File pertains to 68 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from February 3 to June 30, 1960. Topics include day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, painting, wildlife, travel, camping, construction projects around the house (mostly pertaining to the new …
1.1 cm of textual records (87 pages ; 22.3 x 27.4 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 68 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from February 3 to June 30, 1960. Topics include day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, painting, wildlife, travel, camping, construction projects around the house (mostly pertaining to the new addition), events and people in Concord, weather, and returning from a trip to Concord in June. Letters are mostly hand-written, some typed. Also includes postcards and a notecard.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981.
146 - 20 has a small newspaper clipping attached to the letter.
Good : all pages creased throughout from being folded prior to accession, minor rips and tears along the edges of most pages.
146 - 20 : staple removed from insert, replaced with plastic paper clip.
File pertains to 74 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 2 to December 30, 1960. Topics include day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, painting, wildlife, travel, camping, construction of the new kitchen & workroom (including the removal of …
1.7 cm of textual records (107 pages ; 21.9 x 27.8 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description.
Scope & Content
File pertains to 74 letters written by Catharine Robb Whyte to her mother, Edith Morse Robb from July 2 to December 30, 1960. Topics include day to day life, Banff events, visits from friends, painting, wildlife, travel, camping, construction of the new kitchen & workroom (including the removal of the original stone chimney in the kitchen), the Calgary Stampede, the death of George Paris, Walter Phillips going blind, the United Nations summit in September, weather, and a visit Catharine made to Concord in December. Letters are mostly hand-written, some typed. Also includes postcards, a telegram, and a notecard.
Notes
Please note: language pertaining to Indigenous Peoples used throughout is outdated and may be offensive.
Some letters are marked with a small x in pencil, indicating where Jon Whyte made notes for use in his project "Catharine Robb Whyte, Peter Whyte: Commemorative Portfolio," originally published in 1981.
M36 / 147 - 28 appears to be missing page 2, but could be misnumbered.
The head of an Inuit man, facing slightly to the right, is dressed in a yellow parka with light brown fur trim around his face, two red ties hang from the centre hood.
The head of an Inuit man, facing slightly to the right, is dressed in a yellow parka with light brown fur trim around his face, two red ties hang from the centre hood.
File pertains to seven diaries kept by Lillian Gest from 1957-1967 from travels throughout the Canadian Rockies, Europe, and the western United States.
Includes:
M67 / 4 - 1 : black leather diary, dated 57 58 59 in red paint on the front cover. Pertains to the last few days of the summer 1957 trip …
7.8 cm of textual records (7 volumes ; 11 x 17.8 cm)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to seven diaries kept by Lillian Gest from 1957-1967 from travels throughout the Canadian Rockies, Europe, and the western United States.
Includes:
M67 / 4 - 1 : black leather diary, dated 57 58 59 in red paint on the front cover. Pertains to the last few days of the summer 1957 trip carried over from M67 / 3 - 6, a trip in 1958 involving travel to Banff, the annual Alpine Club of Canada hike, staying at the Chateau Lake Louise, hiking in Lake O'Hara, and travel back to Pennsylvania. Trip details for 1959 include travelling by train from the United States to Montreal before continuing on to Banff where she took trips to Lake O'Hara and Skoki - entries for 1959 seem to end abruptly. Also includes lists of people met over the three years, equipment used for various trips, and a list of events since Sept. 1958 including the opening of the new Sulphur gondola on July 28, 1958, the tearing down of the Brewster stables on Spray Ave, and the conversion of the ski lodge to the Post Hotel in Lake Louise.
M67 / 4 - 2 : black leather diary, dated 59 in red paint and end 1959-1962 on a piece of paper taped to the front cover. Pertains to the remainder of August 1959 (carried over from M67 / 4 - 2), and summer trips taken during 1960-1962 consisting of time spent around the Banff townsite, Lake O'Hara, and Bow Lake areas, annual organized hikes with the Alpine Club of Canada, as well as travel to and from Pennsylvania - usually by train. Also includes lists of people she met, new additions to staff at hotels Lillian Gest stayed at, luggage details, and events pertaining to Banff like construction projects, births, marriages, and deaths (including the death of Jack White in 1962, his house now being a library, and the fate of the grocery store he ran).
M67 / 4 - 3 : black leather diary, dated 1962-1964 in red paint on the cover. Pertains to the end of Lillian Gest's 1962 summer trip (carried over from M76 / 4 - 2) and trips taken during the summers of 1963 and 1964. The 1963 summer consists of travel from Pennsylvania to Banff by train, stays at various hotels (including the Club House [possibly the Alpine Club of Canada Club House], Moraine Lake Lodge, and Emerald Lake Lodge), hiking trips in Revelestoke Park and Lake O'Hara, the annual Sky Line Trail Hikers trip, and alternating between stays in Lake O'Hara and at the Club House before returning home. The 1964 summer followed a similar pattern, with stays at various hotels, hikes (both with and without organizations like the Sky Line Trail Hikers and the ACC), and travel between Pennsylvania and Banff by train. Also includes lists of people met during all three summers, equipment left in Banff (1963), a poem titled How To Die in the Mountains, evelvation of Golden, milages, and rates at the Lake O'Hara Lodge and Chateau Lake Louise. Pertains to trip to the Canadian Rockies during the summer of 1965. Includes stays around the Banff, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Lake O'Hara, and Icefield Chalet areas as well as hikes with and without organizations such as the Alpine Club of Canada and the Skyline Trail Hikers. Also includes details about booking information throughout Yoho National Park, a list of mileages, and a list of events.
M67 / 4 - 4 : gold embossed red plastic spiral bound diary titled Can R. 1965 on adhesive paper on front cover. Pertains to the summer of 1965 and includes time spent in Banff, trips to and around Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Lake O'Hara, the Icefiled Parkway, and Mt. Robson areas as well as stays at the The Club House (possibly the Alpine Club of Canada Club House), a trip with the Sky Line Trail Hikers in Little Yoho (Aug 1-5) and the annual ACC Camp (Aug 23 - Sept 3). The trip back to Pennsylvania was completed by train as far as Winnipeg, from where Gest took a plane. Also includes Lake O'Hara register notes, details on Yoho National Park, lists of mileages, books at the ACC Club House and its staff that year, 1965 events (unclear if entirely dedicated to Banff), and people met.
M67 / 4 - 5 : gold embossed red plastic spiral bound diary. Pertains to a trip to Alaska during the summer of 1966 and a trip to Expo 67 in Montreal from June 21-26. Also includes details on animals and birds spotted in Alaska, people met, and names of staff at places Lillian Gest stayed.
M67 / 4 - 6 : black leather diary, dated 1966 on a piece of paper taped to the front cover. Pertains to the remainder of Lillian Gest's summer 1966 travels throughout the Canadian Rockies (an extension of the Alaska trip detailed in M67 / 4 - 5). Also includes lists of items left in Banff and items purchased in both Alaska and Canada, reminders about correspondence, notes about Lake O'Hara, and events from Banff.
M67 / 4 - 7 : brown cardstock diary with black fabric tape on spine. Pertains to a trip to the Canadian Rockies in the summer of 1967 and includes hiking trips with and without organizations like the Alpine Club of Canada and the Sky Line Trail Hikers, as well as stays in Banff, Lake Louise, Glacier, Lake O'Hara, and the [probably ACC] Club House. Also mentions Expo 67 (details of that trip in M67/ 4 - 5), and contains lists of staff at the Lake O'Hara Lodge, Chateau Lake Louise, and the Club House, as well as events from around Banff, including the Mount Royal Hotel burning down.
Also includes loose items consisting of a brochure for the 1965 Sky Line Trail Hikers and address list, a letter from Caroline HInman regarding a 1959 trip plan, notes written by Lillian Gest [possibly reminders], a postcard, a Chirstmas letter from Peter and Catharine Whyte, and newspaper clippins.
Notes
Blank pages not scanned.
To read M67 / 4 - 7 start on the right-hand pages to the end, return to the front, flip the book upside-down and continue back to front.
File pertains to six diaries kept by Lillian Gest from 1968-1975 from travels throughout the Canadian Rockies.
Includes:
M67 / 5 - 1 : black leather diary. Pertains to summer trips taken during the summers of 1968 and 1969. Summer 1968 includes travel between Banff and Pennsylvania by airplane and …
7.5 cm of textual records (6 volumes ; 10.8 x 17.7 cm or smaller)
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
File pertains to six diaries kept by Lillian Gest from 1968-1975 from travels throughout the Canadian Rockies.
Includes:
M67 / 5 - 1 : black leather diary. Pertains to summer trips taken during the summers of 1968 and 1969. Summer 1968 includes travel between Banff and Pennsylvania by airplane and hiking and visiting around Banff, Lake Louise, Lake O'Hara and the Icefields Parway areas. Summer 1969 time spent in Banff, along the Icefields Parkway, and in the Golden and Lake O'Hara areas as well as various club activities as part of the Alpine Club of Canada. Also includes lists of birds seen, reservation details, people met and staff of various places, events from Banff (including the death of Fred Brewster and Catharine Whyte receiving an honourary degree), song lyrics, and [what is possibly] a joke.
M67 / 5 - 2 : black leather diary, dated 1970 in white ink (possibly white out) on the front cover. Pertains to a 1970 trip to the Canadian Rockies and includes hikes with and without organizations like the Alpine Club of Canada and the Sky Line Trail Hikers as well as stays at the Banff Springs Hotel, the ACC Club House, Lake O'Hara, and the Bugaboo Lodge, BC. Also includes transcriptions from the Abbot Pass Hut Register from 1926-1939 (presumably only of people Lillian Gest knew personally), reservation details, lists of people met, and a list of events from 1970, including the sale of the ACC Club House for $70, 000 (does not mention to who).
M67 / 5 - 3 : black leather diary, dated 1971 in ink on masking tape adhered to the front cover. Pertains to a summer visit in 1971 to the Canadian rockies and includes stays around the Banff, Lake Louise, and Lake O'Hara areas, hiking trips with and without organizations like the Sky Line Trail Hikers and the Alpine Club of Canada, and travel between Banff and Pennsylvania by air. Newspaper clipping on page 125 pertaining to the death of Edmee Brewster. Also includes lists of people met and staff (Lake O'Hara Lodge, Chateau Lake Louise, ACC Club House), events from Banff, list of birds, details for a Bow Valley Naturalists trip, and the plaque dedication ceremony for Lawrence Grassi at Lake O'Hara, June 26, 1971.
M67 / 5 - 4 : black leather diary, dated 1972 in black ink on fabric tape adhered to the front cover. Pertains to the summer of 1972 spent in the Canadian Rockies time spent in and around the Banff, Lake Louise, Lake O'Hara, Jasper, and Tonquin Valley areas as well as travel between Banff and Pennsylvania by air. Insert pertains to diary entries for the final few days of September as the book ran out of pages. Also inlcudes lists of people met, birds spotted at Lake O'Hara, and list of events from Banff (including the move of the Moore house to its current location).
M67 / 5 - 5 : black leather diary, dated 1973-1974 To July 20 in ink on a piece of masking tape adhered to the front cover (1973 to 7-20 1974 in faint red paint directly on leather of cover). Pertains to the summers of 1973 and 1974 spent in and around the Canadian Rockies. Summer 1973 includes stays in the Banff, Lake Louise, Lake O'Hara, and Bow Lake areas as well as hiking trips with and without organizations like the Sky Line Trail Hikers and the Alpine Club of Canada. Summer 1974 includes stays at various hotels around Banff and in the Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara areas, a helicopter trip to and from Mt. Assiniboine and region, and organized hiking trips with the Sky Line Trail Hikers. Also includes lists of staffs and people met, birds spotted at Lake O'Hara, distances, and a list of events from 1973.
M67 / 5 - 6 : black leather diary, titled Sat July 20 1974 to 1975 - Thurs July 14 in ink on fabric [possibly plastic] adhered to the front cover. Pertains to the remainder of the summer 1974 trip (July-September) continued from M67 / 5 - 5 and details from June and July, 1975. The summer 1975 trip included travel between Banff and Pennsylvania by train [heading west] and plane [headed east], stays around Banff, Lake O'Hara, and Lake Louise, and hiking trips with and without organizations like the Sky Line Trail Hikers and the Alpine Club of Canada. Also includes lists of people met, reservation details, ACC Camp details for 1975, Sky Line Hikers trip dates and locations, and events from Banff 1975 including the ACC Club House being completely torn down.
Also includes loose items consisting of notes (to Lillian Gest from others and to herself), reminders, invoices, itineraries, and newspaper clippings.
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 administrative and operational records of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Textual records: 1. Board of Trustees; 2. Administration; 3. Archives; 4. Gallery; 5. Heritage collections; 6. Photography. Photographs: A. Foundation b…
ca.6.0 m textual records. -- ca.12,500 photographs: prints, transparencies, negatives. -- 13 sound recordings: 6 audio cassettes, 7 audio compact disc (copy of 2 audio cassettes). -- 7 video tape recording: 1 VHS, 6 DVD. -- 1 cartographic record: survey site plan: 1:250
History / Biographical
The Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation is a charitable, non-profit organization that operates the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The Wa-Che-Yo-Cha-Pa Foundation, as the foundation was initially named, was founded and endowed by artists Peter and Catharine Whyte in 1958. It supported broad causes as well as acting as an agency for collecting and preserving cultural materials of the Canadian Rockies.
In 1968, a building designed by Philippe Delesalle and known as the Archives of the Canadian Rockies opened at 111 Bear Street in Banff, providing accommodation for a regional archives, gallery and the Banff Library. After a major renovation and addition in 1993, the foundation now supports three collection and exhibition departments under the name of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies: Archives and Library, Art Gallery and Heritage Collection.
Geographic collecting limits of the museum are the mountainous areas of Canada bounded by the 49th Parallel on the south, the Peace River on the north, the Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Columbia Mountains on the west.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of administrative and operational records of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Photographs: A. Foundation buildings; B. Gallery exhibition installation shots (negatives only); C. Events and guests (including Banff Day, gallery openings, special events and guests); D. Displays (inside and outside of the museum); E. Publicity and publication (includes views produced for this purpose); F. General (mainly people, places and events in Banff and area; includes photographs produced by Museum staff not included in other series). Photographs were made by staff of the Whyte Foundation, private photographers, and others.
Three sound recordings were made for research purposes during the course of Gallery operations; pertain to Ann Wheeler, David Settles and Peter Whyte art and exhibit. Other sound recording is of Grant MacEwan talk at the Whyte Museum, December 1993; recorded by Woody MacPhail. Video recording is of Banff Day 1997 by Eddie Hunter. 2 audio cassettes are a recording of the Clifford Jackson White memorial service held September 13, 2003 hosted by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Six sound and video recordings were made as part of the Fireside Chats at the Whyte program. These oral histories were conducted before a live audience at the historic Crosby home, Abegweit during the years 2012-2014. Interviews with Rob Crosby, Dorothy Carleton, Ralphine Locke, Don Mickle, Bridget Jones, Fran Drummond.
Cartographic materials include a site plan of lots 7-12, Block A, Plan 6719 B.C., November, 2000.
Finding aids and reference tools: basic description
Related Material
A CD-R copy of the Clifford Jackson memorial service with program notes and a transcript of a speech by Bill Holmes is located in the Clifford Jackson White fonds.
Note: March 16, 2023: Foundation Records were processed up to 2008 by Ted Hart in 2010-2011. The unprocessed records are stored off-site and there is no inventory. Some Art Department exhibition records prior to 2008 were inadvertently missed and remain in unprocessed. The file level descriptions prepared by Ted Hart are not in the database, however the inventory is located in the ArchivalMaster file for textual and sound, and ArchivalMaster2 for visual. Some records, including oversize have been added to the database, but it isn't consistent. O:\m_textual\m124_foundation_records_archivalmaster ; R:\v_visual\v692_foundation_records_archivalmaster. Access is restricted unless authorized by Head of Archives and Special Collections, CEO or CFO, or Head of applicable department.
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including cor…
154 cm of textual records. -- 1304 photographs (1190 prints, 95 negatives, 19 transparencies). -- 6 photograph albums.
History / Biographical
The Wardle family was comprised of husband and wife, James Morey Wardle (June 26,1888 - May 18,1971) and Maud Leette (Roney) Wardle (May 24,1889 - December 1,1969), and their one child, Dorothy Hope Wardle (May 23,1919 - July 20,2003).
James Wardle, born in Chiliwack, British Columbia, was a civil engineer and public servant. He was the Superintendent of Banff National Park from 1918-1921, Chief Engineer for Parks Canada from 1921-1935, and Deputy Minister of the Interior from 1935-1936. He is primarily known as a highway design engineer, particularly for building the Banff-Windermere, Banff-Lake Louise, and Banff-Jasper highways. He was a councillor for the Municipality of Rockcliffe Park in Ontario and he was the President of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in Banff from 1925-1929. Mount Wardle in Vermillion was named after him in 1921. James married Leette on November 4, 1913, with whom he had one child, Dorothy.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Dorothy (also known as Dot and Dorie) grew up in Banff, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario, due to her father's position with the federal government. She was educated at the Mountain School in Banff and at the Elmwood School in Ottawa. All three family members were graduates of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. James graduated in 1912 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Leette graduated with a Bachelor's degree, and in 1942, Dorothy also earned a Bachelor's degree. Dorothy was prominent in student life and active in athletics. In 1941, Dorothy became the first woman elected as President of the Alma Mater Society and during her academic career, Dorothy was a member of the Levana Intercollegiate Debative, University Centenary Committee, and Queen’s War Aid Commission.
Dorothy spent her career as a freelance writer however, upon graduation she served as the first Secretary-In-Charge of Records at Carleton College (now Carleton University) from 1942-1944 in Ottawa and in the mid-1950s worked as a secretary for the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. Dorothy pursued a lifelong interest in traveling, art, and antiques. Although she was fiercely proud and protective of Banff and the Park, and remained a volunteer and patron of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Dorothy eventually settled in Sidney, British Columbia and shared an apartment with Sheila Iris Ritchie, with whom Dorothy travelled extensively. After her death in 2003, Dorothy, "Dorie," was laid to rest alongside her parents in the Old Banff Cemetery.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including correspondence with Carl Rungius and Mrs. Helen Brett, and Christmas and other greeting cards from Peter and Catharine Whyte). Series III: Queen's University, 7.5 cm, 1911-1980 (including graduation certificates for each family member and records pertaining to Dorothy's participation on the Alma Mater Society). Series IV: Travel, 44.5 cm, ca.1950-1988 (includes hand-written notebooks meticulously detailing their travels).
V75 consists of two series, 79.5 cm, ca. 1912-2001. Series I: Wardle Family, ca. 1912-1971, 6 albums, 31 cm of photograph prints and negatives (including family trips, trail rides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and family gatherings). Series II: Dorothy Wardle, 1972-2001, 34 cm of photograph prints, negatives, and transparencies (including Dorothy's travels in Alberta and British Columbia, overseas, and various outings with friends).
Image of the oild painting "Stoney Indian Camp" by Peter Whyte - depicts two rows of tepees with multiple First Nations people sitting, standing, and on horseback throughout
Image of the oild painting "Stoney Indian Camp" by Peter Whyte - depicts two rows of tepees with multiple First Nations people sitting, standing, and on horseback throughout