Fonds consists of seven series: I. Personal and professional series, 1937-1993 (diaries, correspondence, filing systems and papers pertaining to awards, memberships, biography and other); II. Business series, 1948-1982 (pertaining to guiding, outfitting, trail riding, ranching, Andy Russell and S…
6 m of textual records and printed material. -- ca.6100 photographs : prints, negatives, transparencies. -- 1 photograph album (49 prints). -- 29 motion pictures. -- 5 sound recordings
History / Biographical
Andy Russell, 1915-2005, was a trapper, guide and outfitter, writer, photographer, cinematographer, lecturer and environmental advocate in the Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada.
Russell was born in Lethbridge, Alberta and spent his childhood on a ranch in the foothills near Pincher Creek. He became a skilled horseman, hunter, fisherman and trapper, and, in 1936, was employed by Bert Riggall, a pioneer guide and outfitter of wilderness pack trips in the southern Rockies since 1907. He became Riggall's partner in 1939 and took over the business when Riggall retired in 1946. Andy Russell and Kathleen (Kay) Riggall married in 1938 and raised five children at their ranch bordering Waterton Lakes National Park, where family businesses included guiding, saddlehorses and ranching. Children are: Richard "Dick" H. (b.1938); Andrew Charles "Charlie" (b.1941); Harold John "John" (b.1944); Hugh Gordon Riggall "Gordon" (b.1947); Lorenda Anne "Anne" (b.1952).
Russell continued as a renowned guide and outfitter with a wealthy repeat clientele until he was forced out of guiding by 1960 with the advance of the oil industry concerns upon wilderness areas in southern Alberta and British Columbia. Russell began to write nature articles in 1945 and after 1960 concentrated upon writing, photography, film making, lecturing and ranching. He wrote for numerous magazines and newspapers, produced radio broadcasts, and, using colour motion picture photography, developed programs on wildlife and wilderness habitat research for live public performances. Russell's films launched his career as an author of popular wildlife and mountain culture books, which included Grizzly Country. In later years, he was an active writer, consultant and advocate of wilderness and environmental management and received numerous awards and honours, including Member of the Order of Canada.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of seven series: I. Personal and professional series, 1937-1993 (diaries, correspondence, filing systems and papers pertaining to awards, memberships, biography and other); II. Business series, 1948-1982 (pertaining to guiding, outfitting, trail riding, ranching, Andy Russell and Sons, royalties and lecturing); III. Writing, broadcasting and public appearances series, 1908-1990 (papers and photographs pertaining to writing, book projects, columns, broadcasts, reviews, advertising, promotion and other); IV. Photography and cinematography series, 1909-1990 (details below); V. Wildlife study and conservation activities series, 1945-[198-]; VI. Other activities series, 1931-[199-] (politics, interviews, information files); VII. Russell family series, [1867]-1983.
Photography and cinematography series consists of: Riggall/Russell guiding activity photographs, 1909-1962, ca.280 items; Andy Russell and Sons Production Ltd / Andy Russell professional photographs and films, ca.1940- ca.1990, ca.4200 photographs (mainly transparencies), 28 motion pictures, accompanied by some textual and printed items; personal and family photographs, 1916-1989, ca.1550 items; collected photographs, ca.1940-197-, ca.75 items. Professional photography and cinematography primarily arose from field work by Andy, Dick and Charlie Russell and pertains mainly to flora, fauna and landscape of the Canadian Rockies in continental divide region, British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska.
Motion pictures, ca.1950-1974, include original film "Grizzly Country" by Dick, Charlie and Andy Russell, produced by Evan J. Anton, ca.1969, copy print of same; also unedited wildlife and landscape footage of Waterton area, Yukon and British Columbia.
Sound recordings are interviews with Andy Russell, [ca.1970]-1988.
Fonds consists of the sound recordings compiled by the host of Heritage Fireside Chats, Brian Bindon. Recordings conducted at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge relate to 3 topics: Mountaineers of the Canadian Rockies and include interviews with Chic Scott, Barry Blanchard, and Kevin Doyle; Art and Spirit of Place …
Sound recordings: 20 optical discs; CD-ROM. -- 0.5 cm textual records
History / Biographical
Brian Bindon, host of Heritage Fireside Chats
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of the sound recordings compiled by the host of Heritage Fireside Chats, Brian Bindon. Recordings conducted at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge relate to 3 topics: Mountaineers of the Canadian Rockies and include interviews with Chic Scott, Barry Blanchard, and Kevin Doyle; Art and Spirit of Place includes interviews with Lisa Christensen, Neil Swanson, and Craig Richards; Warden Heritage discusses the horseback patrol system, Ya-Ha-Tinda, backcountry district system, and women wardens and silent partners. Recordings conducted at Hawks Nest Ranch consist of Andy Russell stories. Readings from Close Calls on High Walls continues the Warden Heritage subject at the home of Mike Schintz; the recordings Wolverine at Skoki and other stories are discussed at Ken Jones' home in Nanton, Alberta.
Also included in the fonds are textual records consisting of Bindon's handwritten notes of open discussions of the chats.
Fonds consists of three series: A. Kay Russell personal series, 1922-1984; B. Russell family correspondence series, 1921-1984; C. Russell family papers and photographs series, 1909-1983. Kay Russell personal series contains diaries, notes and other papers. Diaries pertain to hunting and pack tri…
2.4 m of textual records. -- ca.620 photographs (ca.570 prints, ca.45 negatives, 6 transparencies)
History / Biographical
Anna Kathleen (Kay) Russell, 1909-1984, was a camp cook, homemaker and naturalist who lived and worked near Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta, Canada. Kay Riggall was the daughter of guide and outfitter Bert Riggall, and Dora Riggall, and the sister of Doris (Babe) Riggall (Burton). Kay worked with her father as a camp cook until her marriage in 1938 to Andy Russell, who later took over Riggall's businesses. Kay Russell was an avid diarist who faithfully documented her personal and family life while working in the Riggall and Russell family businesses and raising five children on the family ranch. Children are: Richard "Dick" H. (b.1938); Andrew Charles "Charlie" (b.1941); Harold John "John" (b.1944); Hugh Gordon Riggall "Gordon" (b.1947); Lorenda Anne "Anne" (b.1952).
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of three series: A. Kay Russell personal series, 1922-1984; B. Russell family correspondence series, 1921-1984; C. Russell family papers and photographs series, 1909-1983.
Kay Russell personal series contains diaries, notes and other papers. Diaries pertain to hunting and pack trips, vacations, daily life of the Russell family, and the natural environment in which they lived.
Russell family correspondence series contains family correspondence and general correspondence. Family correspondence consists of letters sent and received within the family by Kay, Andy, Dick, Charlie, John, Gordon and Anne Russell; also Babe Burton, Harold and Lorenda Russell, Fannie Riggall and others. General correspondence consists of letter and cards to the Russell family from numerous friends and acquaintances.
Russell family papers and photographs series consists of financial papers, 1952-1983, Bert Riggall estate papers, 1955-1962, photographs, 1909-1980, and other material. Photographs pertain mainly to the Riggall and Russell families, including: Kay Riggall and Riggall family; Riggall home, hunting, activities, Twin Butte and Waterton areas; wedding and honeymoon photographs of Kay and Andy Russell, 1938; Kay and Andy Russell and children; Russell home, Hawk's Nest, ranch, pets, horses; friends and relatives; hunting and fishing; wildlife and natural history.
Notes
One large b&w print (approx. 28x35cm) of a giraffe was moved from unprocessed box to V63 / O.S. for proper storage.
File consists of 466 b&w negatives. The negatives pertain to Andy Russell and Kay Russell's (nee Riggall) wedding day, ice cutting, Bert and Dora on horseback during the time of their homesteading, young Doris "Babe" Burton (nee Riggall) and Kay Russell (nee Riggall), haying, Cottowood Creek flood,…
File consists of 466 b&w negatives. The negatives pertain to Andy Russell and Kay Russell's (nee Riggall) wedding day, ice cutting, Bert and Dora on horseback during the time of their homesteading, young Doris "Babe" Burton (nee Riggall) and Kay Russell (nee Riggall), haying, Cottowood Creek flood, Chris Williams, Cyril Watmough, various views of Riggall pack trains and clients, Miss Allison (Parkview teacher) fishing, Fred Dupuy, Kay and Doris' pet owls, Dora skinning her deer, Parkview School meeting, Porcupine eating Bert's saddles, Bert's 1911 trip in B.C, picnics, Riggall camps, and some early Riggall photographs.
File consists of 390 b&w negatives. The negatives pertain to Mount Chapman and Mount Custer; hunters checking slopes; hunters posed with a goat trophy; an unidentified man posed on slope of Belleview Hill; people on horses on Continental Divide North of Sage Pass; Cache Creek Falls; riders on a day…
Date Range
[ca.1904 to ca.1959]
Reference Code
V26 / IX / H / NA (H1-1) to V26 / IX / J / NA (J5-9)
File consists of 390 b&w negatives. The negatives pertain to Mount Chapman and Mount Custer; hunters checking slopes; hunters posed with a goat trophy; an unidentified man posed on slope of Belleview Hill; people on horses on Continental Divide North of Sage Pass; Cache Creek Falls; riders on a day trip; a camp scene of bedding being aired out; Mount Blackiston and Ruby Creek; the Beehive from Panorama Peak; various hunters; a red squirrel; fisherman, horses and tent at Crandell Lake; a mule deer on prairie part of Waterton Lakes National Park; two mule deer on slopes above Cameron Lake; woman on shore of Wall Lake; camp at Oyster Creek; Canadian two cent stamp; horses on ranch; hunters on vertical cliff; Summit Lake early in summer Mount Chapman; people and horses across from Beehive; two hunters in camp with deer trophy; packtrain below Broken Castle; Anderson Peak; mule deer buck; big horn ram on grassy slope; rams on a cliff; people on shore of Upper Kintla Lake, Long Knife Peak; rider at Oyster Creek camp; snow-covered camp scene; beaver dams and ponds on Dungarvin Creek; fisherman with large trout; McIntyre ranch buildings from Milk River Ridge; various camp scenes; Hawk's Nest cottage yard with trip supplies; packtrain wading up a river; packtrain in a meadow in the Oldman area; chicadee; gray-crowned rosy finches; downy woodpecker; columbia ground squirell; osprey nest near Oldman River; fisherman on Oldman River; A.O. Wheeler's mapping survey expeditions rock cairn; group on Tornado Pass; two people on Limestone Peak; Andy Russell and Jim Bennett on Tornado Mountain; andy Russell on top of cliff; Castle River rodeo; Sumner Crosby with a ram; lunch time on trip; Andy Russell field dressing a bull elk; guests on Mount Chimney; hunter on avalanche track; tents in snow; Lake Wurderman, Lake Nooney, and Mount Chapman; children eating on porch of Hawk's Nest; moving camp at Oyster Creek; limestone outcrop on corner of Lakeview Ridge; guest eatng at table in front of tent; Bert's car near Red Rock Canyon; saddle horses above South Kootenay Pass, Starvation Peak and King Edward; Mount Farquhar, Holcroft Mountain, Mount Scrimger; Jim Bennett with his movie camera near Beehive; Andy Russell and packtrain Oldman River valley; Lundbreck, Alberta; Pincher Creek and Castle Mountain; Upper Waterton Lake from Crandell; Andy and Kay Russell Wedding, 1938; Andy Russell snowshoeing; F.H.R's tipi; fishing at Wall Lake; Riggall's second Cottonwood Canyon house; Twin Lakes Camp; Kintla Lookout; Harwood Wedding.
Fonds pertains to Stevens family pack trips, camps, backcountry travel, hunting trips in southwestern Alberta, southeastern British Columbia and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park with outfitters Bert Riggall and Andy Russell; mainly Waterton and Oldman River regions. Many of the photograph…
The Stevens family was from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Four American families, the Boveys, Stevens, Crosbys and Bennetts, funded construction of a hunting lodge, the "Hawk's Nest," near Waterton, Alberta, Canada in 1924 and contracted the guiding services of Bert Riggall for many years. Riggall's successor, Andy Russell, continued to guide and outfit these visitors.
Scope & Content
Fonds pertains to Stevens family pack trips, camps, backcountry travel, hunting trips in southwestern Alberta, southeastern British Columbia and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park with outfitters Bert Riggall and Andy Russell; mainly Waterton and Oldman River regions. Many of the photographs are by Bert Riggall and are annotated by him; some annotated by Andy Russell. Some prints correspond to negatives.