Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, …
ca. 7.9 metres of textual records -- ca. 274 maps -- 29 VHS tapes -- ca.15 discs with digital files -- 21 cassettes -- photographs -- oversized materials -- USB stick with 15 sldeshows
History / Biographical
Ben Gadd (1946-) is a retired naturalist, guide, geologist, instructor, freelance writer and award-winning author based in the Canadian Rockies.
Ben was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1946. He met his wife, Cia (Langdon) Gadd at Colorado College in 1965, and the couple married four weeks later. Ben and Cia had two sons, Will and Toby. Ben and his family relocated to Jasper in the late 1960s. Ben later attended the University of Lethbridge and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Earth Science in 1972.
Between 1976 and 1980, Ben taught classes at Mount Royal College and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; he later taught additional classes at Grant MacEwan College and Lakeland College. From 1981, Ben also worked as a seasonal naturalist/guide for Parks Canada. Ben left Parks Canada in 1985 to start an independent naturalist guiding business with Cia based in Jasper and other parts of the Canadian Rockies, which the couple continued to operate for over two decades.
Ben published his best-known work, "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies", through his publishing company Corax Press in 1986. The second edition of "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies" received multiple awards after its release in 1995. Ben's fiction book, "Raven's End" won the title of Best Canadian Rockies Book at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2001 and became a Canadian bestseller. Overall, Ben has authored or co-authored 11 books and received nearly one dozen awards for his achievements as a writer, researcher and guide.
Ben continued to lead guided hikes and school programs until his retirement in 2016.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, video and sound recordings, and other related material. Materials donated in 2024 include one USB stick containing
Notes
Ben Gadd fonds arrangement:
Series I : Personal records
- Subseries A : Travel guides and maps
- Subseries B : Education and early writings
- Subseries C : Personal interest files
- Subseries D : Other personal and collected
Series II : Research and publication records
- Subseries A : Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
- Subseries B : Other publications
Series III : Professional records
- Subseries A : Parks Canada Records
- Subseries B : Interpretive guiding
- Subseries C : Teaching records
- Subseries D : Other contracts and projects
Series IV : Legal and financial records
- Subseries A : Legal records
- Subseries B : Financial records
File consists of school work, including math problems, English assignments and drawings, produced by Ben Gadd as an elementary school student between 1953 and 1956. File also includes three telegrams sent by Ben's parents (Sam and Mary Gadd) and two letters pertaining to Ben's early development and…
File consists of school work, including math problems, English assignments and drawings, produced by Ben Gadd as an elementary school student between 1953 and 1956. File also includes three telegrams sent by Ben's parents (Sam and Mary Gadd) and two letters pertaining to Ben's early development and other updates.
File consists of documents pertaining to Ben Gadd's financial assistance and other university records. File includes Ben's student ID cards for the University of Colorado, University of Calgary, and University of Lethbridge; grade reports, tuition receipts, student loan cheques and invoices; schola…
File consists of documents pertaining to Ben Gadd's financial assistance and other university records. File includes Ben's student ID cards for the University of Colorado, University of Calgary, and University of Lethbridge; grade reports, tuition receipts, student loan cheques and invoices; scholarship and student loan application forms; school registration forms; and other related documents.
File consists of notes, assignments and other records pertaining to Ben Gadd's high school education in Colorado, 1961-1964. File includes collected newspaper clippings and research material for school assignments; illustrations by Ben, including architectural drawings and design plans for model ai…
File consists of notes, assignments and other records pertaining to Ben Gadd's high school education in Colorado, 1961-1964. File includes collected newspaper clippings and research material for school assignments; illustrations by Ben, including architectural drawings and design plans for model airplanes; short stories and original poetry; and other related material.
Notes
File M590 / I / B / 3 includes one annotated map of trails in Colorado which was used by Ben Gadd from 1960-1962 during various bicycling trips.
File consists of school assignments, certificates, notes and other educational records pertaining to Ben Gadd's time as a junior high school student in Colorado, 1958-1960.
File consists of school assignments, certificates, notes and other educational records pertaining to Ben Gadd's time as a junior high school student in Colorado, 1958-1960.
File consists of personal receipts and invoices belonging to Ben Gadd. Content includes flight and other travel receipts (travelling to Colorado and other destinations in the United States), donation receipts, and correspondence between Ben Gadd and the company L.L. Bean pertaining to requested ite…
File consists of personal receipts and invoices belonging to Ben Gadd. Content includes flight and other travel receipts (travelling to Colorado and other destinations in the United States), donation receipts, and correspondence between Ben Gadd and the company L.L. Bean pertaining to requested item returns.
File consists of notes and personal writings produced by Ben Gadd between 1965-1968, following his high school graduation and prior to moving to Canada.
File consists of notes and personal writings produced by Ben Gadd between 1965-1968, following his high school graduation and prior to moving to Canada.
Notes
Original file folder included note written in pencil by Ben Gadd: "After meeting Cia, pre-university"
File consists of correspondence pertaining to an article titled "Seven Great Looks for Fall: A Hiker's Guide to North America's Scenic Displays" which Ben wrote for Real Travel magazine. File also includes a published fall 1988 edition of the magazine sent to Ben which contains his article.
File consists of correspondence pertaining to an article titled "Seven Great Looks for Fall: A Hiker's Guide to North America's Scenic Displays" which Ben wrote for Real Travel magazine. File also includes a published fall 1988 edition of the magazine sent to Ben which contains his article.
Notes
Ben Gadd's article located on page 40 of magazine in file
Sub-series consists of travel brochures and maps which were collected and used by Ben Gadd. Sub-series contains five sub-sub series:
M590 / I / A / i : Travel guides and pocket maps
M590 / I / A / ii : Topographical maps
M590 / I / A / iii : Geological maps
M590 / I / A / iv : Highway maps
M590 / …
Sub-series consists of travel brochures and maps which were collected and used by Ben Gadd. Sub-series contains five sub-sub series:
M590 / I / A / i : Travel guides and pocket maps
M590 / I / A / ii : Topographical maps
M590 / I / A / iii : Geological maps
M590 / I / A / iv : Highway maps
M590 / I / A / v : Index maps, other
Notes
Some materials in sub-series are annotated with notes by Ben Gadd