The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photograp…
Nicholas Everard Morant, 1910-1999, was a professional photographer based at Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was a Canadian commercial photographer of international repute and Canada's premier railway photographer of the 20th century.
Morant was born at Kamloops, British Columbia, the son of Francis and Mollie Morant. After attending the University School at Victoria, Morant served as Special Photographer to the CPR from 1929 to 1935 and again from 1944 to 1981. From 1935 to 1939, he was a cameraman for the Winnipeg Free Press, and from 1940 to 1944 worked with the Wartime Information Branch of the federal government (later to be known as the National Film Board Stills Division).
Morant had a prolific career as a freelance commercial, portrait, magazine, landscape and documentary photographer. His work appeared in numerous books and magazines, including Time, Life, Liberty, Saturday Evening Post, (Toronto) Star Weekly, Northern Sportsman, Reader's Digest, Country Guide, The Standard, National Home Monthly, Canadian Photography, Outdoor Canada, National Geographic, the Globe & Mail, Winnipeg Tribune, New York Daily News, and the two Canadian Pacific Railway magazines, The Spanner and Rail News.
Two wartime images were featured on postage stamps, while three landscape views appeared on Canadian $10, $50 and $100 bills. His images were also used for corporate annual reports, postcards, brochures, calendars and advertisements. From the 1950s to 1980s Morant gave public slide shows of his work, two of the most popular being "A Talk Without Words" and "The World At Your Feet".
Morant married Ivy May "Willie" Young in 1936 when he was a photographer with the Winnipeg Free Press. Beginning in 1929, and until the end of her life, Morant's travelling and working companion was his wife, "Willie," 1910-1986.
Scope & Content
The Nicholas Morant fonds consists of Morant's freelance work from his early days with the Winnipeg Free Press to his retirement from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1981. It is national in scope and also includes some international material. The fonds is comprised of three series: I. Photography; II. Professional records; III. Personal and family records.
I. Photography series consists of: A. Negatives and transparencies, B. Transparencies, C. Prints, D. Other photographs. II. Professional records series consists of: A. Working records, B. Career records, C. Topical files. III. Personal and family records series consists of: A. Nick and Willie Morant, B. Nick Morant funeral and memorial, C. Francis and Mollie Morant, D. Collected material
Notes
Full summary of sub-sub-series levels:
I / A : 1) Darkroom Files [ a) Negative Albums b) Black/White Series I and II c) Colour Series I and II
d) Leica Negs ]
2) GD Files
I / B : 1) Presentations [ a) Topical Files b) Thematic Files ]
2) General Files
3) Other
I / C : 1) Print Files
I / D : 1) Exhibition and Display Prints
2) Photographs used by John Garden
3) Other Photographs
II / A : 1) Log Books
2) Notebooks
II / B : 1) Career Binders [ a) Postcards b) Brochures and Advertising c) clippings and articles
d) Calendar Photographs ]
2) Scrapbooks [ a) Content 1933 - 1946 b) Content 1940 - 1980 ]
II / C : 1) Numbered / Titled Files [ a) Group A b) Group B c) Group C d) Group D e) Group H
f) Group P g) Group R ]
2) Other Topical Files [ a) Railway; i) Timetables ii) Publications iii) Other
b) Photography; i) Textual Records ii) Print Material
c) Travel d) Exhibitions and Galleries e)Personal f) Other ]
3) Postcards, Greeting Cards and Ephemera Collection
4) Published Images and Text
5) Professional Photography
6) Promotional Items, Awards and Correspondence
7) Presentation and Interview Materials
III / A : 1) Correspondence
2) Personal Papers [ a) Personal Records b) Notes and Notebooks c) Lists and Card Files
d) Awards and Retirement ]
3) Personal Photographs
4) House Records [ a) Construction b) Household Records ]
5) Business, Financial and Legal Papers
6) Interviews, Reminiscences Personal Recordings
7) Other Records (Signs, Cartoons, Drawings, etc.)
8) Personal Correspondence and Notes
9) Travel Documents and Maps
III / B : 1) Nick Morant Funeral, Memorial and Estate
III / C : 1) Mollie Morant Papers
2) Other Family Papers
III / D : 1) Sound Recordings
2) Biographical Material
3) Other Papers and Photographs [ a) Burton Wheatley Family b) Other ]
4) Personal and Family Photography
5) Personal Interest and Gifts
File consists of ca. 4,700 photographs (ca. 3900 negatives, ca. 800 transparencies and 35 prints), b&w and colour, various sizes. Content pertains to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Includes CP Oil and Gas (CPOG); various hotels including Banff Springs Hotel, Empress Hotel, Royal York Hotel, …
ca. 4,670 Photographs: negatives, transparencies and prints; b&w, colour
Scope & Content
File consists of ca. 4,700 photographs (ca. 3900 negatives, ca. 800 transparencies and 35 prints), b&w and colour, various sizes. Content pertains to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Includes CP Oil and Gas (CPOG); various hotels including Banff Springs Hotel, Empress Hotel, Royal York Hotel, Chateau Frontenac and Chateau Lacombe; logging and forestry projects; Rail News photographs; and photos from Mexico and Peru. Dates range from around 1950s - 1970s. Most photographs titled.
Notes
Negatives, transparencies and prints stored separately. Contains duplicates.
File consists of 124 negative photographs (b&w, colour), 30 colour transparencies and 2 colour prints, various sizes. Content pertains to interior and exterior views of the Chateau Lacombe hotel in Edmonton, AB.
File consists of 124 negative photographs (b&w, colour), 30 colour transparencies and 2 colour prints, various sizes. Content pertains to interior and exterior views of the Chateau Lacombe hotel in Edmonton, AB.
Notes
Contains duplicates. Negatives, transparencies and prints stored in separate file boxes.
File consists of 72 negative photographs (b&w, colour), 11 colour transparencies and 30 colour prints. Content pertains to Pacific Logging operations on Vancouver Island BC, including harvesting, reforestation and transportation, ca. 1965. Locations include Sooke, Honeymoon Bay and Cowichan.
113 Photographs: negatives, transparencies and prints; b&w, colour
Scope & Content
File consists of 72 negative photographs (b&w, colour), 11 colour transparencies and 30 colour prints. Content pertains to Pacific Logging operations on Vancouver Island BC, including harvesting, reforestation and transportation, ca. 1965. Locations include Sooke, Honeymoon Bay and Cowichan.
Notes
Related to content in V500 / I / A7 / 6 , V500 / I / A7 / 39 and V500 / I / A7 / 42
Contains duplicates. Negatives, transparencies and prints stored in separate file boxes.
File consists of 81 negative photographs (b&w and colour), 38 colour transparencies and 2 b&w prints. Content pertains to Canadian Pacific Railway's Chateau Frontenac hotel in Quebec City, QC. Images include interior views of dining area and staged buffet dinner photos, bedrooms, and exterior views…
121 Photographs: negatives, transparencies and prints; b&w, colour
Scope & Content
File consists of 81 negative photographs (b&w and colour), 38 colour transparencies and 2 b&w prints. Content pertains to Canadian Pacific Railway's Chateau Frontenac hotel in Quebec City, QC. Images include interior views of dining area and staged buffet dinner photos, bedrooms, and exterior views of hotel. Some photos dated 1964 and 1966.
Notes
Contains duplicates. Negatives, transparencies and prints stored in separate file boxes.
File pertains to filming of the movie "Silver Streak". Images include shots of cast members Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor and Jill Clayburgh (action shots from film and also staged cast photographs).
Comedy thriller "Silver Streak" (1976) was directed by Arthur Hiller and written by Colin Higgins. Parts of the filming took place in locations throughout Alberta, including Okotoks, Calgary, and Drumheller. The film largely takes place aboard a moving train, and the use of Canadian Pacific Railway for this purpose is likely how Nicholas Morant (Canadian Pacific's Special Photographer from 1930 - 1981) was able to take the photographs in this file.
Scope & Content
File pertains to filming of the movie "Silver Streak". Images include shots of cast members Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor and Jill Clayburgh (action shots from film and also staged cast photographs).
Storage Range
In file box V500 /I / C1 / 109 PA - 1 to V500 / I / C1 / 121 / PA - 4
Approx. 103 b&w prints and 6 colour prints loaned to John Garden by Nicholas Morant for use in his books "Nicholas Morant's Canada" (pub. 1998) and "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" (pub. 1991). Includes images of trains, portraits, boat tour/cruise pictures and other miscellaneous content.
Approx. 103 b&w prints and 6 colour prints loaned to John Garden by Nicholas Morant for use in his books "Nicholas Morant's Canada" (pub. 1998) and "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" (pub. 1991). Includes images of trains, portraits, boat tour/cruise pictures and other miscellaneous content.
Notes
Some of earlier prints signed by Nicholas Morant
Storage Range
In file box V500 / I / D2 / PA File 1 to 3 (file folder 3)
File consists of 13 b&w prints, signed by Nicholas Morant, which were given to John Garden by Nicholas Morant for use in his books "Nicholas Morant's Canada" (pub. 1998) and "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" (pub. 1991). Includes images of Canadian landscapes, portraits, rural scenes, etc.
File consists of 13 b&w prints, signed by Nicholas Morant, which were given to John Garden by Nicholas Morant for use in his books "Nicholas Morant's Canada" (pub. 1998) and "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" (pub. 1991). Includes images of Canadian landscapes, portraits, rural scenes, etc.
File consists of ca. 405 photographs used in books "Nicholas Morant's Canada" and "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" by John Garden, and 23 textual items. Photographs include ca.123 prints (13 oversize), ca.125 transparencies, and ca.156 negatives. Content pertains to Rocky Mountain scenics, vari…
ca. 405 Photographs: prints, transparencies, negatives; b&w and colour
Scope & Content
File consists of ca. 405 photographs used in books "Nicholas Morant's Canada" and "Nicholas Morant's Canadian Pacific" by John Garden, and 23 textual items. Photographs include ca.123 prints (13 oversize), ca.125 transparencies, and ca.156 negatives. Content pertains to Rocky Mountain scenics, various hotel interior and exterior views, scenes from Peru, and other miscellaneous content relating to the Canadian Pacific Railway company.
Textual materials include personal correspondence collected by Willie Morant, handwritten notes by Nicholas Morant, and one newspaper clipping (annotated).
Notes
Contains some duplicates.
Negative photos to be re-housed in negative envelopes before moving to downstairs vault
File consists of 65 b&w and 30 colour prints, various sizes. Photographs pertain to Nicholas and Willie Morant and the CPR; include photographs of Nicholas Morant at various ages while working professionally, including some taken by his wife Ivy 'Willie' Morant. Also contains photographs of Ivy and…
Produced by Nicholas Morant and Ivy 'Willie' Morant
Date Range
1938
1940 - 1944
[ca. 1940 - ca. 1955]
[ca. 1970?]
ca. 1979
[ca. 1980 - ca. 1990]
Physical Description
95 Photographs: prints; b&w and colour
Scope & Content
File consists of 65 b&w and 30 colour prints, various sizes. Photographs pertain to Nicholas and Willie Morant and the CPR; include photographs of Nicholas Morant at various ages while working professionally, including some taken by his wife Ivy 'Willie' Morant. Also contains photographs of Ivy and Nicholas Morant together and photographs of Ivy Morant. Nearly all colour prints and several b&w images pertain to the CPR and depict active trains (various dates).
Storage Range
In file box V500 / II / C / 5 / PA - 326 to V500 / II / C / 5 / PA - 648