The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photograp…
Nicholas Everard Morant, 1910-1999, was a professional photographer based at Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was a Canadian commercial photographer of international repute and Canada's premier railway photographer of the 20th century.
Morant was born at Kamloops, British Columbia, the son of Francis and Mollie Morant. After attending the University School at Victoria, Morant served as Special Photographer to the CPR from 1929 to 1935 and again from 1944 to 1981. From 1935 to 1939, he was a cameraman for the Winnipeg Free Press, and from 1940 to 1944 worked with the Wartime Information Branch of the federal government (later to be known as the National Film Board Stills Division).
Morant had a prolific career as a freelance commercial, portrait, magazine, landscape and documentary photographer. His work appeared in numerous books and magazines, including Time, Life, Liberty, Saturday Evening Post, (Toronto) Star Weekly, Northern Sportsman, Reader's Digest, Country Guide, The Standard, National Home Monthly, Canadian Photography, Outdoor Canada, National Geographic, the Globe & Mail, Winnipeg Tribune, New York Daily News, and the two Canadian Pacific Railway magazines, The Spanner and Rail News.
Two wartime images were featured on postage stamps, while three landscape views appeared on Canadian $10, $50 and $100 bills. His images were also used for corporate annual reports, postcards, brochures, calendars and advertisements. From the 1950s to 1980s Morant gave public slide shows of his work, two of the most popular being "A Talk Without Words" and "The World At Your Feet".
Morant married Ivy May "Willie" Young in 1936 when he was a photographer with the Winnipeg Free Press. Beginning in 1929, and until the end of her life, Morant's travelling and working companion was his wife, "Willie," 1910-1986.
Scope & Content
The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photography; II. Professional records; III. Personal and family records.
I. Photography series consists of: A. Negatives and transparencies, B. Transparencies, C. Prints, D. Other photographs. II. Professional records series consists of: A. Working records, B. Career records, C. Topical files. III. Personal and family records series consists of: A. Nick and Willie Morant, B. Nick Morant funeral and memorial, C. Francis and Mollie Morant, D. Collected material
Notes
Full summary of sub-sub-series levels:
I / A : 1) Darkroom Files [ a) Negative Albums b) Black/White Series I and II c) Colour Series I and II
d) Leica Negs ]
2) GD Files
I / B : 1) Presentations [ a) Topical Files b) Thematic Files ]
2) General Files
3) Other
I / C : 1) Print Files
I / D : 1) Exhibition and Display Prints
2) Photographs used by John Garden
3) Other Photographs
II / A : 1) Log Books
2) Notebooks
II / B : 1) Career Binders [ a) Postcards b) Brochures and Advertising c) clippings and articles
d) Calendar Photographs ]
2) Scrapbooks [ a) Content 1933 - 1946 b) Content 1940 - 1980 ]
II / C : 1) Numbered / Titled Files [ a) Group A b) Group B c) Group C d) Group D e) Group H
f) Group P g) Group R ]
2) Other Topical Files [ a) Railway; i) Timetables ii) Publications iii) Other
b) Photography; i) Textual Records ii) Print Material
c) Travel d) Exhibitions and Galleries e)Personal f) Other ]
3) Postcards, Greeting Cards and Ephemera Collection
4) Published Images and Text
5) Professional Photography
6) Promotional Items, Awards and Correspondence
7) Presentation and Interview Materials
III / A : 1) Correspondence
2) Personal Papers [ a) Personal Records b) Notes and Notebooks c) Lists and Card Files
d) Awards and Retirement ]
3) Personal Photographs
4) House Records [ a) Construction b) Household Records ]
5) Business, Financial and Legal Papers
6) Interviews, Reminiscences Personal Recordings
7) Other Records (Signs, Cartoons, Drawings, etc.)
8) Personal Correspondence and Notes
9) Travel Documents and Maps
III / B : 1) Nick Morant Funeral, Memorial and Estate
III / C : 1) Mollie Morant Papers
2) Other Family Papers
III / D : 1) Sound Recordings
2) Biographical Material
3) Other Papers and Photographs [ a) Burton Wheatley Family b) Other ]
4) Personal and Family Photography
5) Personal Interest and Gifts
File consists of one printed map on canvas depicting Rocky Mountains Park and surrounding areas, ca.1910-1930. Map is annotated with red hand-coloured markers and small notes written in black ink.
1 topographical map : hand col., annotations, on canvas ; 150 x 100 cm
History / Biographical
Rocky Mountains Park was renamed Banff National Park on May 30, 1930 as part of the National Parks Act passed by the Government of Canada.
Scope & Content
File consists of one printed map on canvas depicting Rocky Mountains Park and surrounding areas, ca.1910-1930. Map is annotated with red hand-coloured markers and small notes written in black ink.
Notes
Context of map mostly unknown. Missing title, date and other identifying information.
File consists of 12 copies of a geological map produced by Ben Gadd while completing a Colloquium Study program at the University of Lethbridge between 1970 and 1972. Map depicts a small region of the Canadian Rockies. File includes three clear [plastic?] copies; six paper copies; one negative prin…
File consists of 12 copies of a geological map produced by Ben Gadd while completing a Colloquium Study program at the University of Lethbridge between 1970 and 1972. Map depicts a small region of the Canadian Rockies. File includes three clear [plastic?] copies; six paper copies; one negative print copy; and two blueprint copies.
Sub-sub series consists of topographical maps depicting various regions in Canada and the United States, which were collected by Ben Gadd. Includes ca.13 maps of regions in the United States (including Eagletail National Park in Arizona, Colorado Springs, and Montana); and ca.213 maps of regions in…
Sub-sub series consists of topographical maps depicting various regions in Canada and the United States, which were collected by Ben Gadd. Includes ca.13 maps of regions in the United States (including Eagletail National Park in Arizona, Colorado Springs, and Montana); and ca.213 maps of regions in Northern Canada, Western Canada and the Canadian Rockies (predominantly Alberta and British Columbia, as well as the Yukon).
Sub-sub-series consists of ca.30 travel maps and guides collected by Ben Gadd, primarily pertaining to regions in the United States. Includes regions in Colorado, Arizona, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Sub-sub-series consists of ca.30 travel maps and guides collected by Ben Gadd, primarily pertaining to regions in the United States. Includes regions in Colorado, Arizona, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Sub-sub-series consists of ca.50 maps of various regions in Western Canada and Alaska which were collected by Ben Gadd. Maps are arranged according to associated highways which the mapped regions depict.
Sub-sub-series consists of ca.50 maps of various regions in Western Canada and Alaska which were collected by Ben Gadd. Maps are arranged according to associated highways which the mapped regions depict.
File consists of 2 published books. Contains 1 copy of 'Canada's Great Highway: from the First Stake to the Last Spike' by J.H.E. Secretan (1924), annotated by Nicholas Morant; and 1 copy of 'The Rockies of Canada' by Walter D. Wilcox (1909) with topographical map of the Rocky Mountain region in ba…
File consists of 2 published books. Contains 1 copy of 'Canada's Great Highway: from the First Stake to the Last Spike' by J.H.E. Secretan (1924), annotated by Nicholas Morant; and 1 copy of 'The Rockies of Canada' by Walter D. Wilcox (1909) with topographical map of the Rocky Mountain region in back pocket.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / III / D / 5 / 46 to M300 / III / D / 5 / 47.
File consists of 2 volumes, 1 textual and 1 cartographic, from 'The Selkirk Range British Columbia'. Volume 1 pertains to a textual account of the Selkirk region; volume 2 pertains to a collection of various topographical maps of the Selkirk region. Volume 1 is signed by Emmeline Wheeler.
File consists of 2 volumes, 1 textual and 1 cartographic, from 'The Selkirk Range British Columbia'. Volume 1 pertains to a textual account of the Selkirk region; volume 2 pertains to a collection of various topographical maps of the Selkirk region. Volume 1 is signed by Emmeline Wheeler.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / III / D / 5 / 52 to M300 / III / D / 5 / 53.
File consists of 2 printed paper copies of older hand-illustrated works. Pertains to a copied 1947 blueprint of Connaught Tunnel depicting burn damage on tracks from an accident that year; and a copied hand-drawn map of Deutchman Cave from 1902, with annotations bottom right (copied from the origin…
File consists of 2 printed paper copies of older hand-illustrated works. Pertains to a copied 1947 blueprint of Connaught Tunnel depicting burn damage on tracks from an accident that year; and a copied hand-drawn map of Deutchman Cave from 1902, with annotations bottom right (copied from the original).
Notes
Items were stored together in a poster tube labelled:
"Canadian Pacific
Blueprints - CPR Passenger Train in Connaught Tunnel
- Nakimu Caves at Glacier"