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
Pertains to the works of Gordon Burles, a poet of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The poet includes works exclusively from the Banff area and covers topics pertaining to nature, places and people.
Notes
Annotated – the author has signed the inside front page with the following, “Best wishes Liz and Ron, from Gordon Burles”
Accession Number
2017.8683
Call Number
05.1 B92c Pam
Collection
Archives Library
URL Notes
The URL is linked to Gordon Burles archival fonds held at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Pertains to the works of Gordon Burles, a poet of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The poet’s work reflects a somber undertone, and covers topics pertaining to people, places, and nature.
Notes
Annotated – the author has signed the front page with the following, “To Liz – best wishes, from Gordon Burles”
Accession Number
2017.8683
Call Number
05.1 B92t Pam
Collection
Archives Library
URL Notes
The URL is linked to the Gordon Burles fonds held at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Pertains to the works of Gordon Burles, a poet of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The poet’ includes works exclusively from the Banff area and covers topics pertaining to nature, places and people.
Notes
Annotated – the author has signed the front page with the following, “Best wishes, Liz and Ron, from Gordon Burles”
Accession Number
2017.8683
Call Number
05.1 B92o Pam
Collection
Archives Library
URL Notes
The URL is linked to the Gordon Burles fonds held at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Contents: The heron (p.1); The hermit (p.2); Biskobad changes (p.3); Striving stone (p.4); The children on the hill (p.5); The old cabin (p.6); Vision for vision (p.7); With her (p.8); Rural roads (p.9); Bill Peyto alone (p.10); After the funeral (p.11); Among the poplars (p.12); A dream of moonlight (13); Night and day (p.14); The road home (p.15); She goes away (p.16); Love lesson (p.17); We sat here (p.18); The hike (p.19); Reunion (p.20); Plato in the twilight (p.21); The horsemen (p.22); Funeral (p.23); Bill Peyto old (p.24); Spring (p.25); Testament (p.26); A promise of mountain days (p.27); Banff (p.28); After the concert (p.29); Mountain camp (p.30); New love (p.31); The wedding (p.32); Old age(p.33); Seeing Mt. Cascade from the Spray River (p.34); Lane Johnson returns to Banff, 1919 (p.35); With Mr. Sanson (p.36);
The old alpinist (p.37); Meeting a former love (p.38); Old Antophon remembers (p.39); Daybreak (p.40); The ballerina (p.41); The first snow (p.42); Mrs. Stone remembers (p.43); Summer moments (p.44); Mrs. Wheeler’s garden (p.45); At the Banff Springs Hotel (p.46); Plato dying (p.47); Snowfall (p.48); When she walked by (p.49); At the Chateau Lake Louise (p. 50)
Cover: drawing by Wayne Milburn of cabin with Mounts Stoney Squaw and Cascade
Contents: Crossing the pass (p.1); Mt. Rundle twilight (p.2); The old trail (p.3); In the winter forest(p.4); Twilight (p.5); The meeting (p.6); Night-time parting (p.7); Mrs. Lewthwaite’s summer (p.8); Walter Wilcox in Paradise Valley (p.9); September hike (p.10); The night road (p.11); A July walk (p. 12); Exhortation (p.13); Banff dawn (p.14); The meadow (p.15); Elegy (p.16); Autumn at Johnson’s Lake (p.17); The aspens (p.18); Burial (p.19); The unknown woman (p.20); Reflection (p.21); Dusk (p.22); Lost love (p.23); The crocuses (p.24); At the zoo (p.25); Walking home (p.26); Fossil-hunting (p.27); Musings from Mt. Cascade (p.28); Two birches (p.29); Autumn requital (p.30); Manifestation (p.31); Two lovers in spring (p.32); Walter Phillips’ last dream (p.33); Near Boom Lake (p.34); Hypocrisy (p.34); Husband and wife (p.35); Avant-garde artist (p.36); Night adventure (p.37); For Conrad Kain (p.38);
Darkling meditation (p.39); To Edward Thomas (p.40); On the road to Sundance Canyon (p.41); The death of the deer (p.42); Alone (p.43); Summer dusk (p.44); The stream (p.45); Famous thinker (p.46); Menthenuena (p.47); Autumn dawn (p.48); First love (p.49); The mining camp (p.50); For Katherine Mansfield (p.51); Stewart Canyon (p.52); Inglismaldie Creek (p.53); Old Miss Hastings and the Rockies (p.54); Mrs. Wheeler’s garden (revision)(p.55)
Cover: drawing by Wesley Watts, a Banff-born artist
Contents: Poet’s night out (p.2); To my wife (p.2); Winter near Fairholme (p.3); Where Kathleen lives (p.3); Dawn reverie (p.4); At the Bankhead Station, autumn (p.4); Mt. Norquay Road (p.5); After the climb (p.6); Banff autumn(p.7); Motley (p.8); Boots and saddle (p.8); Cascade wash (p.9); The great trash dump (p.10); Would I were there (p.11); At the lake (p.12); Destiny (p.12); Fairholme spruce (p.13); The visitor (p.14); Going to Bourgeau Lake (p.14); The great house (p.15); The camp trip (p.16); The farewell (p.16); 1925 (p.17); For Fay (p.17); Midnight creed (p.18); For the Greek dead (p.19); Fairholme peak (p.19); Winter journey (p.20); From sadness (p.21); Grief (p.21); Prayer (p.22); Beatitude (p.22); Visions in August (p.23); Scottie and the moon (p.23); The honeysuckle (p.24); Summer idyll (p.24); For Will Durant (p.25); Anticipation (p.26); Imperial peace (p.27); Chinese market garden, 1956 (p.27); Wandering (p.28); That ancient vision (p.28); Cleomenes remembers (p.29); Anthracite (p.30); Midnight vision (p.30); The view (p.31); Adeimantus dying (p.31); There are mountains (p.32); Spring storm (p.32); Moments alone (p.33); Now, dear Leander (p.34); Life’s logolithos (p.34); The knight (p.35); Two friends (p.35); During the war (p.36); My story (p.37); Hermione’s rodeo (p.37); Funeral oration (p.38); Mistress of Fairholme (p.38); For Georgia Engelhard (p.39); Worship (p.39); Cyrenaica (p.40); Edwardian road (p.40); Plato’s confession (p.41); Scimitar (p.42); His rhapsody (p.42); Archaica (p.43); Sunday(p.43); Ariston (p.44); Sunday morning (p.44); Le cimetiere(p.45); Night avenue (p.45); L’Etre humain (p.46); Summer (p.46); Near Inglismaldie (p.47); Invitation (p.47); Plato (p.48); Saturday night (p.49); Chinatown (p.49); Late Victoriana (p.50); After the rain (p.50); Yuletide (p.51); The old story (p.51); To be oneself (p.52); Lydia (p.52); Metropolis (p.53); Life-soldier (p.53); China (p.54); Huay (p.54); Wind-song (p.55); The buntiad (p.55); Bankhead visit (p.56); Good intentions (p.57); Beijing (p.57); Antiquity (p.58); Nature (p.58); Bucolic cerebration (p.59); Dream tour (p.60); Shakespeare (p.60); In the land of the toy Teuton (p.61); Before waking (p.61); Sobbing: Rockbound Lake (p.62); At the Chateau Lake Louise (p.62); Cleanthes’ vision (p.63); Kathleen remembers (p.63); City (p.64); Natalie (p.64); Vision for Matsuko (p.65); The other (p.65); Mont. St. Eloi (p.66); At the forest’s edge (p.66); Afterwhere (p.67); The soldier (p.68); Abrasions (p.68); Rural sojourn (p.69); After the flowering (p.70); Plato in the canyon (p.71); Andalusia (p.72); Secrets (p.72); Tears for old Lacerta (p.73); Along the canal (p.73); The shadowy house (p.74); A rainy Sunday(p.74); The era of sleep (p.75); While we slumber (p.76); For Edward (p.76); Twilight (p.77); Sunday dancing (p.77); After the hike (p.78); Return of the Magi (p.79); The final afternoon (p. 80); The new improved ecstasy (p.81); Midnight at Banff (p.82); Out for a stroll (p.82); Vision from a landfill (p.83); Le grand hotel (p.83); Somewhere in Attica (p.84); Deleterium (p.85); Nightfall (p.85); Just one more palimpsest (p.86); Piche Peak (p.86); Isabel (p.87); Sacrament (p. 87); Aegean days (p.88); Meditation in a canyon (p.88); In Fairholme’s shadow (p.89); Ripeness is all (p.90); The temple (p.90); The canyon (p.91); Lewis Crescent (p.91); The refuge (p.92)
Contents: With her (p.1); After the funeral (p.2); Old Antophon remembers (p.3); She goes away (p.4); We sat here (p.5); The horsemen (p.6); Bill Peyto old (p. 7-8); Walking home (p.9); Changes and then some (p.10); Must be Monday (p.10); Dennie (p.11); Buried alive (p.11); Life’s logolithos (p.12); On Mt. Cascade (p.12); In the Rundle lounge (p.13); Ballerina (p.13); At Aunt Nellie’s (p.14); Wen-shiang (p.14); Climbers in photographs (p.15); For Edward (p.15); Daybreak (p.16); June epiphany (p.16); Labour of love (p.17); Vision for Kathleen (p.18); Flirtation (p.18); Egypt (p.19); Century boogie (p.20); Near Castle Mountain (p. 21); The Night Council (p.22); Vision from a photograph (p.23); Finality (p.24); Homage to
Adama Lassiter (p.25); Story for Boris Latimer (p.26); Those mortal days (p.27); The adventure (p.28); A day in late August (p.29); Summer’s end (p.30); Rainfall advisories (p.31); The mason reflects (p.31); At the lake (p.32); Memoir for Wallace (p.32); Summer holiday (p.33); Adventure in late August (p.34); Cemetery Tea House days (p.35); Vision in spring for Aldous Westlock (p.36); Letter to Martin Saddington (p. 37); Lament in March (p.38); What I saw (p. 38); Letter to Cymbeline Roehurst (p. 39); November in the suburbs (p.40); Incident for Nathan Guilderkamp (p.41); Liturgy for Amanda (p. 42); Narrative for Manyusya(p.43); Midsummer narrative (p.43); That fabled resurrection (p.44); Call it fate (p.45); Recollection for Tybalt (p.46); Saga for Espen Duddimore (p.47); Vernal sacrament (p.48); Incident in late August (p.49); Kezia of the snows (p.49); Afternoon visit (p.50); Portrait for Manyusya (p.51); Words of the mason (p.52); Portrait for Nehemiah (p.53); Nathaniel (p.54); Spring’s portrait (p.55); Portrait for Allan Castleridge (p.56); Portrait for Nehemiah Alderton (p.57); Pilgrimage (p.58); Evening visit (p.58); Letter to Solomon Sundergaard (p.59); Letter from the aged mason (p.60); Portrait of late summer (p.61); Holiday adventure (p.61); Incident for Hladislaw Trentholm (p.62); Portrait for Adrian (p.63); Portrait for Lexington Clerihew (p.64); Autumn memoir (p.65); Portrait for Joan (p.66); Portrait for Edgar Outhwaite (p.67); Narrative for Jillian (p.68); Narrative for Lucia Hawthornden (p.69); Portrait for Adrian (p.70); Portrait for Leandra (p.71); Portrait for Leighton (p.72); One more portrait for Jillian (p.73); Banff, 1958 (p.74); Memoir for Jackson (p.74); Another portrait for Atsuko and Ikumi (p.75); Another portrait for summer (p. 76); Nothing in the offing (p.76); Portrait dedicated to Kathleen (p.77); Portrait for Marygale (p.78); Letter to Jillian (p.78); Letter to Roland (p.79); Portrait for Roland (p.79); Incident in early summer (p.80); Portrait for Huay Tsin Tsu (p.81); Evening in the old Tyrol (p.82); Another portrait of spring (p.82); Portrait for Andrea Von Moskovitz (p.83); Portrait for Liana (p.84); Portrait for Yolanda (p.85); Portrait for Ebb (p.86); Portrait for Lathom Northrup (p.87); Portrait (p.88); My words to Lydia (p.88); Portrait for Cynara (p.89); Portrait of July for Katy (p.89); Portrait for Lorna Saddington (p.90); Solstitial letter (p.91); Incident in early August (p.91); Nocturne for Amanda (p.92); Portrait for Wendy (p.93); New portrait for Glenda (p.93); At the Tea House (p.94); The small hours (p.95); Portrait for Marion (p.95); November experience (p.96); September storm (p.96); Portrait for Leonora (p.97); Desperation (p.98); Portrait for Tara (p.99); Word of the magus (p.99); Letter to Wallace (p. 100); Portrait for Susanna (p.101); Will and testament (p.101); Beijing letter (p.102); Lydia Saddington (p.102); Adeimantus dying (p.103); Homage to Lydia (p.103); Recollection for Kathleen (p.104); Cleanthes’ vision (p.104); Portrait of Cyrenaica (p.105); Those many secrets (p.105); November portrait (p.106); Homage to Kathleen (p.106); Letter near the solstice (p.107); Portrait for Alicia (p.107); October meditation (p.108); Portrait for Emilia (p.109); Mountaineering days (p.110); Deep in November (p.111); Another portrait for Maria (p.112); Bucolic cerebration (p.113); Epistle for Lucius (p.114); Memoir for Andrea (p.114); Deleterium for Sudsy (p.115); Summer carnival (p. 116); No abbreviated attire (p.117)
Contents: (one copy signed by author) Reunion (for Eleanora) (p.4-5); Snowfall (for Janine)(p.6-7); Mt. Rundle twilight (p.8-9); Dawn close to Banff (p.10); Burial (for Hadrian) (p.11); On Tunnel Mt. Drive (p.12); Autumn around Banff (p.13); Scottie and the moon (p.14); A dawn reverie for Eleonara Saddington (p.14); Poem for Will Durant (p.15); Anticipation (for Judith)(p.16); Mt. Daly (for Jason)(p.17); Cemetery (for Nathan) (p.18); Xenophon remembering (p.18); September storm (p.19); Sunday afternoon (p.19); The new improved ecstasy (p.20); Memoir for Jane Eastmoreland (p.21); Broaching the facts (p.22); On the second voice (p.23); Museum (for Elizabeth)(p.24); Near Johnson’s Lake (p.25); Levant (for Mary Jackson)(p.26); An October afternoon (p.27); Late summer universe (p.28); A Victorian nocturne (p.29); Vision for Mabel Delavega (p.30); Midsummer story for Jamie Westcottman (p.31); Last letter to Natalie (p.32); Vision for Heinz (p.32); Aah, you’re a genius, Kezia (p.33); Some inevitable adventure (p.34); Adventure late in August (p.35); Some summer story (p.36); An early August incident (p.37); On the night road (p.38); Final note for Andzia (p.39); Portrait in memory of her (p.39); Confession for Hidalgo Whipsnade (p.40); That spring sojourn (p.41); Narrative for Horace Von Ostmark, Esquire (p.42); Penultimate letter to Angelica Upham (p.42); It’s not Quinquagesima, darling! (p.43); The second narrative for Lilia (p.44); Memorandum for Lousandra (p.45); Summer adventure for Virginia (p.46); Contrition for Kathleen (p.46);Letter to Charlotte Westmoreland (p.47); More broodings for Adrian Graham (p.47); Another portrait of October (p.48); Final letter for Anzimiera (p.48); Autumnal incident for Lathom (p.49); Another portrait for Romona (p.50);Those houses on the shore (p.51);On Kallisthenes (p.51); A letter for Wallace (p.52); Portrait for Eunice (p.52); Another portrait for Myrna (p.53); A portrait for Edward (p.54); Portrait for Katherine (p.54); Poem, the shadowy house (p.55); Ah, another portrait for Lynney (p.55);Wee hour adventure (p.56); Portrait for Deirdre Easton (p.56); Ah, another letter to Lydia (p.57); Memoir for Kay Ward (p.58); A portrait for Tina (p.58); Such a dream voyage (p.59); Nineteen hundred eleven (p.60); A portrait for Lathom Roebuck (p.61); The portrait for Lyndon (p.62);One more suburban interlude (p.63); Homage to James Percy Burles (p.64); Memoir for Edward and Karen (p.65); Now you are famous, darling (p.66); A portrait for Dena (p.66); Memoir for Lousandra and Lathom (p.67); One memoir for Lucia Upham (p.68); One portrait of autumn for Marilee (p.69); Some incident for Katy (p.69); One incident for Northrup (p.70); Additional letter to Anzimiera (p.70); Tableau for Northrup Browning (p.71); One summer at the villa (p.71); One more portrait for Latimer Heseltine, Esq. (p.72); Portrait for Lathom Considine (p.72); Inglismaldie Creek (p.73-74); Old Mrs. Wheeler’s garden (p.75); Letter to Wallace in spring (p.76); When I was six years (p.77); Prologue for Beryl Wotypka (p.77); Easter afternoon (for Wallace) (p.78); Portrait for Wallace Black (p.79); Memoir for Leif Clapperton (p.80)
Cover: photograph by author of poplars on south side of Kidney house lot at the corner of Muskrat and Wolf streets in Banff; Tunnel Mountain in background
Contents: (one copy signed by author); Biskobad changes (p.1-2 ); That night avenue (p.3); Aubade for caftans (p.3); In the late autumn (p.4); From Brewster Creek (p.4); Lady Bagnell (p.5); Looking east of Banff (p.5); Bereavement (for Joel)(p.6); Another portrait for Kay Ward (p.7); Maisy (for Jason) (p.7); Second narrative for Lilia Anguelova and friends (p.8); Another tableau for Jason Dunning (p.9); Another portrait for Etherspear Jackson (p.9); Penultimate latter to Pelagia and family (p.10); Another Narrative for Hawthorne Sandeman (p.10); Summertime letter for Eleanora Dunn (p.11); A portrait of August for Andzimiera (p.11); Remembering Anzimiera (p.12); Tableau for Dale Clapperton (p.12);
Tableau for Eustace Wint (p.13); Portrait of twilight (p.13); A portrait for Jane (p.14); Young Buddy’s boots (p.14); Portrait for Lew Tottenham (p.15); Some summer night (p.15); Incident in spring (p.16); Tableau for Tully Van Kamp (p.16); Portrait of a moment for Marya (p.17); Portrait for Wallace Beckmair (p.17); Incident in springtime (p.18); Portrait for old Wallace (p.18); Tableau for Wallace Ahearne (p.19); Tableau for Jane Sibley (p.20); Recollection for Nathaniel (p.21); Incident for Eleanora Saddington (p.21); Tableau for Nathaniel Willoughby (p.22); Tableau for Hieronymus Eddington (p.23); Plato in the twilight (p.24); Tableau for Christy Sandringham-Woods (p.25); A portrait for Ulrika (p.25); Incident for Martha (p.26); In the winter forest (p.27); The winter garden (p.28); The revelation (p.29); Cascade Creek (p.30); From that hotel (p.31); The old photograph (p.32); Addressed to Kathleen Burles (p.32); At that museum (p.33); Portrait for Natalie Trent (p.34); Fresh tableau for Anzia (p.34); La vie metropolitaine (p.35); Sunday morning (p.35); Tableau for Jennifer Whitt (p.36); It is wedding day (p.36); Portait for Nathaniel Bestick (p.37); The “Titanic” (p.38); The old uncle (p.38); Stanley (for Jolene)(p.39); Liturgy for Lydia (p.39); Some incident in late August (p.40); Portrait for Ethelbert Sandringham (p.40); The twilight adventure (for Hetta)(p.41); One portrait for Linda (p.42); That dreaded epiphany (for Andreas)(p.42); Tableau for Lousandra (p.43); A vision of October for Kazia (p.43); Destiny (for Samantha)(p.44); Another portrait for Eva (p.45); A portrait for Hedda Westmore (p.45); Solitary musings (p.46); Penultimate letter to Andrea (p.46); Incident for Latimer Westhaverton (p.47); Tableau for Bessemer
Considine (p.47); Histoire pour Lilia (p.48); Exhortation for Lousandra (p.49); Near Castle Mountain (p.50); Tableau for Sandra Bellechasse (p.50); Aah, westward to Quinquagesima! (p.51); One portrait for Adrian (p.51); Portrait of Sunday evening (revision)(p.52); Vernal narrative for Joel (reprint with error corrected of poem previously titled “Vernal Narrative”)(p.53)
Cover: photograph by author of Skyline Hikers on North Molar Pass in summer of 1979; looking north
