Fonds is primarily a broad-ranging commercial negative collection pertaining to Banff and area, including businesses, buildings, projects, events, people and scenic views; skiing, mountain travel and recreation; Sunshine Village Ski Area; warden activities in the mountain parks; national and provin…
ca.31,580 photographs: negatives, prints, and transparencies. -- 1 photograph album (ca.150 prints). -- 50 motion pictures: 1 original, 8 copies on 3 video cassettes, 41 film reels: 16mm, 35mm. -- 18 sound recordings: audio tape reels, audio tape cassettes. -- 5 electronic records: computer diskettes. -- 3 maps. -- 15 cm textual records.
History / Biographical
Bruno Engler, 1915-2001, was a mountain guide, ski instructor, photographer and film maker at Banff and Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Engler arrived from Switzerland in 1939 and initially worked as a mountain guide and ski instructor for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Sunshine ski area and for Deer Lodge at Lake Louise, Alberta. During the Second World War, he served as a mountain warfare instructor for the Canadian Army. Following the war, Engler worked as a free-lance photographer for the National Film Board and others; as coach of the University of Alberta Ski Team; and as a technical advisor, cameraman and actor for numerous movies made in the Banff area. Throughout his career, Engler worked as a still and motion picture photographer, both for the movie industry and for governments at all levels, as well as operating his own business, Alpine Films of Banff, Alberta.
Scope & Content
Fonds is primarily a broad-ranging commercial negative collection pertaining to Banff and area, including businesses, buildings, projects, events, people and scenic views; skiing, mountain travel and recreation; Sunshine Village Ski Area; warden activities in the mountain parks; national and provincial parks; scenic views of western Canada, particularly mountain landscapes; some portraits and candid shots of local and international personalities. Photographs pertaining to film making include helicopter rescue; highway construction; Norquay, Sunshine, and Lake Louise ski areas' histories; Banff events and buildings; Canmore events and buildings; professional and amateur ski races; scenic mountain and wildlife; mountaineering and highway accidents; mountain guiding trips including Pierre Trudeau, Roland Michener and Peter Lougheed. Fonds consists of four series: Photography, Motion Pictures, Sound Recordings, and Textual records. Photography series consists of four sub-series established by the photographer: I. Old file, 1949-1970; II. Main file, alphabetical A - Z, 1950-1976; III Sunshine file, [1939], 1950-1975; IV. Warden file, 1954-1976.
Motion pictures on video cassettes are footage of skiing at Sunshine, 1930s; Clifford White films, 1930s, from WMCR Archives collection (V682); "Snow Capers" by Thomas Mead, 1946, includes Engler; "Ski Pro's Holiday" by George Encil, 1950?; "Mount Bulyea" by George Encil, 1950?, includes Engler; "Diary of a Mountain Man," a CBC documentary feature on Bruno Engler broadcast on "20/20" in 1965 (ca.27 minutes); "Great Days in the Rockies" by National Film Board of Canada, 1983; "Mountain Man" by Banff Centre, 1985, re Engler. Original film is "Sunshine 1940" and includes Brewster Transport ski buses travelling from train station to Sunshine Lodge, skiers, guide, lessons, games, rope tow, ski action, slalom, Bruno Engler, other. 16mm and 35mm film reels, 1946-1964 are films produced by the National Film Board.
Sound recordings, electronic records and and related textual material pertain to interviews with Bruno Engler, 1987, done by Brian Patton and Jon Whyte for Bruno Engler autobiography project. Interviews covered Engler's life, but are not complete to 1987. Transcripts, prepared from recordings by Brenda Goeres, are not verbatim. Audio tape cassettes consist of portions of content of audio tape reels.
Textual records include corporate records, newspaper clippings and magazine articles pertaining to film making, cast and crew listings and schedules for various movies, ski racing, mountain guiding trips and ski race listings. Also included is documentation pertaining to film making with producer National Film Board including letters, film stock footage, press releases, and film summaries; maps indicate film location shots for Arctic Rampage.
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the Alberta Game Farm in Edmonton as part of a National Film Board production. Possibly a petting zoo, the Farm includes black bear cubs, cougars, bobcats, caribou, pronhorn deer, peacocks, zeebras, camels, alpacas, muskox, oxen, and more.
The…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 250'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the Alberta Game Farm in Edmonton as part of a National Film Board production. Possibly a petting zoo, the Farm includes black bear cubs, cougars, bobcats, caribou, pronhorn deer, peacocks, zeebras, camels, alpacas, muskox, oxen, and more.
The original label on the case reads "Title Alberta Game Farm NFB, Camera B. Engler, 250ft Time 5 1/2 min, Date 1962 Edmonton."
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to footage of ski lessons and skiing at Norquay Ski Hill, including slalom lessons, ski racing, a demonstration of strapping boots into skis, the T-bar ski pull, and the chair lift.
The original label on the case reads "Title: Alberta Ski team Tr…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 400'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
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Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to footage of ski lessons and skiing at Norquay Ski Hill, including slalom lessons, ski racing, a demonstration of strapping boots into skis, the T-bar ski pull, and the chair lift.
The original label on the case reads "Title: Alberta Ski team Training Norquay, Date: 1947, Tootape[?]: 400ft, Film cuts, Stock footage only, Not to be used for Projection."
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the construction of a bridge [possibly over Forty Mile Creek near the base of Mount Norquay]. Footage includes a group of military personnel [possbily scouts or cadets] constructing two steel and wood bridges by hand over a small creek.
The or…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 200'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the construction of a bridge [possibly over Forty Mile Creek near the base of Mount Norquay]. Footage includes a group of military personnel [possbily scouts or cadets] constructing two steel and wood bridges by hand over a small creek.
The original label on the case reads "200 ft, Date 1965?, 5 minutes, Army Bailey Bridge."
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to construction of the Icefield Parkway between Banff and Jasper. Includes scenic shots of viewpoints along the way, as well as construction of the road itself and bridges over various rivers and waterfalls up to the Columbia Icefield Discovery C…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 255'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
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Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to construction of the Icefield Parkway between Banff and Jasper. Includes scenic shots of viewpoints along the way, as well as construction of the road itself and bridges over various rivers and waterfalls up to the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre.
The original label on the case reads "Title Asphalt Over the Top, Camera B. Engler, Date 1961, Footage 225ft Time 7 min, For TV tape VHS."
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to Parks Canada Wardens ice climbing and rescue training on Victoria Glacier above Lake Louise. Includes shots of them hiking up, detailed shots of warden's putting on their crampons and tying knots, cutting steps in the glacier, and practicing c…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 380'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
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Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to Parks Canada Wardens ice climbing and rescue training on Victoria Glacier above Lake Louise. Includes shots of them hiking up, detailed shots of warden's putting on their crampons and tying knots, cutting steps in the glacier, and practicing crevasse rescues.
The original label on the case reads "Title: Banff Park Warden Ice Climbing, Camera: B. Engler, Date: 1956, Footage 380ft."
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to winter activities in and around the town of Banff, including the Banff Upper Hot Springs, skiing at Mt. Norquay, the exterior of the Banff Recreation Centre, and shots of the townsite from Mt. Norquay.
The original label on the case reads "Ban…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 300'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
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Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to winter activities in and around the town of Banff, including the Banff Upper Hot Springs, skiing at Mt. Norquay, the exterior of the Banff Recreation Centre, and shots of the townsite from Mt. Norquay.
The original label on the case reads "Banff Winter, Date - 1960, Fottage - 300 feet, B7W film."
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the 1958 Banff Winter Carnival and accompanying activities. Includes footage of a costume party/dance, costume ski race/ obstacle course, ski jumping at Mt. Norquay, the Carinval Queen, and the crowds gathered on the Bow River beside the bridg…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 300'): 16 mm, original, b&w, silent
History / Biographical
See fonds level description
Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the 1958 Banff Winter Carnival and accompanying activities. Includes footage of a costume party/dance, costume ski race/ obstacle course, ski jumping at Mt. Norquay, the Carinval Queen, and the crowds gathered on the Bow River beside the bridge.
The original label on the case reads "Title: Banff Winter Carnival 1958, Camera B. Engler, Date: 1958, B&W, Footage: 300 ft."
In case of viewing request: Recommend issuing caution to viewers, specifically pertaining to sequences from the dance [00:01:06 to 01:00:11] as they contain graphic use of blackface, cultural appropriation, and misogynistic scenes.
File pertains to 13 colour film transparencies of a helicopter [operated by the company Bow Helicopters] installing a new chairlift at Lake Louise Ski Hill.
File pertains to 13 colour film transparencies of a helicopter [operated by the company Bow Helicopters] installing a new chairlift at Lake Louise Ski Hill.
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the construction of the Eagle Chairlift at Lake Louise Ski Hill with the assistance of a helicopter. Also includes shots from inside the helicopter of the pilot, his controls, and the scenery, as well as shots of helicopters arriving at an alp…
1 motion picture (1 film reel: 300'): 16 mm, original, col., silent
History / Biographical
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Scope & Content
Item consists of one 16 mm motion picture pertaining to the construction of the Eagle Chairlift at Lake Louise Ski Hill with the assistance of a helicopter. Also includes shots from inside the helicopter of the pilot, his controls, and the scenery, as well as shots of helicopters arriving at an alpine hut to pick up and drop off supplies.
The original label on the case reads "Color, Title Bow Helicopter Slinging, Lake Louise Eagle Chair Lift, Camera B. Engler, Footage 300ft Time 5 min."