14 photographs : b&w and col. slides ; 10.2 x 8.2 cm
History / Biographical
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was officially formed in Februray, 1881, to construct a railroad that would link the eastern provinces with British Columbia, a key component of the Canadian Confederation of 1867. Headed by William C. Van Horne as General Manager, the railroad arrived in the Canadian Rockies in 1883 and a siding was established just east of present-day Banff. When railroad workers discovered a natural hot spring on the south side of the Bow River, Van Horne ordered the construction of a hotel that would house visitors brought in by train to visit the springs. Construction of the Banff Springs Hotel finished in 1888 and joined a handful of CPR hotels throughout the Rocky and Selkirk Mountain ranges. The popularity of the hot springs and surrounding area led to the formation of a national park and to the town of Banff.
After construction of the railway had completed, the CPR continued to survey and document the Rocky Mountains alongside federal agencies like the Department of the Interior and private outfitters. Utilizing coloured lantern slides the CPR was able to showcase the mountains as both tourist and settlement destinations. Magic lantern shows of these slides could be used for administrative purposes by the company to showcase land holdings and investments or in public shows as advertisements of the new railway.
Scope & Content
Series consists of 14 lantern slides [ca.1900-ca.1925]. Slides are views along the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The Archives General File is an artificial collection of accessions which do not constitute separate fonds or collections or cannot be placed within existing fonds or collections. Included in the collection are textual records of many types, such as manuscripts, reports, letters, diaries, speeches…
57 cm textual records. -- 50 cm of photographs : prints. -- 189 photographs (15 framed prints, 51 transparencies, 79 negatives; 44 copy negatives). -- 3 photograph albums (139 prints). -- 6 motion pictures. -- 9 sound recordings
Scope & Content
The Archives General File is an artificial collection of accessions which do not constitute separate fonds or collections or cannot be placed within existing fonds or collections. Included in the collection are textual records of many types, such as manuscripts, reports, letters, diaries, speeches, poetry, plans and others; photographs in the form of prints, negatives, transparencies, albums, postcards, etc.; sound recorded interviews and programmes; and motion pictures. Material pertains broadly to the Banff area and many other areas within the Archives collecting mandate.
Notable items include: Walter Wilcox letter; George Kinney report; interviews with Bill Round and Edward Feuz; original copy of Treaty Number Seven; Mary Schaffer material, including letters, notes, photograph and report; reports on the Nakimu Caves; film pertaining to Banff Winter Carnival; Georgia Engelhard letters and photos; plans for buildings and structures; George Noble photograph; W. S. Park photograph.