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 three framed oversized photograph prints: one print in a black frame depicting Murray Toft near Barbette Glacier [ca.1980-1990]; one print in a silver frame depicting a high-altitude tent used during the Everest '82 Expedition; and one print in a dark grey frame depicting two unid…
3 oversized framed photographs : b&w and col. ; 56 x 75 cm or smaller -- 1 annotated card
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of three framed oversized photograph prints: one print in a black frame depicting Murray Toft near Barbette Glacier [ca.1980-1990]; one print in a silver frame depicting a high-altitude tent used during the Everest '82 Expedition; and one print in a dark grey frame depicting two unidentified climbers near Pigeon Spire, possibly taken by Glen Boles, which is accompanied by a greeting card [ca.1995] annotated with details related to the photograph.
Fonds includes textual material in the form of a manuscript, ephemera and photographs made by and collected by Bill de Haan. The manuscript is titled "Photographs to accompany P. M. Sauders report of snow survey in the vicinity of Lake Louise . . . June 14, 1918." Also includes posters and calend…
ca.220 photographs : prints, transparencies. -- ca.1 cm of textual records
History / Biographical
Bill de Haan, b.1903, was a hotel worker, labourer and government worker at Banff, Alberta, Canada. De Haan came to Banff in 1944 after working across Canada. From ca.1950 to ca.1968, he worked for Banff National Park at Tunnel Mountain campground, the east park gate and the warden service equipment building. After 1968, de Haan was a volunteer at the government fish hatchery in Banff. An avid photographer, de Haan was a member of the Bow Valley Camera Club. He photographed wildflowers and warden cabins throughout the park.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes textual material in the form of a manuscript, ephemera and photographs made by and collected by Bill de Haan. The manuscript is titled "Photographs to accompany P. M. Sauders report of snow survey in the vicinity of Lake Louise . . . June 14, 1918." Also includes posters and calendar pertaining to Banff National Park and Banff Indian Days. Photographs pertain mainly to cabins, including warden cabins, Banff National Park, 1963-1966; also Brett family, early Banff and area, Bankhead, Canmore cemetery (1975); flooding along Bow River, 1972; and construction of archives and library building, 1967-1968, (now Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies).
Fonds consist of papers and photographs produced and collected by Lawrence Grassi. Textual records consist of correspondence, 1918-1979, from family in Italy and organizations and individuals in Canada; personal papers, 1912-1975; publications and ephemera from organizations, including the Alpine C…
ca.25 cm of textual records. -- ca.2300 photographs : prints, transparencies, negatives. -- 1 photograph album (180 prints)
History / Biographical
Lawrence Grassi, 1890-1980, was a miner and mountaineer at Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Grassi was born in Falmenta, Italy and emigrated to Canada in 1912, working first as a section man for the Canadian Pacific Railway and from 1916 to 1945 as a miner for Canmore Mines. Grassi distinguished himself in solo mountain climbing and as an unofficial guide to many other mountaineers. Grassi is best remembered for trail building activities. J. S. Woodsworth led support for legislation to change the name of Twin Lakes in White Man Pass to Grassi Lakes in recognition of this work. As assistant warden at Lake O'Hara, British Columbia, Grassi upgraded and built numerous trails for which he received many honours in later life.
Scope & Content
Fonds consist of papers and photographs produced and collected by Lawrence Grassi.
Textual records consist of correspondence, 1918-1979, from family in Italy and organizations and individuals in Canada; personal papers, 1912-1975; publications and ephemera from organizations, including the Alpine Club of Canada, Canadian Youth Hostels Association, Skyline Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies; newsclippings, articles and other material pertaining to Grassi and mountaineering.
Photographs pertain mainly to mountain scenery of Alberta and British Columbia, particularly Banff National Park, Lake O'Hara and region, Jasper National Park, Mount Assiniboine and region, Grotto Mountain and Grassi Lakes, ca.1930-ca.1970. Also includes views of Lawrence Grassi, family and friends, ca.1880-ca.1970, and group of unidentified portraits, ca.1880- ca.1900. Transparencies are mainly unidentified colour mountain scenics. Most views are by Grassi; some are by Richard Rushworth and F. V. Longstaff.
Fonds consists of club records. Textual records include by-laws, 1979; minutes, 1949-1984; presidents' records, 1974-1983; financial records, membership records and dues receipts; newsletters, 1978-1994; clippings and articles, after 1946; Lake O'Hara region south area map elements and published ve…
ca. 34 cm of textual records. -- 630 photographs : transparencies, prints
History / Biographical
The Lake O'Hara Trails Club was established 1948, dissolved in 1962 and reactivated in 1969 to create, improve and maintain a system of trails in the Lake O'Hara region of Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Later work involved providing information on the region to visitors, publishing maps and historical works, and continuing the efforts of founders, George K. K. Link and A. Carson Simpson.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of club records.
Textual records include by-laws, 1979; minutes, 1949-1984; presidents' records, 1974-1983; financial records, membership records and dues receipts; newsletters, 1978-1994; clippings and articles, after 1946; Lake O'Hara region south area map elements and published versions; and correspondence between Dr. George K. K. Link, members and others, 1960-1978.
Photographs consist mainly of Lake O'Hara Trails Club slide library pertaining to landscape, flora and fauna of the region, also portraits of Dr. Link; ca.1950-1981; 625 items. Photographers / contributors to slide library include Lillian Gest, D. M. Hehir, Frank and Ruth Henderson, Jane Hopkinson, John Hutchinson, Richard Turnbull and others. Prints pertain to ascent of Mount Lefroy, 1925, 5 items.
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.
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.
Fonds consists of notes, correspondence and articles pertaining to the Astley family and early history of Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka areas. Fonds includes correspondence between Willoughby Astley and J. A. Jaffary of the Provincial Library, Alberta, 1928-1929, re place names in the Lake Louise…
Willoughby John Astley, 1859-1948, came to Banff in 1888 and built the Beach House Hotel at Lake Minnewanka. He moved to Lake Louise in 1889. Brother, Charles D'Oyley Astley, 1849-1937, and Lucy Ann Astley continued to operate the hotel until 1907 when they retired to Banff. The hotel was destroyed as part of power development at Lake Minnewanka, ca.1912.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of notes, correspondence and articles pertaining to the Astley family and early history of Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka areas. Fonds includes correspondence between Willoughby Astley and J. A. Jaffary of the Provincial Library, Alberta, 1928-1929, re place names in the Lake Louise area; scrapbook of clippings re World War I, including a list of Banff men who enlisted; Beach House Hotel guest register, 1890-1906, recording name and residence of guest, and occasionally record of fish caught; Astley family photographs, ca.1886-1930s. Photographs pertain to fishing and boating on Lake Minnewanka; Beach House Hotel and Lady of the Lake steam launch; Devil's Canyon, Bankhead and Banff; views of avalanche clearing in Roger's Pass by Byron Harmon. Includes one panorama view of group at Lake Minnewanka.
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.).
Photographs are large views of mountain scenes in Banff, Yoho and Prince Albert National Parks; also Mount Robson and Mount Assiniboine areas, British Columbia. One print is credited to Associated Screen News.
Dr. Frederick Birchard, b.1904, was the Director of Dominion Grain Research Laboratories at Winnipeg, Manitoba in the 1920s.
Scope & Content
Photographs are large views of mountain scenes in Banff, Yoho and Prince Albert National Parks; also Mount Robson and Mount Assiniboine areas, British Columbia. One print is credited to Associated Screen News.