Fonds consists of textual, visual and sound materials pertaining to Norman Luxton, Eleanor Luxton and their family members and friends (including Georgina Luxton, Norman's parents and siblings, and members of the Ross, Graham and McDougall families). Includes correspondence, personal and profession…
ca.32.1 m of textual records (29.3 m textual records, 47 scrapbooks) -- ca.7290 photographs (ca.5300 b&w and col. prints, ca.1915 negatives, 75 transparencies, 2 tintypes) -- 17 albums -- ca.74 cm sound recordings (29 CDs, 45 audio cassettes, 17 R120 DAT tapes, 1 VHS, 8 voicewriter discs)
History / Biographical
The Norman Luxton family was a prominent family in Banff, Alberta, Canada from 1904 until 1962. Daughter Eleanor Luxton maintained the family's position in the town until her death in 1995.
Publisher and businessman Norman K. Luxton, 1876-1962, was the son of Winnipeg Free Press co-founder William Luxton. After working for the Winnipeg Free Press, Norman Luxton travelled, then joined the Calgary Herald for eight years. In 1901, he journeyed 10,000 miles on the Pacific in the dug-out canoe Tilikum. After becoming ill, Luxton abandoned the trip in Fiji and came to Banff to recuperate. The around-the-world trip was subsequently completed by his sailing partner, Capt. John Voss.
Luxton bought Banff's Crag and Canyon newspaper in 1902 and remained as publisher until 1951. Also in 1902, he established the Sign of the Goat Curio store which specialized in Stoney Indian handicrafts and taxidermy specimens. Other significant Luxton businesses were the King Edward Hotel and Livery, Luxton Bros. insurance (with brother Louis Luxton) and the Lux Block, which included a hotel, the Lux Theatre and retail stores.
In 1904, Norman Luxton married Georgina (Georgie) Elizabeth McDougall, 1870-1965, of the pioneer missionary McDougall family of Morley, Alberta. In addition to her McDougall connections, Georgie Luxton was related by marriage to Senator George Ross. Norman and Georgie Luxton had one child, Eleanor Georgina, born in Banff in 1908.
The Luxtons were important Banff "boosters" with involvement in numerous local organizations and events. Norman Luxton managed the Banff Indian Days from 1909 to 1950, was a founder of Banff Winter Carnival and was involved with native events at the Calgary Stampede for 25 years. In 1953, Norman established a museum to house his native artifacts. The Luxton Museum was built in co-operation with Eric Harvie of the Glenbow Foundation of Calgary. After Luxton's death, the museum continued to be managed by the Glenbow until 1992.
Eleanor Luxton, 1908-1995, was a writer, historian, researcher, engineer, teacher and business woman. After graduating from high school in Banff in 1926, she attended the University of Alberta from 1926 until 1939, receiving degrees in history (BA '30, MA'33), a Diploma in Education (1931) and subsequent education, biology and natural history courses during the summers.
Between 1937 and 1956, Eleanor received further degrees and certificates from studies at Garbutt Business College (Calgary), St. Stephen's College (Edmonton), Ottawa Technical High School, Havergal Ladies College (Ontario), St. George Williams College (Montreal), McGill University (Montreal) and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Subjects studied included office practices, shorthand, machine draughting, English, civil engineering (BSc '46), German, broadcast writing, management, commerce, accounting and commercial law.
Eleanor Luxton's extensive education overlapped and preceded a long and varied professional career. Her teaching career extended from high school teacher in Alberta (Banff and Sexsmith), 1933-1940, to university lecturer in Montreal in the 1950s. During the 1940s, she worked in locomotive design for the CPR in Montreal. Beginning in 1956 and continuing until 1965, when she returned to Banff to care for her mother, Eleanor worked throughout southern Alberta as a field researcher for Calgary's Glenbow Foundation. From 1965 until her death in 1995, Eleanor remained in Banff in her family home and pursued an active career in writing and research.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual, visual and sound materials pertaining to Norman Luxton, Eleanor Luxton and their family members and friends (including Georgina Luxton, Norman's parents and siblings, and members of the Ross, Graham and McDougall families). Includes correspondence, personal and professional records, financial documents, organization and volunteer records, business and property records, scrapbooks and albums, research materials, candid and professional portraits, various collected materials, and other related content.
Notes
Fonds consists of three sous-fonds:
I. Norman Luxton sous-fonds, [ca.1880]-1962, ca. 7.5 m. of textual records and photographs in four series: A. Correspondence, B. Business, financial and legal, C. Personal, D. Personal and professional, E. Collected materials.
II. Eleanor Luxton sous-fonds, [ca.1890]-1995, ca. 15 m. of textual records, sound recordings and photographs in six series: A. Correspondence, B. Professional, C. Personal, D. Business, financial and legal, E. Travel and events, F. Collected materials.
III. Luxton family sous-fonds, 1836-1972, ca.6.5 m. of textual records and photographs in four series: A. Norman Luxton family series, [ca.1900-ca.1970]; B. Georgina Luxton series, [ca.1890]-1967; C. Related family series, [ca.1890]-1972; D. Other material series, 1836-1970; E. Luxton family home records [1996].
File consists of one photograph album containing 54 photograph prints and 2 newspaper clippings pertaining to Norman Luxton winning a turkey shooting contest [ca. 1940] and an Old Timers Association event attended by Eleanor Luxton in Calgary in 1964. Photographs pertain to Eleanor Luxton as a baby…
1 album (54 b&w prints ; 9 x 14 cm or smaller -- 2 newspaper clippings)
Scope & Content
File consists of one photograph album containing 54 photograph prints and 2 newspaper clippings pertaining to Norman Luxton winning a turkey shooting contest [ca. 1940] and an Old Timers Association event attended by Eleanor Luxton in Calgary in 1964. Photographs pertain to Eleanor Luxton as a baby and young child with her parents, posing with chickens and a turkey on a farm, with other small children [unidentified] and standing by the Bow River; portrait photographs of Eleanor as a young girl [roughly ages 5 to 12 years old]; a wedding celebration [possibly that of Norman and Georgina Luxton in 1904]; and images of a pregnant woman and a man on a farm [likely Georgina Luxton and possibly her father, David McDougall, ca. 1908]
Notes
One photograph of Eleanor Luxton as a young child, posing alone and smiling in a dark dress, was moved to its current location from album LUX / III / A3 / PD - 2.
Sub-series consists of textual and visual materials pertaining to the history of Southern Alberta. Includes personal accounts, day books and diaries, genealogical research, records of livestock and other trade, and portrait and group photographs depicting early settlers of Southern Alberta. Materia…
29 cm of textual records -- 29 photographs (28 b&w prints, 1 tintype) ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
Sub-series consists of textual and visual materials pertaining to the history of Southern Alberta. Includes personal accounts, day books and diaries, genealogical research, records of livestock and other trade, and portrait and group photographs depicting early settlers of Southern Alberta. Materials in sub-series believed to have been collected by Eleanor Luxton, possibly on behalf of the Southern Alberta Pioneers' and Old Timers' Association or as part of Eleanor's personal research.
File consists of one scrapbook containing two unidentified portraits of men and one family photograph, as well as collected correspondence, newspaper clippings and other documents. Content mostly pertains to the deaths of James Frederick Morden, Robert John Kerr and Ovide Smith of Pincher Creek, Al…
5.5 cm of textual records (1 scrapbook : 119 pages ; 24.5 x 31 cm) -- 3 photographs : 2 b&w cabinet cards and 1 b&w print ; 27.5 x 22 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook containing two unidentified portraits of men and one family photograph, as well as collected correspondence, newspaper clippings and other documents. Content mostly pertains to the deaths of James Frederick Morden, Robert John Kerr and Ovide Smith of Pincher Creek, Alberta while fighting in Honing Spruit, South Africa in 1900 during the Boer War. Contents include condolence letters sent to James Morden's wife, as well as various related newspaper articles and a booklet commemorating the erection of a plaque at Pincher Creek Memorial Hospital in 1902 in their honour. Scrapbook contents also include other obituary articles commemorating James Frederick Morden's father and mother, Albert Milton Morden and Sarah Morden; and Adelaide Maud Hewetson of Pincher Creek.
Notes
Scrapbook possibly compiled by James Frederick Morden's wife (name unknown).
File consists of one scrapbook containing postcards likely collected by Eleanor Luxton during national and international travels. Locations include Hawaii, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York, Montreal, Panama, and Japan. scrapbook has small textual page attached to inside titled "Interesting Facts …
Some items produced by Curt Teich & Co., Nikkosha, Western Publishing & Novelty Co., and H.S. Crocker Co., Inc.
Date Range
[ca. 1935 - ca. 1940]
1939
Physical Description
1 scrapbook (158 prints : b&w and col. postcards ; 9 x 14 cm -- 1 textual record)
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook containing postcards likely collected by Eleanor Luxton during national and international travels. Locations include Hawaii, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York, Montreal, Panama, and Japan. scrapbook has small textual page attached to inside titled "Interesting Facts About Canada" with statistics from 1936.
File consists of one travel scrapbook, with various materials including matchboxes, souvenir napkins, booklets and brochures, menus, advertisements, event programs, magazines, maps and travel guides, and one photograph. Content pertains to Eleanor Luxton's travels to the New York World Fair in 1939…
6 cm of textual records -- 1 photograph : b&w print ; 20 x 25 cm on matboard
Scope & Content
File consists of one travel scrapbook, with various materials including matchboxes, souvenir napkins, booklets and brochures, menus, advertisements, event programs, magazines, maps and travel guides, and one photograph. Content pertains to Eleanor Luxton's travels to the New York World Fair in 1939, as well as Winnipeg, Montreal, Chicago, Panama and Havana, Cuba around the same time period. Includes image of Eleanor [far right] sitting with three unidentified friends at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana.
Access to original copy may be restricted due to poor condition
Reproduction Restrictions
Restrictions may apply
Language
English
Conservation
Materials held together with unbleached cotton string
Use of original copy not recommended as there are many loose contents and small items which can be lost or misplaced in scrapbook. Once item has been digitized, access to original may be further restricted for preservation reasons
File consists of one scrapbook containing clippings, menus, brochures, travel guides, advertisements and magazines. Content pertains to a boat cruise attended by Eleanor Luxton in 1937 to Hawaii, China and Japan aboard the Empress of Japan cruise ship, which was operated by the Canadian Pacific Rai…
File consists of one scrapbook containing clippings, menus, brochures, travel guides, advertisements and magazines. Content pertains to a boat cruise attended by Eleanor Luxton in 1937 to Hawaii, China and Japan aboard the Empress of Japan cruise ship, which was operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Includes 23 copies of Pacific Empress magazine [July and August, 1937].
Notes
Some copies of Pacific Empress magazine are duplicates
Material Details
Front cover of scrapbook has emblem with Hawaiian landscape/waterfront scene with text "ALOHA HAWAII"
Scrapbook is organized into sections marked with tabs labeled: Prob. 1, 2, 3, IV, 5, VI, 6, and 7. Scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings relating to:
The industrialization of Britain
Britain at war
The war
The Royals
The Middle East
The Industrial Revolution
Russian and Japanese war effort
Pri…
Scrapbook is organized into sections marked with tabs labeled: Prob. 1, 2, 3, IV, 5, VI, 6, and 7. Scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings relating to:
The industrialization of Britain
Britain at war
The war
The Royals
The Middle East
The Industrial Revolution
Russian and Japanese war effort
Princesses Elizabeth, Margaret, and Prince Edward, and other Royal children
Article: "Britain's Prize Colony" - Canada
World events
Wheat production in Argentina
Scrapbook consists of a Star Weekly, 1939 magazine publication about Queen Elizabeth and King Edward VI. Also included are newspaper clippings relating to "Know Your Empire" Contest, 1940.
Scrapbook consists of a Star Weekly, 1939 magazine publication about Queen Elizabeth and King Edward VI. Also included are newspaper clippings relating to "Know Your Empire" Contest, 1940.