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)
Correspondence consists mainly of incoming letters to Bert Riggall from clients, friends, family and suppliers re guiding, hunting and fishing trips, personal matters, guns, photography, taxidermy, land matters, road allowance, publishers, wildlife societies. Frequent and/or prominent corresponden…
Correspondence consists mainly of incoming letters to Bert Riggall from clients, friends, family and suppliers re guiding, hunting and fishing trips, personal matters, guns, photography, taxidermy, land matters, road allowance, publishers, wildlife societies. Frequent and/or prominent correspondents include: Russell H. Bennett (1918-1959), Russell M. Bennett (1913-1928), Charles C. Bovey (1919-1951), Martin Bovey (1918-1952), Bertram Chichester (1937-1959), F. M. Crosby (1921-1952), A. Phimister Proctor (1909-1912, 1952), Andy Russell (1947, undated) and Arnold C. Schueren (1940-1954).
Includes some copies of out-going letters, dated 1902, 1909, 1918, 1920, 1931, 1932, 1937, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952 and 1956
File consists of personal papers, 1884-1959; school compositions, ca.1893; autobiography, after 1920; obituaries and funeral records, 1959
Title Source
Title based on contents of file
Content Details
* Personal papers, 1884-1959, 1 cm, consist of birth, marriage and death certificates; homestead, fire arms, game, drivers, licences and permits, visa and passport, memberships; list of property including guns, cameras, books, equipment, photographs, furniture and effects; Riggall family tree, Golden Jubilee Senior Citizen Award, 1955 (M376/54)
* School compositions, ca.1893, 2 items are by Bert Riggall, aged nine, and titled Half the Bargain and Christopher Columbus (M376/55)
* Notes on life of F.H.R. : [autobiography], after 1920, 16p (M376/56)
* Obituaries and funeral records, 1959, 1 cm, consist of two tributes, one by son-in-law Andy Russell; also funeral flower cards (M376/57)
Items from file: Personal papers. -- 1884-1959. -- 2.5 cm of textual records. -- File consists of personal papers, 1884-1959; school compositions, ca.1893; autobiography, after 1920; obituaries and funeral records, 1959. -- Title based on contents of file. -- Includes 3 oversize items. Some material in fragile condition. -- Location: M376 / 54 to 57.
Oversize items held in "B" (Certificates)
File consists of grub lists, itineraries, horse lists, camp outfit lists, calculations pertaining to packtrips. Also includes financial calculations and wage figures for same and records of sheep and goats shot, as well as some later personal trip itineraries and notes
File consists of grub lists, itineraries, horse lists, camp outfit lists, calculations pertaining to packtrips. Also includes financial calculations and wage figures for same and records of sheep and goats shot, as well as some later personal trip itineraries and notes
File pertains to family hunting and fishing trips and activities in southern Alberta and elsewhere. Prints were sent to Bert Riggall by the four families.
The Franklin M. Crosby, Charles C. Bovey, Russell M. Bennett and Sumner T. McKnight families of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and their descendants and friends (referred to by Bert Riggall as the "four families") contracted Riggall for packtrips and hunting trips after 1919. The families built the Hawk's Nest lodge in 1923
Scope & Content
File pertains to family hunting and fishing trips and activities in southern Alberta and elsewhere. Prints were sent to Bert Riggall by the four families.
1 cm of textual records and print material. -- 1 photograph album
History / Biographical
The Franklin M. Crosby, Charles C. Bovey, Russell M. Bennett and Sumner T. McKnight families of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and their descendants and friends (referred to by Bert Riggall as the "four families") contracted Riggall for packtrips and hunting trips after 1919. The families built the Hawk's Nest lodge in 1923
Scope & Content
File includes??? Bennett? trip diary; Crosby trip diary; Russell H. Bennett ski expedition account from Canadian Alpine Journal (off-print); Sour Dough Club menu; Helen Bennett wedding materials; Meridan Bennett funeral service; Genie Crosby Tyler and Victor Tyler illustrated trip diary; hunting trip album, 1921; Martin Bovey clippings and letter.
Album is a diary of a hunting trip involving Charles J. Winton Jr., Morris Tyler and Franklin M. Crosby Jr., August 20 to September 12, 1921. Album was a gift to Bert Riggall and includes photograph captions added by Riggall
Photographs pertain to step-by-step demonstrations of tying or throwing the following horse packing hitches: box hitch (or box sling), squaw hitch, diamond hitch, and bed roll hitch. Hitches were arranged, photographed and described by Riggall using a miniature pack horse model. Textual items are…
Photographs were made by Riggall for the Boy Scouts Association
Date Range
[ca.1949]
Physical Description
58 photographs (29 negatives, 29 prints). -- 2 textual records.
Scope & Content
Photographs pertain to step-by-step demonstrations of tying or throwing the following horse packing hitches: box hitch (or box sling), squaw hitch, diamond hitch, and bed roll hitch. Hitches were arranged, photographed and described by Riggall using a miniature pack horse model. Textual items are letters from E. F. Mills of the Canadian General Council, Boy Scouts Association
Notes
This material is presented as originally created, it contains outdated cultural descriptions and potentially offensive content. Materials in historical collections reflect the attitudes, ideas, and norms of the era and culture in which they were created or collected. Offensive or harmful terms are retained for historical accuracy or to document the issues and social context of a specific time and the attitudes and opinions of the people who created the material.
File consists of letters, notes, clippings, financial records, targets and print material pertaining to Riggall's personal guns, scopes, loading, tools, target shooting and gunsmithing / loading business
File consists of letters, notes, clippings, financial records, targets and print material pertaining to Riggall's personal guns, scopes, loading, tools, target shooting and gunsmithing / loading business
Title Source
Title based on contents of file
Content Details
Items from file: Gunsmithing, shooting and loading business records. -- 1914-1955. -- 10 cm of textual records. -- File consists of letters, notes, clippings, financial records, targets and print material pertaining to Riggall's personal guns, scopes, loading, tools, target shooting and gunsmithing / loading business. -- Title based on contents of file. -- Includes 12 oversize textual records. -- Location: M376 / 99 to 106.
Held in oversize "H"