Fonds consist of personal and professional papers of Walter S. Painter, 1902-1956, and Painter family photographs, ca.1905-ca.1955. Professional papers, include notebooks; cost books; reports on Painter system of prefabrication housing, 1939; plans and renderings of CPR buildings, Painter Home and …
30 cm of textual records. -- 23 cartographic records : 80 x 135 cm or smaller. -- 589 photographs (287 prints, 302 negatives). -- 1 photograph album (301 prints)
History / Biographical
Walter S. Painter, 1877-1957, was an architect in Canada and the United States. Painter rose to prominence early in life as a theatre architect and joined the Canadian Pacific Railway as chief architect while still in his twenties. Projects in the Banff, Alberta area included design of the tower and wings of the Banff Springs Hotel, the first concrete addition to the Lake Louise Chalet (Chateau Lake Louise), and the Cave and Basin. other Canadian projects were major CPR stations and hotels from Montreal to the west coast. For a period, Painter was in partnership with Frank Swales. In later years, Painter was involved in American projects, standardization of school buildings in Chile, and the Painter system of pre-fabrication, with particular interests in housing and concrete construction designs. Walter Painter built his home in Banff in 1912 and retired there in 1947. He was married to Estelle (Stella) Painter, 1880-1975. They had two children, Betty Painter (Walker) and Brook Painter.
Scope & Content
Fonds consist of personal and professional papers of Walter S. Painter, 1902-1956, and Painter family photographs, ca.1905-ca.1955.
Professional papers, include notebooks; cost books; reports on Painter system of prefabrication housing, 1939; plans and renderings of CPR buildings, Painter Home and other buildings, n.d., 1906-1929; articles about Painter and his projects, n.d., 1902-1934. The papers primarily concern Painter's architectural career, theatres, CPR projects including stations and hotels from Montreal to Victoria, Banff Springs Hotel, Cave and Basin, Glacier, British Columbia projects and the Lake Louise Chalet. Personal papers, ca.1930-1956, record Painter's views on economics, philosophy, religion, housing, etc.
Family photographs, pertaining to Walter Painter, Stella Painter, Betty Painter and Brook Painter. Includes Painter home, activities, friends, trips. Also, photographs of Walter Painter projects, including construction of the Banff Springs Hotel, Lake Louise Chalet and Cave and Basin.