Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959. Personal and pro…
ca.13,100 photographs: ca.7080 prints, ca.5310 negatives, ca.700 transparencies. -- 9 photograph albums. -- ca.2 m textual records, print material and graphic records. -- 33 cartographic records
History / Biographical
Frederick Herbert (Bert) Riggall, 1884-1959, was a mountain guide, outfitter, hunter, trapper, rancher, naturalist, photographer, writer and gunsmith/loader in southern Alberta. Born in 1884 at Gayton-le-Wold Grange, Lincolnshire, his family moved to Grimsby where his father was an auctioneer and, in 1905, served as Mayor. In England, Riggall was an athlete, avid sportsman and naturalist. He was exposed to alpine country on school holidays in Switzerland and, determined to visit Canada, left for North America in 1904.
Upon arriving in western Canada, Riggall worked for a year at Craighurst Farm near Calgary. There he met Dorothea (Dora) Williams, 1877-1951, an Irish Quaker ranch cook who had emigrated with her sister Anna in 1902. In 1905, Bert worked on the Correction Land Survey in southwestern Alberta and explored Waterton Lakes. Bert and Dora married in 1906 and until 1946 they homesteaded and ranched adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Initially, Bert and partner Jack Hazzard built boats and guided fishing parties on Waterton Lakes. In 1909, with partner Cyril Watmough, the Riggalls began guiding and outfitting summer and fall hunting and fishing trips for numerous repeat clients, especially, after 1913, four Minneapolis, Minnesota families: Bovey, Crosby, Bennett and McKnight. Hunts involved Big Horn Sheep, goats, black and grizzly bears. Bert served as chief guide and Dora as camp cook. Prior to 1911, the Riggalls worked at Gloyne's oil camp and Oil City to supplement their income. In 1911, Bert and partner Cyril Watmough made a 1000 mile (1600 km) exploratory trip from Fort Steele, B.C. to the Yellowhead Pass and beyond. Following that trip, Riggall concentrated guiding activities on the continental divide as far north as the Highwood region, but primarily in the upper Oldman River Valley and Gap in the Livingstone Range. Their outfit grew to include numerous saddle and pack horses.
Of five children, only two daughters survived infancy. Kay Riggall (Russell), 1909-1984, and Doris (Babe) Riggall (Burton), 1910-1999, were both able riders, markswomen and packtrain workers. They accompanied their parents on summer back country trips starting in 1918. Bert Riggall was renowned for his knowledge of botany, geology, zoology, wilderness life and lore as well as literature and current affairs. He was especially endeared to his clients for his skill as a raconteur and campfire storyteller. He wrote articles for magazines such as: Arms and the Man, American Rifleman, Field and Stream and the Boone and Crockett Club's book: North American Big Game. Riggall was an accomplished semi-professional photographer who specialized in wildlife studies, panoramic landscapes, Dufaycolor and later Kodachrome transparencies. His photographs appear in Department of Interior Reports and other publications.
Bert's heart problems forced the Riggalls to move to Pincher Creek in 1947. Daughter Kay and son-in-law Andy Russell continued the packtrain and guiding business until 1960. After Dora's death, Bert experienced medical problems and lived with or close to Doris.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959.
Personal and professional series consists of diaries and notes, correspondence and personal papers.
Business and financial series consists of guiding and ranching records, gunsmithing, shooting and loading records; and legal and financial records.
Professional photography series consists of standard photographs, panoramas, transparencies and textual records
Writing series contains manuscripts, published magazines, book outlines, newspaper articles and letters to the editor
Natural history series contains bird and plant records, and other natural history papers
Other interests series consist of clippings, annotated books and collected material
Riggall family series contains Bert and Dora Riggall family papers and photographs, Williams family photographs, Frederick W. and Fanny Riggall papers and photographs, and Allan Riggall papers and photographs. Negatives and transparencies pertain to Andy Russell as a young man with Bert Riggall.
Notes
Some transparencies in V110 Dick Russell are marked Andy Russell, some marked 64 dup; V110 - original transparencies have full set of duplicates (2 sets were made, 1 for Dick Russell and the other is part of this accession)
File consists of 22 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Bennett trips guided and outfitted by Riggall of 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936. The photographs document packtrains, camp life, hiking, Herbst glacier, and fishing. Locations of photographs include: Wall Lake, Mount …
File consists of 22 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Bennett trips guided and outfitted by Riggall of 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936. The photographs document packtrains, camp life, hiking, Herbst glacier, and fishing. Locations of photographs include: Wall Lake, Mount Festubert, Great Divide at South Kootenay Pass.
File consists of 43 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to Riggall's 1911 1000 mile pack trip undertaken to seek out areas for hunting and outfitting following the enlargement of Waterton National Park and the reduction of available hunting area for Riggall's clients. The prints do…
File consists of 43 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to Riggall's 1911 1000 mile pack trip undertaken to seek out areas for hunting and outfitting following the enlargement of Waterton National Park and the reduction of available hunting area for Riggall's clients. The prints document this pack trip from stops in Banff, AB and Cranbrook, BC, and the extent of his mountain exploration from Fort Steele to Edson. On this trip, approximately 150 miles of new trail was cut including portions of Roger's Pass.
File consists of 20 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to Riggall's 1911 1000 mile pack trip undertaken to seek out areas for hunting and outfitting following the enlargement of Waterton National Park and the reduction of available hunting area for Riggall's clients. The prints do…
File consists of 20 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to Riggall's 1911 1000 mile pack trip undertaken to seek out areas for hunting and outfitting following the enlargement of Waterton National Park and the reduction of available hunting area for Riggall's clients. The prints document this pack trip from stops in Banff, AB and Cranbrook, BC, and the extent of his mountain exploration from Fort Steele to Edson. On this trip, approximately 150 miles of new trail was cut including portions of Roger's Pass.
File consists of 26 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Bovey trips guided and outfitted by Riggall of 1939, 1940, and 1941. The photographs document the Bovey party in camp covered with snow, fishing, fishing, and making movies. Locations of photographs include Twin Lakes, …
File consists of 26 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Bovey trips guided and outfitted by Riggall of 1939, 1940, and 1941. The photographs document the Bovey party in camp covered with snow, fishing, fishing, and making movies. Locations of photographs include Twin Lakes, Profanity Creek, and Larch Creek.
File consists of 32 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Faegre and Dorsey Trips 1935 to 1945. The photographs document camp life, hiking, climbing, pack trains, and fishing. Locations of photographs include Boundary Meadow, Herbst Glacier, Kishinena, Wall Lake, and the Oldma…
File consists of 32 b&w photographs, some captioned. Photographs pertain to the Faegre and Dorsey Trips 1935 to 1945. The photographs document camp life, hiking, climbing, pack trains, and fishing. Locations of photographs include Boundary Meadow, Herbst Glacier, Kishinena, Wall Lake, and the Oldman River.
File consists of 21 b&w photographs, some captioned. The photographs pertain to various panoramic views of the foothills and Southern Rockies. Subjects include Harry Nash at the Gap ranger Station; Riggall's Packtrain at the Gap ranger station; Kay and Babe Riggall at the Burton cabin; camp in the …
File consists of 21 b&w photographs, some captioned. The photographs pertain to various panoramic views of the foothills and Southern Rockies. Subjects include Harry Nash at the Gap ranger Station; Riggall's Packtrain at the Gap ranger station; Kay and Babe Riggall at the Burton cabin; camp in the gathering pasture near the ranger station; Crosby children on horseback near the Burton lease; Riggall's packtrain near the Livinstone Gap; packtrain crossing the Northwest branch of the Oldman River; a view of Riggall's guests crossing the Northwest brach of the Oldman River showing the 1910 burn and the 1923 flood; McKnight camp near the Oldman River; Bovey party at the falls camp near the Oldman River.
Bert Riggall's grandson, John Russell provided some identifications
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - LPP45-1 to LPP45-7: LPP45 Oldman Ranger Station, Burton cabin and lease area near the station
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - LPP46-1 to LPP46-3: LPP46 Oldman Area moving packtrain between home ranch and Gap area
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - LPP47-1 to LPP47-11: LPP47 Oldman River stem (camps along it)
File consists of 22 b&w photographs, some captioned. The photographs pertain to various panoramic views of the foothills and Southern Rockies. Subjects include a view at the base of Beehive Mountain; Crosby children on top of Beehive Mountain; view looking South from top of Beehive; Eddie McCarthy …
File consists of 22 b&w photographs, some captioned. The photographs pertain to various panoramic views of the foothills and Southern Rockies. Subjects include a view at the base of Beehive Mountain; Crosby children on top of Beehive Mountain; view looking South from top of Beehive; Eddie McCarthy and guests posed on top of Beehive; F.M.Crosby; saddle horses on Sumner McKnight's trip; Mount Lyall; Dora Riggall seated on top of Livingstone Range; view of the Northwest branch of Oldman River and Livingstone River from the Livingstone Range; Anchor P cabin on the Livingstone River owned by the McClay rancher; Dora, Doris, and Kathleen Riggall on horseback near Anchor P cow camp.
Bert Riggall's grandson, John Russell provided some identifications
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - LPP50-1 to LPP50-6: LPP50 Oldman area, Beehive Mountain
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - LPP51-1 to LPP51-2: LPP51 Oldman area, the area North of Mount Lyall
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - LPP52-1 to LPP52-8: LPP52 Oldman area, Livingstone River, Oldman River, Livingstone Range, Anchor P cow camp
File consists of 25 b&w photographs, some captioned. The photographs pertain to various panoramic views of the foothills and Southern Rockies. Subjects include a packtrain on the NW branch of the Oldman River; various views of the Oyster Creek camp; the Swamp Camp on the Crosby trip (1938); Cat Cre…
File consists of 25 b&w photographs, some captioned. The photographs pertain to various panoramic views of the foothills and Southern Rockies. Subjects include a packtrain on the NW branch of the Oldman River; various views of the Oyster Creek camp; the Swamp Camp on the Crosby trip (1938); Cat Creek, Highwood River, 50 miles west of High River; Freeman Cook, Ed Burton, Doris Burton, Robert Edward, Mrs. Freeman Cook, Kathleen Riggall, and Dora Riggall posed in front of the Burton Cabin (1928); the Ed and Doris Burton ranch at Porcupine Hills; a fishing party in the Gap near Slacker Creek; Mrs.F.M.Crosby fishing at the falls of the NW branch of the Oldman River; Ted White and wife fishing at the Falls (1929); view of the falls from the McKnight trip (1923).
Bert Riggall's grandson, John Russell provided some identifications
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - SPP37-1 to SPP37-6: SPP37 Oyster Creek Valley
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - SPP38-1: SPP38 Highwood
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - SPP39-1 to SPP39-2: SPP39 Burton Homes and related photos
Caption on envelope that previously housed prints V26 / III / C / PA - SPP40-1 to SPP40-14: SPP40 Falls and Fishing