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 37 prints (36 b&w and 1 colour), and 1 paper clipping. Consists mostly of portrait images of various individuals, some artists and manufacturers, including one of young Peter and Catharine Whyte which has been reproduced by the Whyte Museum (PA - 112). Most images in this file are …
37 Photographs: prints; b&w and colour. 1 paper clipping.
Scope & Content
File consists of 37 prints (36 b&w and 1 colour), and 1 paper clipping. Consists mostly of portrait images of various individuals, some artists and manufacturers, including one of young Peter and Catharine Whyte which has been reproduced by the Whyte Museum (PA - 112). Most images in this file are annotated by Nicholas Morant.
Notes
One of images produced by Jim Wallace, 1974.
Storage Range
In file box V500 /II / C / 5 / PA - 1 to V500 / II / C / 5 / PA - 325
Photographic prints in this file are not to be accessed or distributed without the explicit permission of their identified copyright owners.
Reproduction Restrictions
Photographic prints in this file are not to be reproduced without the explicit permission of their identified copyright owners.
Language
English
Conservation
Prints and other items with ink or other risky materials attached need to be stored in mylar to protect adjacent prints. File must be stored in appropriate conditions with other prints.
File consists of 111 negative photographs, b&w, various sizes. Contents pertain to personal and family events involving numerous members of the Morant family: Nicholas Morant, David Morant, Francis Morant (Sr. and Jr.), Mollie Morant, Ivy 'Willie' Morant, 'Shandy', 'Trixie' and 'Uncle Dick'. Topics…
File consists of 111 negative photographs, b&w, various sizes. Contents pertain to personal and family events involving numerous members of the Morant family: Nicholas Morant, David Morant, Francis Morant (Sr. and Jr.), Mollie Morant, Ivy 'Willie' Morant, 'Shandy', 'Trixie' and 'Uncle Dick'. Topics include the Morant family crest; images of 'Willie' in the kitchen, at the dentist's and working (multiple dates); David Morant as a child; Morant family Christmas in 1946; 'Willie' and Mollie Morant on the family farm; personal travel ('Vacation 1943', Mexico and Peru); etc.
Storage Range
In file box V500 / III / D / 4 / NA - 1 to V500 / III / D / 4 / NA - 111
File consists of 5 colour advertising posters, 2 calendar pages, and one hand-drawn illustration. Content pertains to 'The Banff Chairlift on Mt. Norquay'; a Laurie Signs Ltd. ad with a Nicholas Morant image and metal hanger (formerly a page from a calendar, date unknown); a 'Bourne Bros.' calendar…
File consists of 5 colour advertising posters, 2 calendar pages, and one hand-drawn illustration. Content pertains to 'The Banff Chairlift on Mt. Norquay'; a Laurie Signs Ltd. ad with a Nicholas Morant image and metal hanger (formerly a page from a calendar, date unknown); a 'Bourne Bros.' calendar dated '1913', featuring a large image of a woman named 'Berenice' on a metal hanger; 4 red and white Royal York Hotel advertising posters with cardboard attachments on back to stand upright; and an illustration addressed to Nicholas Morant (unknown artist), drawn in pencil, depicting a character covered in porcupine quills (?) with an easel, painting the message 'dere Marantz thanks 4 the encouragement'.
Notes
4 Royal York Hotel posters formerly stored in individual brown paper packaging with cardboard supports inside, labelled 'Royal York Hotel Poster' on the front of each in black marker. Original packaging has been removed for conservation reasons.
Storage Range
In file box M300 / II / C / 6 / 1 to M300 / II / C / 6 / 8 & M300 / II / C / 6 / 70 to 72
File consists of 2 printed poster advertisements (with photographs by Nicholas Morant) used by Canadian Pacific for tourism promotion. Content pertains to Lake Louise and Banff Springs Hotel, with a lone horse rider depicted in the foreground of each image. Both posters have large text at the botto…
File consists of 2 printed poster advertisements (with photographs by Nicholas Morant) used by Canadian Pacific for tourism promotion. Content pertains to Lake Louise and Banff Springs Hotel, with a lone horse rider depicted in the foreground of each image. Both posters have large text at the bottom which reads the place name depicted and 'Canadian Pacific'.
Notes
Posters were originally stored together, rolled, inside a tube labelled: "CPR POSTERS REPRO'S OLD ONES". Tube also has attached note: "Banff Springs Hotel - Rider / LAKE LOUISE with lone rider / oldtime CPR Poster Reproductions".
Tube also has separate mailing address label, with following text: "Canadian Pacific / Mr, Nicholas Morant, / Banff, Alberta. / O.C.S. / Public Relations and Advertising / Windsor Station, Montreal 101, Quebec".
File consists of 2 colour poster prints, paper, depicting copies of famous art pieces (previously framed and used as decorations in the Banff Springs Hotel), and one b&w poster of a steam train. Content pertains to paintings 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Vermeer and 'La Divina Commedia di Dante' b…
File consists of 2 colour poster prints, paper, depicting copies of famous art pieces (previously framed and used as decorations in the Banff Springs Hotel), and one b&w poster of a steam train. Content pertains to paintings 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Vermeer and 'La Divina Commedia di Dante' by Domenico di Michelino; also train image with faded print effect by Midwestern Rail Association.
Notes
Painting reprint posters were stored together in a cardboard poster tube with the following text labels on the outside:
"NICHOLAS MORANT BOX 1288 BANFF, ALBERTA CANADA"
"OLD BSH PRINTS. BSH HOTEL - II Bldg."
"O.H.M.S. FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS BRANCH OTTAWA, CANADA"
'J.C. Campbell, Esq., c/o Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Alberta."
(Handwritten): "These prints were originally exquisitely framed for use in rooms, suites and public rooms at the B.S.H."
"OLD B.S.H. PRINTS includes PIX of 'II' Hotel"
Train poster stored in poster tube labelled "DRAWINGS more to come (1, 2, 3)" with shipping address label: "Reed-Grove Ltd. 2111 East Avenue Rochester, New York 14610" "To Mr. + Mrs. Nichlas (sic) Morant Box 1288, Banff Alberta Canada".
Customs label: "PARCEL POST CUSTOMS DECLARATION - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA QTY: 1 DETAILED LIST OF CONTENTS: DRAWINGS VALUE (US $): 10 FIRST CLASS"
File consists of 3 small poster copies of original paintings. Content pertains to 3 paintings by Hans Holbein (16th century) depicting portraits of former English Queens Mary, Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleeves, which were copied into paper prints. Posters may originally have been displayed in the Ban…
File consists of 3 small poster copies of original paintings. Content pertains to 3 paintings by Hans Holbein (16th century) depicting portraits of former English Queens Mary, Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleeves, which were copied into paper prints. Posters may originally have been displayed in the Banff Springs Hotel, similarly to other replica Renaissance-era prints collected by Nicholas Morant (see V500 / III / D / 5 / PA - 67 to 69 O.S. entry).
Notes
Items in this file were originally stored inside a larger poster of Banff Springs Hotel (now filed under V500 / II / C / 6 / PA - 66 O.S.) which was secured with white string.
Storage Range
In file box V500 / III / D / 4 / PA - 1 to 25 and V500 / III / D / 5 / PA - 70 to 72
Poster with lithograph colour image of art by Louis Moen (Scotsman playing bagpipes in kilt, with Banff Springs Hotel in the background), promoting the 1931 Banff Highland Gathering. Includes text describing event and date.
The Banff Highland Gathering (September 3-5, 1931) was part of a series of cultural events which were directed by John Murray Gibbon between 1927 - 1931 and held across Canada. Gibbon was a publicist for the CPR for thirty years, and coined the concept of Canadian culture as a 'mosaic'.
Scope & Content
Poster with lithograph colour image of art by Louis Moen (Scotsman playing bagpipes in kilt, with Banff Springs Hotel in the background), promoting the 1931 Banff Highland Gathering. Includes text describing event and date.
Notes
Poster was stored in poster tube titled "BANFF HIGHLAND GAMES POSTER"
Shipping label: "648 MEETING PLACE SANDWICH BOX 55 BANFF ALTA T0L0C0"
Also has red stamp on white sticker: " TORONTO ONT. 8 IV '83 "