Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpin…
ca.42 m of textual records. -- ca.12,500 photographs: prints, stereographic prints, transparencies, slides, negatives, postcards. -- 85 photograph albums. -- 8 motion pictures: films, video recordings. -- 3 sound recordings
History / Biographical
The Alpine Club of Canada, the national mountaineering club, was co-founded in 1906 by A. O. Wheeler and Elizabeth Parker, and other like-minded climbers. The club espoused scientific study and exploration, cultivation of art, public education, acquisition of climbing skills, and preservation of natural areas within the mountainous regions of Canada. Through a national executive, local sections and volunteer committees, the club provided climbing camps, clubhouse, huts, and publications, including the Canadian Alpine Journal. ACC expeditions and projects resulted in pioneer exploration, first ascents, and included mountain warfare training during the Second World War. In recent years, the club's membership has increased dramatically with the popularity of climbing and its programs have evolved to serve the needs of unguided climbers using sophisticated technical aids.
Scope & Content
Fonds constitutes the principal resource for the study of the history of Canadian mountaineering. It provides a wealth of information on individual alpinists, expeditions, mountains, national parks, conservation, climbing, alpine organizations, publications, guiding, scientific study and the Alpine Club itself.
The fonds consists of four Sous-fonds: I. Alpine Club of Canada records; II. Mount Everest Expedition (1982) records; III. Personal papers and photographs; IV. Other material. Club administration records (series I.A.) pertain to executive positions; head office; finance; camps, climbing and treks; expeditions; huts and properties; clubhouses; library; publications; photography; other committees; other activities; and other. Other club records include section records (series I.B.), hut registers and summit records (series I.C.).
Fonds consists of personal and business papers regarding automobile traffic, visitation and tourism in Banff National Park, east gate; clippings and ephemera regarding history and personalities of the Bow Valley; prints and copy negatives pertaining mainly to Exshaw, Rocky Mountains Park entrance, …
4 cm textual records: originals and photocopies. -- ca.45 photographs: prints, postcards, copy negatives
History / Biographical
Annie Staple, 1883-1973, was born in Shrawley, Worcestershire, England. While working as a caregiver in a hospital in Derbyshire, she met Tom Staple. Annie and Tom were married in 1907 and immigrated to Canada. Tom became a warden for Rocky Mountains Park in 1913. Tom's assigned area was Kananaskis and a house (Gateway Lodge) was built for Tom and Annie between Kananaskis and Exshaw in 1916. In addition to area patrols, Tom's warden duties included issuing permits to visitors entering the park by automobile. The permit process included sealing guns, collecting park fees and distributing metal plates (the precursor to the park pass system). During Tom's absences, Annie issued the permits to automobile visitors. In 1916 Annie became the gatekeeper of the east-gate, which at that time was a table set up at the side of the road. Tom Staple died in 1919 while Annie was pregnant with their fourth child. Annie continued to work as the keeper of the east gate until 1948, when she retired.
In 1930 the park boundary was moved west of Canmore and while the entrance was under construction, Parks authorities relocated Annie to the west entrance of Yoho Park. Annie worked the winter of 1930-1931 at the Upper Hot Springs in Banff and returned to her position as keeper of the east gate in the spring of 1931. Construction of the new gate and a residence for Annie and her family lasted six years and during this period, the park boundary was moved again.
Following her retirement in 1948, Annie Staple moved to Seebe to live with her daughter's family and in 1953, she moved to Calgary to live with her sister, Nellie Whitburn. Following Nellie's death, Annie returned to live with her daughter's family in Canmore.
Annie and Tom Staple had four children, Joyce (1909-2001), Tom (1912-1941), Geoffrey (1913-1973), and Albert b.1920.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of personal and business papers regarding automobile traffic, visitation and tourism in Banff National Park, east gate; clippings and ephemera regarding history and personalities of the Bow Valley; prints and copy negatives pertaining mainly to Exshaw, Rocky Mountains Park entrance, Spray River warden cabin, Lake Minnewanka and Banff; postcards views of Banff and Rocky Mountains by Byron Harmon and Wm. J. Gibbons.
*Image was part of the Recognizing Relations project, an archives initiative undertaken in 2014 to identify Stoney people in photographs held in the Whyte Museum Archives. Title from title printed on the postcard along the bottom, underneath the photo.
Image of unidentified First Nations women dressed in regalia on horseback during the Banff Indian Days parade - "Mrs. Hector [Mary Jean] Crawler head of group Banff Indian Days about 1909 or '10" written on the back in pencil by Catharine Whyte
Image of unidentified First Nations women dressed in regalia on horseback during the Banff Indian Days parade - "Mrs. Hector [Mary Jean] Crawler head of group Banff Indian Days about 1909 or '10" written on the back in pencil by Catharine Whyte
File pertains to photographs of Bill Olson at work and with his family. Also includes family pictures of various generations of the Olson family, army portraits, coworkers, a Cave & Basin postcard, and an interior shot of the Dave White Shop.
19 prints : b&w and col. ; 17.5 x 12 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File pertains to photographs of Bill Olson at work and with his family. Also includes family pictures of various generations of the Olson family, army portraits, coworkers, a Cave & Basin postcard, and an interior shot of the Dave White Shop.
Notes
Some of the people identified in the photos are Bill Kay, Jack Powell, Jack Doe, Fred Day, Charlie Fullhroch, Mac Lennat, Earl Squires, Bob Graham, Larry Foster, Willard Bell, Bush Ashley, Shorty Blasker, Casey Jones, Dan Zakaryk, Pete Finlay, Jon Douglas, Irene Straus, Marie Leong, and more.
Collection consists mainly of postcard views of Banff, Lake Louise and areas by various photographers, including Byron Harmon, J. Howard A. Chapman, S. J. Thompson and R. H. Trueman. Also, includes hand-coloured prints of Lake Louise, one by Alfred Blyth.
Bob Holscher was a postcard collector at Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Scope & Content
Collection consists mainly of postcard views of Banff, Lake Louise and areas by various photographers, including Byron Harmon, J. Howard A. Chapman, S. J. Thompson and R. H. Trueman. Also, includes hand-coloured prints of Lake Louise, one by Alfred Blyth.
Fonds consists of the photographic records and sample materials of Byron Harmon Photos, the photographic business of Byron Harmon and his successors; as well as the personal photographs of Byron Harmon. I. Scenic / commercial, 1907-1975, ca.7600 items. Primary component of series is film and glass…
Byron Hill Harmon, 1876-1942, was a professional photographer and businessman at Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was born near Tacoma, Washington, USA and operated a portrait studio there for a time. In 1903, while travelling around the United States and Canada as an itinerant photographer, he decided to settle in Banff and by 1907 had produced enough mountain views to begin selling a line of postcards. Between 1906 and 1913, Harmon was official photographer for the Alpine Club of Canada and made trips in numerous mountain areas, such as the Bugaboos (1910) and Mount Robson (1911, 1913). Harmon personally financed trips into other areas, such as Tonquin Valley (1918) and Lake of the Hanging Glaciers (1920, 1922), producing both still photographs and motion pictures for commercial sale. After his last major expedition in 1924 across Saskatchewan Glacier, through to Maligne Lake and back to Banff by packtrain, Harmon devoted most of his time to photographing scenes along the railway, skiing in the Assiniboine and Skoki regions, and the annual rides and hikes of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and the Sky Line Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies. At the same time he managed several businesses, including a drug store, fountain lunch, theatre and book store. In his later years, Harmon spent much time travelling and photographing in other parts of the world. The business, Byron Harmon Photos, was managed successively by his son, Don Harmon, then his grand-daughter, Carole Harmon.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of the photographic records and sample materials of Byron Harmon Photos, the photographic business of Byron Harmon and his successors; as well as the personal photographs of Byron Harmon.
I. Scenic / commercial, 1907-1975, ca.7600 items. Primary component of series is film and glass negatives, 1907-1942, ca.6500 items. Also includes: postcard negatives and positives and production negatives to ca.1955; original prints; a wide range of sample products, such as postcards, enlargements and framing prints, calendars and viewbooks, mainly by Harmon business, some by other photographers; and lantern slides, ca.1913-192-, pertaining to Columbia Icefield Expedition, mountaineering, mountain landscapes, Indians, wildlife, Canadian Pacific Railway and Asian travel. Scenic / commercial series pertains to annual camps and expeditions of the Alpine Club of Canada in the Canadian Rockies and Selkirks, 1907-1913; private movie-making expeditions in the Canadian Rockies and Selkirks; mountain scenic views, primarily for postcard purposes; Banff events and development; skiing; birds and animals. Includes some material by Don Harmon and Lloyd Harmon, sons of Byron Harmon.
II. Personal, 189- to 194-, ca.370 items. Includes: family photographs and views received from others; motion picture out-takes pertaining to world travels, 1930s; and 35 mm. transparencies, ca.1940, pertaining mainly to world travels, also mountain and prairie scenics.
Notes
For more information on the Byron Harmon photographs, see "Great Days in the Rockies: The Photographs of Byron Harmon, 1906-1934" (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1978) or "Byron Harmon, Mountain Photographer" by Carole Harmon and Bart Robinson (Banff: Altitude Publishing, 1992)
File consists of 4 loose prints and 4 prints on matboard backings. Content pertains to early events and views in Calgary, including bicycle races in 1896 and [ca.1900], Calgary Stampede event decorations [1912] and parade [postcard print, ca.1920-1930], and a view of Castle Hotel and a nearby gas s…
Two photographs [PA-214 & 215] produced by Boorne and May Ltd. of Calgary
Date Range
1896
[ca.1900]
1912
[ca.1920-1930]
Physical Description
4 photographs : b&w ; 14.5 x 9 cm or smaller -- 4 photographs : b&w prints on matboard ; 17.5 x 24 cm and 18 x 13 cm
Scope & Content
File consists of 4 loose prints and 4 prints on matboard backings. Content pertains to early events and views in Calgary, including bicycle races in 1896 and [ca.1900], Calgary Stampede event decorations [1912] and parade [postcard print, ca.1920-1930], and a view of Castle Hotel and a nearby gas station in Calgary. File also contains scanned paper copies of photographs depicting scenes in Calgary between 1875 and [ca.1915-1920]. Paper copies include early panoramic and “downtown” views of Calgary prior to 1900, the unveiling of a Royal Northwest Mounted Police memorial plaque [1917?], and a parade scene [ca.1915-1920].
Notes
Scanned paper copies of photographs in file do not have individual reference codes; source of images and location of originals unknown.