Fonds consists of textual records and photographs by and about Aileen Harmon, as well as collected items. Textual records include: letter from Harmon to the Director of Alberta's provincial parks re addition of Yamnuska area to Bow Valley Provincial Park, 1973; brief, from Harvie Heights and Bow Va…
26.5 cm of textual records. -- 33 photographs (26 prints : b&w and col. ; 20.5 x 30 cm or smaller -- 6 negatives : b&w nitrate negatives ; 12.5 x 10 cm -- 1 transparency : col. slide ; 35 mm)
History / Biographical
Aileen Harmon (1912 - 2015), daughter of Byron Harmon, worked as a government naturalist at Banff, Alberta, Canada and was involved in local natural history groups and activities. Aileen was a founding member, alongside Bruce Gordon, of the Bow Valley Naturalists, and was also on the Board of The Canadian Wildlife Federation and The Society of Alberta Naturalists. Aileen moved to Mill Bay on Vancouver Island, B.C. in 1981 following the end of a lengthy career with Parks Canada. During her retirement years, Aileen travelled extensively, reaching all seven continents. She also authored an autobiographical book, titled "Tales of My Mountain Life", in 2004. Aileen passed away on January 9, 2015 at the age of 102.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of textual records and photographs by and about Aileen Harmon, as well as collected items. Textual records include: letter from Harmon to the Director of Alberta's provincial parks re addition of Yamnuska area to Bow Valley Provincial Park, 1973; brief, from Harvie Heights and Bow Valley subdivision residents to public hearings on land use and resource development in the eastern slopes, 1973; letter re James Hector, 1979; notes on career, 2003; notes on Catharine Whyte for CBC recording, 2004; Christmas cards and collected articles, ca.1960. Photographs, made by and collected by Aileen Harmon, pertain to Aileen Harmon and friends, skiing, Skoki area, Mount Yamnuska, Banff Indian Days. Includes photographs by Byron Harmon.
Added content from accession 2016.8596 : ca. 25 cm of textual records including personal correspondence, guest book, original writing and notes by Aileen Harmon, personal travel journals from a 1931 packing trip and 1933 ski trip to Skoki, drafts of autobiographical book "Tales of My Mountain Life", articles pertaining to or written by Aileen Harmon, Christmas cards, and letters of condolence to Carole Harmon following Aileen's passing. Also 26 print photographs, 6 negative photographs from a 1937 hiking trip, and one transparency.
Fonds consists of one series :
Series I - Personal records
File consists of an original travel journal/diary annotated by Aileen Harmon pertaining to a 1933 ski trip to Skoki Lodge. File also includes two complete, typed copies of text from original 1933 account [one accompanied by typed letter to "Kathryn", likely Catharine Robb Whyte], and one incomplete…
File consists of an original travel journal/diary annotated by Aileen Harmon pertaining to a 1933 ski trip to Skoki Lodge. File also includes two complete, typed copies of text from original 1933 account [one accompanied by typed letter to "Kathryn", likely Catharine Robb Whyte], and one incomplete typed copy.
File consists of one guest book for visitors to see Aileen Harmon, with dates between December 31, 2014 and January 3, 2015 during a hospital stay. 4 pages are annotated with 69 individual entries, and the rest of the book is blank. Also includes note by Carole Harmon.
File consists of one guest book for visitors to see Aileen Harmon, with dates between December 31, 2014 and January 3, 2015 during a hospital stay. 4 pages are annotated with 69 individual entries, and the rest of the book is blank. Also includes note by Carole Harmon.
File consists of personal photographs of Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Photographs pertain to friends Ron and Evelyn Matthews; Aileen's 95th birthday party celebration; a party in 1994; Aileen with Charlie Lockwood; a group of Guatemalan school children from a school Aileen…
23 photographs : col. prints ; 21.5 x 28 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of personal photographs of Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Photographs pertain to friends Ron and Evelyn Matthews; Aileen's 95th birthday party celebration; a party in 1994; Aileen with Charlie Lockwood; a group of Guatemalan school children from a school Aileen donated to; Aileen with river guide Tom Moody; Bea Wilkinson and David Lestock [?]; Jim Fulton; Aileen's friend Georgia Engelhart; Fran Losie [?], Joyce Hendrickson and Aileen together; and other miscellaneous images.
Notes
Numerous photographs annotated on the back with names and/or dates.
File consists of typed notes by Carole Harmon for a speech given at Aileen Harmon's celebration of life ceremony in 2015, as well as 4 copies of a small handout card for guests commemorating Aileen Harmon. Speech is titled "Bon Voyage Aileen".
File consists of typed notes by Carole Harmon for a speech given at Aileen Harmon's celebration of life ceremony in 2015, as well as 4 copies of a small handout card for guests commemorating Aileen Harmon. Speech is titled "Bon Voyage Aileen".
File consists of personal correspondence between Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Includes a letter from John Macdonald pertaining to Aileen Harmon's Canadian Geographic article, a wedding programme for the marriage of Carole Harmon and Gary Sill, numerous Christmas letters, a…
File consists of personal correspondence between Aileen Harmon and numerous friends and family members. Includes a letter from John Macdonald pertaining to Aileen Harmon's Canadian Geographic article, a wedding programme for the marriage of Carole Harmon and Gary Sill, numerous Christmas letters, an envelope labelled "For the travellin' man Happy New Year" containing three Ethiopian dollar bills and one 10-shilling South African bank note, and a card celebrating Aileen Harmon's 100th birthday.
Currency has been stored in mylar inside folder with original envelope. Consider separate storage (i.e. individual folder) if off-gassing becomes an issue
File consists of approximately 200 printed emails sent between Carole Harmon and numerous friends and family members pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Correspondence discusses well wishes for Aileen following her hospital visit in late 2014, as well as messages of condolence following her passing in Jan…
File consists of approximately 200 printed emails sent between Carole Harmon and numerous friends and family members pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Correspondence discusses well wishes for Aileen following her hospital visit in late 2014, as well as messages of condolence following her passing in January 2015. Items also pertain to funeral arrangements and obituary articles about Aileen.
File consists of one colour transparency photograph taken by Aileen Harmon depicting a group of bright pink-purple flowers, titled "Sax. oppositi folia" [n.d.]
File consists of one colour transparency photograph taken by Aileen Harmon depicting a group of bright pink-purple flowers, titled "Sax. oppositi folia" [n.d.]
Notes
Date is estimate provided by Processing Archivist based on medium and context of photograph
V262/I/NS-1 originally stored in folder titled "Photos" which currently holds V262/I/PA items
File consists of 35 letters of condolence addressed to Carole Harmon pertaining to the death of her aunt, Aileen Harmon. Includes two handwritten loose pages with condolence notes and one typed loose letter; the rest are in the form of cards.
File consists of 35 letters of condolence addressed to Carole Harmon pertaining to the death of her aunt, Aileen Harmon. Includes two handwritten loose pages with condolence notes and one typed loose letter; the rest are in the form of cards.
File consists of 5 magazines dated between 2002 - 2015, some scanned pages from a 1978 newspaper, and an article with attached correspondence, each with content pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Includes 2 [duplicate] Canadian Wilderness magazines and an Alpine Club of Canada magazine with posthumous ar…
Items produced by Canadian Wilderness, Alpine Club of Canada, Univrsity of Alberta, Parks and Wilderness Quarterly, The Spectator and Fred Roots
Date Range
1978
2002
2011 - 2015
Physical Description
1.5 cm of textual records
Scope & Content
File consists of 5 magazines dated between 2002 - 2015, some scanned pages from a 1978 newspaper, and an article with attached correspondence, each with content pertaining to Aileen Harmon. Includes 2 [duplicate] Canadian Wilderness magazines and an Alpine Club of Canada magazine with posthumous articles on Aileen Harmon, a University of Alberta alumni magazine, a Parks and Wilderness Quarterly magazine with an article written by Aileen, scanned pages from The Spectator of an article quoting Aileen with a photograph of her included, and an article by Fred Roots published in Island Bushwacker magazine about Aileen, accompanied by a letter to Aileen from Fred Roots.
Notes
Contains two copies of the same magazine [Canadian Wilderness Spring/Summer 2015 issue].