Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, …
ca. 7.9 metres of textual records -- ca. 274 maps -- 29 VHS tapes -- ca.15 discs with digital files -- 21 cassettes -- photographs -- oversized materials -- USB stick with 15 sldeshows
History / Biographical
Ben Gadd (1946-) is a retired naturalist, guide, geologist, instructor, freelance writer and award-winning author based in the Canadian Rockies.
Ben was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1946. He met his wife, Cia (Langdon) Gadd at Colorado College in 1965, and the couple married four weeks later. Ben and Cia had two sons, Will and Toby. Ben and his family relocated to Jasper in the late 1960s. Ben later attended the University of Lethbridge and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Earth Science in 1972.
Between 1976 and 1980, Ben taught classes at Mount Royal College and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; he later taught additional classes at Grant MacEwan College and Lakeland College. From 1981, Ben also worked as a seasonal naturalist/guide for Parks Canada. Ben left Parks Canada in 1985 to start an independent naturalist guiding business with Cia based in Jasper and other parts of the Canadian Rockies, which the couple continued to operate for over two decades.
Ben published his best-known work, "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies", through his publishing company Corax Press in 1986. The second edition of "Handbook of the Canadian Rockies" received multiple awards after its release in 1995. Ben's fiction book, "Raven's End" won the title of Best Canadian Rockies Book at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2001 and became a Canadian bestseller. Overall, Ben has authored or co-authored 11 books and received nearly one dozen awards for his achievements as a writer, researcher and guide.
Ben continued to lead guided hikes and school programs until his retirement in 2016.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of materials pertaining to Ben Gadd's personal life and career as an environmental researcher, educator, interpretive guide, publisher, public speaker and author, ca.1956-2018. Fonds includes maps, research materials, publication notes/drafts, correspondence, contracts, photographs, video and sound recordings, and other related material. Materials donated in 2024 include one USB stick containing
Notes
Ben Gadd fonds arrangement:
Series I : Personal records
- Subseries A : Travel guides and maps
- Subseries B : Education and early writings
- Subseries C : Personal interest files
- Subseries D : Other personal and collected
Series II : Research and publication records
- Subseries A : Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
- Subseries B : Other publications
Series III : Professional records
- Subseries A : Parks Canada Records
- Subseries B : Interpretive guiding
- Subseries C : Teaching records
- Subseries D : Other contracts and projects
Series IV : Legal and financial records
- Subseries A : Legal records
- Subseries B : Financial records
Fonds consists of photographic material accompanied by media coverage and articles written by Robert Fleming pertaining to Chief Walking Buffalo's 1960 world journey with Chief David and Mrs. Crowchild and five other Stoney and Sarcee people, sponsored by International Moral Rearmament. Travel incl…
ca. 500 photographs: negatives, prints, transparencies. -- ca. 30 cm of textual records
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of photographic material accompanied by media coverage and articles written by Robert Fleming pertaining to Chief Walking Buffalo's 1960 world journey with Chief David and Mrs. Crowchild and five other Stoney and Sarcee people, sponsored by International Moral Rearmament. Travel included Aboriginal people in Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Uganda, and Kenya.Fonds are unprocessed held in 3 boxes and 1 oversize print mounted on foamcore
Fonds consists of visual and texual material pertaining to the Canadian Pacific Railway and its holdings. Visual material conists of two series. Series I: lantern slides, Series II: prints. Textual material consists of two series. Series I: organizational records, Series II: the 1942 film "Canadian…
69 b&w lantern slides, 5 cm of textual records, ca. 309 prints : b&w ; 27.9 x 20.3 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of visual and texual material pertaining to the Canadian Pacific Railway and its holdings. Visual material conists of two series. Series I: lantern slides, Series II: prints. Textual material consists of two series. Series I: organizational records, Series II: the 1942 film "Canadian Pacific" screenplay and associated documents.
Visual material includes black and white lantern slides and black and white prints depicting various scenes pertaining to travelling on the Canadian Pacific Railway and depict dining rooms, scnes involving trains and mountains, farming scenes and fields, people in train cars, various cities and towns, figures in natural landscapes, horses and horseback riding, mountains, waterfalls, skiing, ships, CP hotels, and other grand buildings [across Canada] such as Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal.
Textual material includes paper reports [some compiled by Canadian Pacific Hotels Architectural Engineer Ed Steel] detailing various construction and/or renovation projects for hotels, lodges, tea houses, bugalow camps, huts, and backcountry lodges throughout the Canadian Rockies as well as records pertaining to CP hotels in the Canadian Rockies, and the screenplay for "Canadian Pacific."
Notes
Slides were stored in rectangular wood box with leather handle on top, and metal handle at one end. White label that says “Lyon & Turnbull 432 04 February 2009” on lid of the box. Old, peeling, and stained label on top under handle, illegible. Faded, peeling labels on front, some words legible: “from the Canadian Pacific…” 2 stained and water damaged labels detached from box appear to be English shipping labels.“10” stamped in black on both ends of box. Stamped in black on rear of box: “Canadian Pacific Rly Co. 62 to 65 Charing Cross, London, S.W. 1. “3” engraved on upper rim of box. Box is divided into 3 sections with removable wood separators, small pieces of felt line 2 sections of the box.
Prints and some textual records absorbed from old records V121 and M48.
Lantern slides donated to the Whyte Museum by Dr. William and Mrs. Wynn Bensen. The slides were purchased by the Bensens from Lyon and Turnbull in Scotland.
Scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings related to Banff Indian Days and the Calgary Stampede; various other newspaper clippings related to local and international news, including the opening of a new school in Morley and the Luxton Museum [now the Buffalo Nations Museum] in Banff, a fire at Jasp…
Scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings related to Banff Indian Days and the Calgary Stampede; various other newspaper clippings related to local and international news, including the opening of a new school in Morley and the Luxton Museum [now the Buffalo Nations Museum] in Banff, a fire at Jasper Park Lodge, and Canadian and international politics.
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.
Image of a man identified as Wilf Carter sitting on a log, singing and playing a guitar with two unidentifed woman on either side - three horses in background
Image of a man identified as Wilf Carter sitting on a log, singing and playing a guitar with two unidentifed woman on either side - three horses in background
File pertains to Victoria, Vancouver and vicinity, British Columbia; Edmonton, Calgary and vicinity, Alberta; Regina and Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; features and shipping on the Great Lakes. Most images have captions. Individual labels: creator label 52
File pertains to Victoria, Vancouver and vicinity, British Columbia; Edmonton, Calgary and vicinity, Alberta; Regina and Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; features and shipping on the Great Lakes. Most images have captions.
File pertains to reports pertaining to various properties throughout the Canadian Rockies. Some of the reports were compiled by Canadian Pacific Hotels Architectural Engineer Ed Steel. Reports outline the costs of materials and goods needed for or provided by bungalow camps, lodges, tea houses, bac…
File pertains to reports pertaining to various properties throughout the Canadian Rockies. Some of the reports were compiled by Canadian Pacific Hotels Architectural Engineer Ed Steel. Reports outline the costs of materials and goods needed for or provided by bungalow camps, lodges, tea houses, backcountry camps, huts, and hotels, as well as dimensions of new additions to buildings/camps.
Properties include Banff Springs Hotel, Chateua Lake Louise, Calgary Palliser Hotel and Station, Glacier House, Lake O'Hara, Yoho Valley, Radium Hot Springs, Moraine Lake, Lake Agnes, Plain of Six Glaciers, Mt. Assiniboine, Lake Windermere Ranch, Saddleback Rest House, Abbott Pass Hut, Sunshine Valley, Mystic Lake, Shadow Lake, Castle Mountain, Emerald Lake, and more.
File pertains to the screenplay for the 1948 film "Canadian Pacific" by Jack DeWitt. The film was made in Banff, directed by Nat Holt, and follows the construction of the line through the Rockies in the 1880s.
File pertains to the screenplay for the 1948 film "Canadian Pacific" by Jack DeWitt. The film was made in Banff, directed by Nat Holt, and follows the construction of the line through the Rockies in the 1880s.
Series pertains to photograph prints of Canadian Pacific Railway properties and surrounding locations. Includes scenes from around the town of Banff and Banff National Park, interior and exterior views of hotels [particularly the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise], trophies, portraits…
Series pertains to photograph prints of Canadian Pacific Railway properties and surrounding locations. Includes scenes from around the town of Banff and Banff National Park, interior and exterior views of hotels [particularly the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise], trophies, portraits, horses and horseback riding, skiing, trains, photographs of paintings, and various scenic views.
Notes
Most prints have titles or captions on the backs, as well as negatives information.
File consists of 10 photographs depicting Eleanor, Norman and Georgina Luxton. Includes two professional portraits of Eleanor as a baby and toddler, and photographs of Eleanor and her parents dressed in traditional Indigenous clothing as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway Exhibition in Toronto, 1…
Photographs produced by G & W Fear (Banff), and Pringle & Booth (Toronto)
Date Range
[ca.1909]
[ca.1910-1912]
1920
Physical Description
10 photographs : b&w prints ; 19 x 24.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 10 photographs depicting Eleanor, Norman and Georgina Luxton. Includes two professional portraits of Eleanor as a baby and toddler, and photographs of Eleanor and her parents dressed in traditional Indigenous clothing as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway Exhibition in Toronto, 1920.
Notes
Some items in file are annotated
Items LUX/II/C5/PA-38 to 45 accompanied in file by original mailing envelope (annotated on back)
File consists of school work, including math problems, English assignments and drawings, produced by Ben Gadd as an elementary school student between 1953 and 1956. File also includes three telegrams sent by Ben's parents (Sam and Mary Gadd) and two letters pertaining to Ben's early development and…
File consists of school work, including math problems, English assignments and drawings, produced by Ben Gadd as an elementary school student between 1953 and 1956. File also includes three telegrams sent by Ben's parents (Sam and Mary Gadd) and two letters pertaining to Ben's early development and other updates.
File consists of school assignments, certificates, notes and other educational records pertaining to Ben Gadd's time as a junior high school student in Colorado, 1958-1960.
File consists of school assignments, certificates, notes and other educational records pertaining to Ben Gadd's time as a junior high school student in Colorado, 1958-1960.
File consists of notes, assignments and other records pertaining to Ben Gadd's high school education in Colorado, 1961-1964. File includes collected newspaper clippings and research material for school assignments; illustrations by Ben, including architectural drawings and design plans for model ai…
File consists of notes, assignments and other records pertaining to Ben Gadd's high school education in Colorado, 1961-1964. File includes collected newspaper clippings and research material for school assignments; illustrations by Ben, including architectural drawings and design plans for model airplanes; short stories and original poetry; and other related material.
Notes
File M590 / I / B / 3 includes one annotated map of trails in Colorado which was used by Ben Gadd from 1960-1962 during various bicycling trips.
File consists of notes and personal writings produced by Ben Gadd between 1965-1968, following his high school graduation and prior to moving to Canada.
File consists of notes and personal writings produced by Ben Gadd between 1965-1968, following his high school graduation and prior to moving to Canada.
Notes
Original file folder included note written in pencil by Ben Gadd: "After meeting Cia, pre-university"
