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).