques; D. Printed Materials; E. Newspaper Clippings; F. Sunshine Village Lodge & Skoki Ski Lodge; G. Written Materials; H. Phone List. Fonds consists of records pertaining primar…
7 cm textual records. -- 24 photographs: prints. -- 2 motion pictures: 16mm film, video
History / Biographical
Clifford Jackson White (II), 1929-2003, was born in Banff, Alberta, the son of Clifford and Mildred (Jackson) White and the grandson of Dave White. Clifford J. White attended public and high school in Banff and in 1951, married Beverly Pogue of Calgary. Together they have four children: Clifford (III), Tara, Bradford, and Tristan. Cliff White was thirteen years old when he guided for his father at Mount Temple, and he operated the bulldozer for Sunshine Village from 1946 to 1949. From 1949 to 1953, Cliff White was assistant to the general manager of Snowmobile Tours at the Icefields, and 1953-1963, he owned a service station in Banff. In 1960, White purchased Sunshine Village ski resort, sold it in 1966 and remained the manager there until 1977. White succeeded his aunt, Catharine Whyte as President of the Board of Trustees, Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation, 1979-1993. White was a member of the Kiwanis Club at Banff, and was the director of the Banff Chamber of Commerce. He was a Cub pack leader from 1953 to 1956.
Scope & Content
Fonds consist of eight separate series: A. Moving Images; B. Photographs; C. Banff - Lake Louise - Chamber of Commerce Plaques; D. Printed Materials; E. Newspaper Clippings; F. Sunshine Village Lodge & Skoki Ski Lodge; G. Written Materials; H. Phone List. Fonds consists of records pertaining primarily to Sunshine ski area. Textual records include a speech: "The Human History of Skiing at lake Louise," Feb. 8, 1992. Discusses origins of skiing in Banff, 1920s, the establishment of Skoki and Mt. Temple Chalet, and the first chair lifts. The remainder of the speech deals with White's recollections of a typical "ski week" in 1943 when he worked as a licensed ski guide at Mount Temple Chalet. Also includes a list of significant dates and events in Lake Louise ski history, 1894-1991. Textual records also include personal and legal records, Sunshine ski area pamphlets, 1960 - ?, correspondence, certificates, clippings, and pamphlets. Photographs consist of 20 prints re Clifford J. White, Beverly White and their children; Clifford White Sr. and ski development history. Motion pictures include a film "Top of the World," ca. 1970, 16mm, sd., col., ca. 500 ft., ca. 14 minutes. "A Jim Rice Production." Sunshine Village promotional film: skiing, lodge, lifts, helishots, etc. interspersed with 1930s footage of Skoki area skiing (some of which exists in this fonds). Film was property of Sunshine Village. Clifford J. White supplied some historical film footage by or collected by his father, Clifford White, for this film.
The fonds consists of personal, professional and political correspondence, research and publication correspondence, research materials, drafts and illustrations related to E.J. (Ted) Hart’s personal life, professional career, writing career and political career from 1971 to present. For the writ…
ca.6 m : textual records, photographs, sound recording
History / Biographical
Edward John (Ted) Hart, b.1946, is a historian, writer and Director Emeritus at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Hart is author of numerous books on aspects of Canadian Rockies history, including guiding and outfitting, the Brewster family, the CPR and tourism, Carl Rungius, Greyhound Lines of Canada, Jimmy Simpson, the Banff Springs Hotel golf course, the Bow Valley, and other topics. Hart was archivist at the Archives of the Canadian Rockies, 1972-1976 and Executive Director of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation, 1976-2008. In 2008 in began semi-retirement in the position of Head Archivist, and fully retired in 2010. He served as a director of the Banff Community Society, 1979-1983; as a member of the Banff School Board, 1983-1986; on the Banff Municipal Committee, 1986- 1989; and in municipal office as councillor and then mayor 1990 to 1998. Hart attended the founding meeting of the Association of Canadian Archivists in Edmonton, and helped create the Archives Society of Alberta in 1981. He was the ASA's founding president. Hart is the recipient of a number of awards including Fellow of the Association of Canadian Archivists, Alberta Achievement Award, Excellence Category for “Historical Preservation, Culture and the Literary Arts”, Archives Society of Alberta, Honorary Lifetime Member and the Alberta Historical Society award.
Scope & Content
The fonds consists of personal, professional and political correspondence, research and publication correspondence, research materials, drafts and illustrations related to E.J. (Ted) Hart’s personal life, professional career, writing career and political career from 1971 to present. For the writing material, which makes up the majority of the fonds, it is organized on the basis of the publication title under which it was carried out. The political section includes papers leading to the incorporation of Banff as a national park municipality in 1990 and records of its first years of operation as an incorporated town, including the creator’s role in these matters. Of notable interest in the writing files are the interviews and correspondence with pioneers of the Banff area, in particular those used for "Diamond Hitch", "The Brewster Story : from packtrain to tour bus" and "Jimmy Simpson". The political files include background reports and handbill drafts that are not part of the official record kept by the Town of Banff, which may make them rare, if not unique.
Notes
Committee records may include duplicates and some material likely duplicates that in other fonds such as Banff Community Society (M212), Banff Municipal Committee (M134) and Banff School District No. 102 (M4).
Fonds consists mainly of poems by Gordon Burles, 1970-2017. Manuscripts contain about twenty-seven hundred poems, mainly in free verse, some with revisions. Poems are numbered in chronological order. About 2016 Burles stopped numbering each poem. The year of creation is indicated with each poem.…
ca. 36.5 cm textual records + 9 CD-R (textual records). -- 7 photographs : prints, negatives.
History / Biographical
James Gordon Burles, b.1949, is a poet, surveyor and civil servant at Banff, Alberta, Canada. A native of Banff, Burles is a student of the Canadian Rockies. In Burles' own words, much of his poetry is inspired by four environments: the life and history of Banff National Park, the town of Banff, the Okanagan Valley, and Calgary.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists mainly of poems by Gordon Burles, 1970-2017. Manuscripts contain about twenty-seven hundred poems, mainly in free verse, some with revisions. Poems are numbered in chronological order. About 2016 Burles stopped numbering each poem. The year of creation is indicated with each poem. Some poems pertain to mountain personalities such as Bill Peyto, Norman Sanson, Margaret Stone, Walter D. Wilcox, Walter J. Phillips, Conrad Kain, and Georgia Engelhard. Many are surrealist or nonsense poems and many deal with the Cemetery Tea House, an imaginary teahouse frequented by various characters.
Fonds consists of three series: I : Poetry Manuscripts; II : Prose and research; III: Digital typeset copies of published poems
Some poems deal with Burle's parents and family. The collection also holds fifty-three books and booklets, self-published by the author from 1984 to 2017. The books published from 2003 to 2017 contain all the poems which the author considers worth preserving. Some in one book have been revised in a later book. Some poems were revised more than once. The three books published in 1984, 1986, and 1990 are considered by the author as early works. Only the poems in those books that the author considered worth publishing have been republished in the 2003-2017 books. Names in the poem titles are usually made up.
Some titles are tongue-in-cheek. There were so many poems that the author resorted to names like "Portrait for Bertrand Clerihew-Guggenheim" to make it easier. Some titles, of course, are obviously connected to the content of the poem. Many titles were long enough to preclude the difficulty of getting the graphic designer to centre the title over the poem! Also included are manuscripts, research materials, articles, and notes etc. regarding Bill Peyto, the Copper Mountain Mine, Banff National Park museum, logging roads in the Johnson Lake area, and the Sanson-Bethune connection.
Photographs pertain to remains of hay rake and wagon in the Third Vermilion Lake area (1975) and remains of the Queen of the Hills Mine, above Silver City (1977).
CD-ROMS's contain typeset copies of manuscripts by Gordon Burles in Pagemaker, In Design and .pdf file formats. Manuscripts include "The Jagged Harmony," 2005, "An Avenue Without End," 2005, "That Perfect Elsewhere," n.d., "Much Like A Dream," 2004, "All the Universe of Sight," 2006, "Those Grand Poplars," 2004, "Lords of Many Orchards: Selected Best Poems of Gordon Burles," 2003, "That trellis of tombs: Further Selected Poems of Gordon Burles," 2004, "The Closing of Many Doors: More Poems by Gordon Burles," 2006.
II : Prose and research includes "Life story of James Gordon Burles," 2022
Notes
Books of poetry published by Gordon Burles are located in the Whyte Museum Archives Library 05.1/B92.
In 2018 Gordon Burles compiled a listing of the original poems that were edited and re-published. This list is in the M196 document file, and is also a PDF attached to the fonds level record
Fonds consists of copies of textual records from the Thorington Archives at Princeton University and photographs in both original and copy form. Textual records include: I. Thompson-Little Collection and supplement 1895- 1907; letters chiefly addressed to Charles Sproule Thompson collected by Georg…
ca.1.8 m of textual records. -- 64 photographs : prints, transparencies, copy negatives
History / Biographical
J. Monroe "Roy" Thorington, 1894-1989, was an ophthalmologist, mountaineer and mountain historian at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Thorington was a pre-eminent climber and explorer in the Canadian Rockies starting in 1922. He studied the Freshfield and Lyell Glaciers for 22 years and explored and mapped the Purcell Range, British Columbia. Thorington wrote approximately 300 publications on mountaineering, mountain history and the Canadian Rockies. He was active in numerous organizations, particularly the American Alpine Club.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of copies of textual records from the Thorington Archives at Princeton University and photographs in both original and copy form.
Textual records include: I. Thompson-Little Collection and supplement 1895- 1907; letters chiefly addressed to Charles Sproule Thompson collected by George T. Little, Appalachian Mountain Club and supplemented by material mainly from the estate of Charles E. Fay. II. American Alpine Club, 1903- 1967; correspondence with American Alpine Club members elected to 1918. III. Alps and Canada mountaineering correspondence. IV. Guide books and writings; pertains to writings on the Canadian Rockies and Conrad Kain. V. Dr. W. S. Ladd and Allen Carpe papers 1908-1935.
VI. Photographs, 1871-1970, pertain mainly to Thorington's climbing associates, mountain guides, friends and climbs; also, tombstones of friends at Banff Cemetery.
Fonds also includes miscellaneous original summit notes, articles, etc. concerning landmark mountaineering activities in the Canadian Rockies.
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds: M573 / V797 / S60.
M573 consists of three series, 26 cm of textual records, 1924-2005. Series I: Personal Papers, 19 cm, ca.1930-2005 (including notebooks and drafts of various talks that Jean delivered and records related to her participation in the Trail Rider…
26 cm of textual records.-- 109 photographs (42 prints, 67 lantern slides). -- 2 sound recordings.
History / Biographical
Jean Alexandra Hembroff was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on April 5, 1908 to Walter B. Hembroff (d. 1945) and Sarah Jane Hembroff (d.1952). Jean was accepted to the MacPhail School of Music and Dramatic Art at the University of Minnesota, from which she graduated in 1927. She returned to Winnipeg to begin teaching courses in speech arts and drama. To establish herself, she first volunteered as the "story lady" at the Williams Avenue Public Library and quickly became known as an excellent speaker sought by many different organizations. She taught at St. Mary's Academy and the Evening Institute at the University of Manitoba, as well as offered private sessions. Many of her students used the skills they learned from Jean as they entered radio, television, politics, and business. Jean was also very active in organizing and adjucating Speech Arts festivals in Manitoba, often going to inaccessible places to give workshops. Her teaching, broadcasting, adjucating, coaching, and speaking career spanned more than 50 years.
Jean was hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway's promotions manager to give presentations and broadcast interviews across Canada and the United States. In 1937, Jean joined the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and participated in their summer trail ride in the same year. For that year's issue of the Trail Rider's Bulletin Jean wrote an article - and became the first woman to ever do so. In 1938, during her lecture titled "Trail Riding in the Rockies" on January 18, 1938 at the Royal Alexandra Hotel, Jean met John David (Jack) MacDonald. Jack and Jean were married on June 18, 1938, and the couple had one son, Bruce Walter James MacDonald (August 28, 1946-August 25, 2016).
Jean participated in several trail rides with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Trail, and produced articles reflecting her experiences. Jean loved to travel and visited places all around Canada and the United States, Borneo, Tangier, Montevideo, Stockholm, New Delhi, and Tonga. At the age of 102, Jean passed away on February 2, 2011 and is buried in Winnipeg.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds: M573 / V797 / S60.
M573 consists of three series, 26 cm of textual records, 1924-2005. Series I: Personal Papers, 19 cm, ca.1930-2005 (including notebooks and drafts of various talks that Jean delivered and records related to her participation in the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, particularly 1937-1939). Series II: Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings, 4 cm, 1924-2000 (including correspondence with John Murray Gibbon, former students, and attendees at various talks, as well as newspaper articles that Jean wrote about various subjects and articles of her achievements). Series III: Collected Materials and Ephemera, 3 cm, ca.1930-1950 (including a variety of collected poems and ephemera, as well as a copy of The Beaver Magazine from 1940, for which Jean wrote an article titled "On the Trail of Sir George").
V797 consists of two series, 24.5 cm of visual records, ca.1928-1939. Series I: Photograph Prints, 3 cm, ca.1928-1939 (includes personal photographs of Jean and her family and friends as well as photographs of Jean and Jack's visit to Lake Louise in 1939). Series II: Lantern Slides, 21.5 cm, ca.1937-1939 (Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies official ride of 1937 to Mt. Assiniboine; Sky Line Hikers of the Canadian Rockies official ride of 1939 to Ptarmigan Valley and Skoki; collection of trail ride songs).
S60 consists of two sound recordings, 1 cm, 2004 and 2007 (Winnipeg at Christmas, narrated by Jean, broadcasted on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Fonds consists of material pertaining to the separate careers and families of Jim and Dorothy Boyce, as well as material from their life together. Jim Boyce material consists mainly of business and personal papers and photographs, ca.1910-1982. Business papers arise mainly from the incorporation, …
ca.6.5 m textual records. -- ca.3500 photographs: prints, negatives, copy negatives. -- 4 photograph albums. -- 5 motion pictures: film reels; 8mm, 16mm; col.
History / Biographical
James (Jim) Hawkins Boyce, 1892-1982, was a guide, outfitter, log builder and businessman at Lake Louise and Banff, Alberta, Canada. Dorothy Boyce was a pharmacist and business woman at Calgary, Quebec and Banff, Canada.
Jim Boyce was the son of Joseph Boyce, 1856-1927, and stepson of Wilma "Josephine" Boyce, 1866-1952, of Banff, Alberta. In 1911, Jim joined his father building trails. His guiding and outfitting career began with Jimmy Simpson's outfit as a trail cook. During the 1920s Boyce formed his own outfit with Max Brooks and went on to guide prominent clients Carl Rungius, Caroline Hinman and her parties, George and Adeline Link and William D. Cox of Chicago, USA.
In addition to guiding and outfitting, Jim Boyce worked with motion picture companies on location in the Rockies with his dog teams during the 1920s. A number of well-known log buildings are testament to his log-building skills, including Skoki, Mount Temple Lodge and the Lake Louise Ski Lodge. During the 1930s, Boyce managed and expanded Skoki Lodge. He also supervised road construction on the Banff-Jasper Highway and the Alaska Alcan Military Highway for the U. S. Army during the Second World War and operated the Bar C Ranch (for William D. Cox) for many years. Boyce made his home in Banff.
Dorothy Frances Llewellyn (Whiteman) Boyce, 1901-2001, was the daughter of Rev Arthur Wellesley Richard Whiteman, 1865-1926, and Nina L. Whiteman, 1873-1956. After studying pharmacy at the University of Alberta, Dorothy came to Banff in 1922 to work for Dr. Brett. She subsequently studied at the University of Toronto, Ontario; worked at the Calgary General Hospital, Alberta, from 1926 to 1940; and during the Second World War, worked as a chemist in Quebec, Canada. After the death of her first husband, Tronson James Draper, 1879-1949, an oilman of Calgary, Alberta, Dorothy became a permanent resident of Banff. She owned and operated Travellers Digest in Banff and married Jim Boyce in 1957.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of material pertaining to the separate careers and families of Jim and Dorothy Boyce, as well as material from their life together.
Jim Boyce material consists mainly of business and personal papers and photographs, ca.1910-1982. Business papers arise mainly from the incorporation, operation and expropriation of the Lake Louise Ski Lodge (later Post Hotel) 1941-1969. Other business and personal material pertains to Skoki Lodge, 1933-1942; guiding and outfitting, 1938-1940; Army Service Forces and Alaska Alcan Military Highway, 1943-1944; Bar C Ranch, 1947-1969; laundry and rental businesses, 1962-1965, plans for Boyce house, Banff and family items. Correspondents include William D. Cox and Eldon Woolliams. Jim Boyce photographs pertain to family, friends, associates and activities, Banff and Skoki areas; includes guiding and outfitting, hunting, motion picture and dog team activities, Skoki Lodge and region, Alaska-Yukon activities, Bar C Ranch and personal material.
Papers of Dorothy Boyce, 1901-ca.1950, pertain to her childhood, university career, business life and first marriage; Dorothy Boyce photographs, ca.1920s-1940, pertain to family, friends, professional and recreational activities in Banff, Banff and Yoho National Parks, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.
Jim and Dorothy Boyce joint material includes photographs, 1900s-1990s, and incoming letters pertaining to home, travel and friends. Album includes mainly published postcards from all over the world. Fonds also includes Boyce family personal and financial papers, 1901-1928; business and estate papers of Joseph Boyce, 1908-1954; Tronson Draper and Draper family personal and professional papers and photographs, 1906-1949; and Whiteman family papers and photographs, ca.1860, 1885-ca.1925. Also included in the Boyce's personal records are film reels ca.1920-1970 which pertain mainly to the Skoki area.
Copyright, privacy, commercial use and other restrictions may apply
Language
English
Finding Aid
Finding aids and reference tools: preliminary electronic finding aid
motion picture summaries
Related Material
Transparencies by Adeline and/or George Link of trips with Jim Boyce, formerly retained by Jim Boyce, can be found in George K. K. Link fonds (M60/V276)
Accompanied by artifacts (Heritage collections, Whyte Museum)
Fonds consists of personal, professional and legal documents and photographs pertaining to Maud and Forest Kidney, Jack MacAulay, Kidney and Woodworth family members, friends and the Banff community. Items are organized by subject and date ranges.
Fonds consists of six series:
Series I - Maud (Wo…
66 cm of textual records -- ca. 963 photographs : 870 prints, 62 postcards, 30 negatives, 1 tintype (31.5 x 37 cm or smaller) -- 7 photograph albums (26 x 33.5 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
Ella Maud [Woodworth] Kidney (1894-1977) was born in Banff as the fourth of 11 siblings. Her parents were Benjamin Woodworth and Elizabeth [McIntire] Woodworth. Growing up, Maud worked briefly for the Alberta Hotel and the Bottling Works company in Banff. Maud was married to John A. MacAulay in 1917, and widowed later that year. Her twin sons, John A. [Jack] and Thomas A. [Ted] MacAulay, were born in 1918. Maud married Forest H. "Pop" Kidney (1889-1979) on February 14, 1923, and the new family settled into the Kidney home on Wolf and Muskrat Street. The Kidney residence was originally located in Bankhead, but was moved to Banff and sold following the town's closure in 1922.
Maud and Forest operated several local businesses including Banff Grocery, Quaker Coffee Shop, Pop's Bakery and Kidney Kabins. The Kidneys were also active in community affairs throughout their lives. Maud Kidney was a long-time member of the Girls' Sunshine Flower Club in Banff [and the club's president for over a decade spanning across the 1940's], as well as the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire [I.O.D.E.] and Rebekah Lodge, and she was matron of the Order of the Eastern Star in Banff in 1950. Forest Kidney was involved in the Banff Shriners Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Independent Order of Oddfellows and the Canadian Restaurants Association [CRA], among other groups; in the early 1960's, Forest also served as the President of the Calgary branch of the CRA.
Jack and Ted MacAulay grew up together in Banff, where they were involved in Banff's Boy Scouts program and local hockey teams. Jack in particular was an avid hockey player, until an accident in 1940 caused damage to his right eye which kept him from competing. From 1943 to 1945, Jack worked for Boeing Aircraft of Canada Ltd., and in 1946 he was appointed as the Chief Inspector of War Assets for Alberta and the Yukon Territories. Jack married Karin Wallensteen in 1946, and the couple had 6 children together: sons Herb and John, and daughters Karen, Shelley, Jodi and Julie-Ann. Jack served as a coach for the Banff Minor Hockey League for 46 years. Jack also took on several other positions within the Bow Valley community, including working as a volunteer with the Banff Figure Skating Club, a co-founder of the Banff Recreation Board, and a member of the Banff Advisory Council, the Banff Hospital Board and the Banff School Board.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of personal, professional and legal documents and photographs pertaining to Maud and Forest Kidney, Jack MacAulay, Kidney and Woodworth family members, friends and the Banff community. Items are organized by subject and date ranges.
Fonds consists of six series:
Series I - Maud (Woodworth) Kidney records: contains 3 sub-series [ A) 1894 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1950, C) 1951 - 1977 ]
Series II - Forest Kidney records: contains 3 sub-series [ A) 1889 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1950, C) 1951 - 2008 ]
Series III - Jack MacAulay records: contains 3 sub-series [A) 1920 - 1945, B) 1946 - 1980, C) 1981 - 2000 ]
Series IV - Family, friends and community records: contains 5 sub-series [ A) 1886 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1945, C) 1946 - 1970, D) 1970 - 2013, E) Maude Kidney Collection ]
Series V - Legal and business records : contains 3 sub-series [ A) 1894 - 1920, B) 1921 - 1950, C) 1951 - 1980 ]
Series VI - Collected materials
Series I content pertains to Maud Woodworth Kidney. Includes scrapbooks, photographs of Maud and her siblings and parents, trips to Calgary and local activities with family and friends, Maud working for the Alberta Hotel and the Banff Bottling Factory [ca. 1905 - 1915], and local clubs and societies which Maud was involved in between 1930 - 1977 including the Girls' Sunshine Flower Club, the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, the Senior Friends Club of Banff, Rebekah Lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Series II content pertains to Forest Kidney during his World War I military service in Petawawa, Ontario; swimming with friends at the Cave and Basin and other social activities; travelling with family; local newspaper clippings noting Forest's achievements and community involvement; and Forest participating in events as a member of the Banff Shriners Club and the Canadian Restaurant Association.
Series III content pertains to Jack MacAulay at the Kidney family home with his twin brother, Ted; coaching for the Banff Minor Hockey League; participating in other community meetings and programs; personal, professional and medical correspondence [1940 - 1992]; Jack's wife, Karin MacAulay, and their children; and Jack's awards and achievements.
Series IV content pertains to extended family and friends of the Kidneys and the wider Banff community.
Includes sports and outdoor activities [including swimming, hiking, trail riding, camping, snowshoeing, skiing, and track and field]; early Banff [including businesses, Banff Elementary School and Banff High School, the Woodworth family residence, and construction of the Icefields Parkway]; family friends of the Woodworths and Kidneys [including the Brett family, the Stafford family and the Simpson family]; personal correspondence pertaining to Fred "Ty" Cobb (1931 - 1933); clubs and societies [including the Independent Order of Oddfellows, the Senior Friends Club, and the Order of the Eastern Star]; community events [including dances, meetings, dinners and award ceremonies]; weddings and anniversaries; a visit to Num-Ti-Jah Lodge in 1964; and biographical and genealogical information about Maud Kidney, Forest Kidney and the Woodworth family.
Series V content pertains to businesses owned and operated by the Kidney family [ca. 1930 - 1970], including Kidney Kabins, Quaker Coffee Shop and Pop's Bakery; mortgage agreements and property contracts; and government documents. Includes receipts, log books and financial records, photographs of Kidney Kabins and Quaker Coffee Shop, and receipts for land purchased by Forest Kidney, George Noble and others.
Series VI contains commercial postcards collected by the Kidney family. Postcards mostly produced by Byron Harmon, and some by G & W Fear and other photographers, and mostly pertain to Banff and the surrounding area [winter sports, wildlife, Banff Zoo, Banff Avenue, scenic views and mountain landscapes, etc].
Notes
Contains duplicate photographs
Duplicate commercial postcards have been kept in separate folder within file box containing other commercial postcards [V324 / IV / E / PG - 1 to 20 and V324 / VI / PG - 1 to 42]
Sub-series IV / E : Maude Kidney Collection was donated with existing numbering system [Items 1 to 47] prior to processing; original order and corresponding annotations have been transferred to database entries from original handwritten notes
Fonds consists of textual records, postcards, drawings and one photograph album pertaining to Mary (Molly) Wright Adams (1868-1909); transcripts of Molly's original letters which were compiled by Molly's sister, Catharine Elkin (nee Adams) between ca.1939 and 1941; and transcriptions of letters sen…
Some materials produced by Catharine (Adams) Elkin
Date Range
[ca.1844 - 1909]
[ca.1939 - 1944]
1980 - 1981
2014
Physical Description
21 cm of textual records -- 16 postcards -- 3 drawings -- 1 photograph album : 107 b&w photographs
History / Biographical
Mary Wright (Molly) Adams was born on 15 October 1868. in Ridgefield Connecticut. She was the third of five children born to Cornelia Ann Cook (1830-1902) and Daniel Lucius Adams (1814 - 1899) She died in Kobe, Japan on 23 January 1909 and was buried there.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records, postcards, drawings and one photograph album pertaining to Mary (Molly) Wright Adams (1868-1909); transcripts of Molly's original letters which were compiled by Molly's sister, Catharine Elkin (nee Adams) between ca.1939 and 1941; and transcriptions of letters sent between Molly's extended family members [including members of the Adams, Cook and Wright families], ca.1844 and 1866.
Textual records primarily consist of correspondence sent between Molly Adams and various friends and family members [ca.1891-1909].
Notes
Fonds consists of two series:
Series I : Correspondence [contains two sub-series: I / A : Molly Wright Adams ; I / B : Extended family]
Series II : Personal and collected records
Fonds consists of seven series : I. Philip Moore family series, ca.1882-1964, 42 cm., and contains three sub-series: A. Personal papers and photographs, 1897-1964 (college career, personal life, activities and estate); B. Professional papers and photographs, 1905-[ca.1950] (military career and re…
ca.1 m textual records. -- ca.3400 photographs: prints, transparencies, negatives. -- 10 photograph albums (ca.1000 prints). -- 24 motion pictures.
History / Biographical
The Moore family resided at Banff, Alberta and Yoho Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Col. Philip A. Moore, 1879-1951, was a guide, soldier, lecturer and publicist. Pearl Brewster Moore, 1889-1973, was a homemaker and tourist lodge operator. Daughter, Edmee Brewster Moore (Reid), 1908-1971, was a homemaker and wife of Charles Reid. Pearl Brewster, born in Banff, was an active sportswoman. In 1905, she met Philip Moore, who had joined Jim and Bill Brewster in the packing business. The Moores made their home in Banff in 1907. A trained soldier, Philip Moore distinguished himself in France in the First World War and served with the Calgary Highlanders during the Second World War. The Moores ran various Canadian Pacific Railway facilities, including Yoho Valley Bungalow Camp, during the 1920s and early 1930s. Col. Moore lectured widely during this period using motion pictures and lantern slides. During the 1930s, the Moores travelled extensively and were active in the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. Pearl Moore was instrumental in the Banff-Jasper fund during the Second World War. In 1971, Pearl Moore gave their log home, a showcase of Stoney Nakoda artifacts and art, to the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of seven series :
I. Philip Moore family series, ca.1882-1964, 42 cm., and contains three sub-series: A. Personal papers and photographs, 1897-1964 (college career, personal life, activities and estate); B. Professional papers and photographs, 1905-[ca.1950] (military career and research, writing and lecturing); C. Volunteer activities, 1935-1945 (Jubilee Committee; National War Finance Committee, Victory Loan program).
II. Pearl Moore series. -- 1890-1973. -- 21.5 cm of textual records. -- 156 photographs: prints. -- Series consists of three sub-series: A. Personal papers and photographs, 1990-1973 (photographs, letters, diaries, notes and notebooks, and other material); B. Legal and financial papers, 1908-1971; C. Volunteer activities, [1940?]-1942 (Banff-Jasper Spitfire Fund, the Red Cross, wartime work).
III. Edmee Moore series. -- 1908-1965. -- 8 cm of textual records. -- 152 photographs : prints, 4 photograph albums. -- Series consists of six sub-series: A. Photographs, 1908-1965; B. Letters and notes, [ca.1915-ca.1920]; C. Sketchbooks; D. Diaries and scrapbooks, 1926-1938; E. Financial and legal papers, 1935-1965; F. Other, 1919-1953.
IV. Philip Moore family series. -- 1885-1970. -- 20 cm of textual records. -- 1183 photographs (1075 prints and negatives, 117 transparencies, 51 stereo cards). -- 11 motion pictures. -- Series consists of seven sub-series: A. Family portraits, 1885-[ca.1970]; B. Home, friends and activities, [ca.1910]-1962; C. Financial papers, 1907-1951; D. Travel, 1931-1936; E. Business papers, bungalow camp operations, 1921-1932; F. Banff/Lake Louise area photographs, 1885-1965; G. Other, [ca.1895-ca.1960].
V. Moore and Brown families series. -- 1838-1950. -- 8 cm of textual records. -- 156 photographs : prints. -- Series consists of five sub-series: A. Roger Brown Moore, 1890-1931; B. Maria K. Moore estate, 1922-1927; C. William Gordon Moore, Laura Moore and Roger Brown Moore estate, 1930-1939; D. Maria K. Moore and Roger Brown Moore, 1925-1930; E. Other material, 1838-1950.
VI. Brewster family series. -- [ca.1880]-1970. -- 6 cm of textual records. -- 289 photographs : prints, 2 photograph albums. -- Series consists of five sub-series: A. John and Isabella Brewster, 1904-1948; B. Fred Brewster, 1909-1953; C. James I. Brewster, 1909-1936; D. Fern Brewster, 1930-1932; E. Brewster family, [ca.1880]-1970; F. Other material, 1898-1969.
VII. Other material series. -- 1885-1970. -- 709 photographs : prints. -- Series consists of three sub-series: A. Scenics, 1885-1970; B. People, 1885-1970; C. Other, 1885-1970.
File consists of 5 b&w and col. photograph prints, 25 x 20 cm and 15 x 10 cm. File pertains to the personal and professional life of Murray Hay. File includes photographs of Hay with his wife (Gerry); Hay in his studio working on a map; and Hay posing with airplanes (he would take aerial photograph…
5 photographs : b&w and col. ; 25 x 20 cm and 15 x 10 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of 5 b&w and col. photograph prints, 25 x 20 cm and 15 x 10 cm. File pertains to the personal and professional life of Murray Hay. File includes photographs of Hay with his wife (Gerry); Hay in his studio working on a map; and Hay posing with airplanes (he would take aerial photographs of areas that he was making a map of).
Fonds consists of papers and photographs resulting from Sanson's life and work. Textual records consist of: I. Correspondence, 1901-1944, 2 cm.; II. Research and professional papers, 1890-1947, 45 cm., includes notebooks and notes pertaining to nature study, meteorological research, Sulphur Mounta…
ca.55 cm and 21 v. of textual records. -- 46 photograph albums (ca.7500 prints). -- 1 postcard set (37 prints)
History / Biographical
Norman Bethune Sanson, 1862-1949, was a naturalist, meteorologist and museum curator at Banff, Alberta, Canada. Born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of a prominent clergyman, he developed a life-long interest in natural history as a boy. Sanson came west in 1885 to fight in the Riel Rebellion as a member of the Queen's Own Rifles.
In 1892, Sanson came to Banff as an accountant for the Sanitarium Hotel. He also did book-keeping for other local businesses and handled the town's weather reports. In 1896 he was appointed curator of the Park Museum and also worked as zookeeper for the Banff Zoo. From 1896 until 1931, Sanson was meteorological officer and curator of the Park Museum. In 1903 an observatory was built on Sulphur Mountain on a site chosen by Sanson. During the period 1903-1931, Sanson made one thousand ascents of Sulphur Mountain to collect weather records. In 1948, the Dominion Government acknowledged his many years of service by naming a peak on the mountain for him.
As a nature enthusiast, Sanson was well-known both in Banff and beyond. He was an avid collector of flora and fauna, both privately and through his job as museum curator. Sanson was an active member of the Alpine Club of Canada, the Skyline Hikers of the Canadian Rockies and the Banff Rotary Club. He was a warden of St. George's Anglican Church and a supporter of the Canadian Bible Society. He was active in community events such as the Banff Winter Carnival, for which he organized and led the snowshoeing events. An ardent mountain traveller, he enjoyed both hiking and snowshoeing. Following retirement, Sanson toured extensively on foot throughout Britain and Europe.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of papers and photographs resulting from Sanson's life and work.
Textual records consist of: I. Correspondence, 1901-1944, 2 cm.; II. Research and professional papers, 1890-1947, 45 cm., includes notebooks and notes pertaining to nature study, meteorological research, Sulphur Mountain and maps; III. Travel diary, 1900-1933, 1 cm.; IV. Register books, 1931, 1941, n.d. 2 cm.; IV. Scrapbooks, 1909-1931, n.d., 21 vol, many containing postcards from Great Britain and around the world; VI. Miscellaneous, 1855-1895, n.d., 4 cm.
Photographs consist of: I. Albums, 1880s-1949, 46 v., pertain to Norman Sanson's life and work; document Banff Park Museum, Sulphur Mountain and Sulphur Mountain Observatory; natural history, including mountain flora, collecting trips, weather surveys and snow surveys; Banff events, including Banff Winter Carnival, Banff Indian Days, Highland Gatherings and Banff Regatta; mountain travels and travels throughout Canada, United States, England and Europe; friends, associates and Banff personalities. Detailed identifications provided by Norman Sanson. II. Postcard set, ca.1930.