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
Fonds consists of motion picture titled "Canadian Rockies, 1930 Maligne Lake Camp, Mount Brazeau" and a scrapbook containing letters, brochures, maps, newsletters, and photographs pertaining to Allyn Ford and Nancy Dart's respective memberships with the Alpine Club of Canada, as well as a trip to J…
1 motion picture : 16 mm, b/w, silent, ca.500 ft ; 4 cm of textual records (1 volumes ; 24.5 x 29.3 cm)
History / Biographical
Allyn K. Ford (1878-1964) was a businessman and collector in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a member of the Alpine Club of Canada from 1908 onwards. He was married to Emily Powell Ford (1886-1976) and had at least two daughters, Alice Carpenter Ford and Nancy (Ford) Dart. Nancy also became a member of the ACC in 1953.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of motion picture titled "Canadian Rockies, 1930 Maligne Lake Camp, Mount Brazeau" and a scrapbook containing letters, brochures, maps, newsletters, and photographs pertaining to Allyn Ford and Nancy Dart's respective memberships with the Alpine Club of Canada, as well as a trip to Jasper in the mid-1950s.
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including cor…
154 cm of textual records. -- 1304 photographs (1190 prints, 95 negatives, 19 transparencies). -- 6 photograph albums.
History / Biographical
The Wardle family was comprised of husband and wife, James Morey Wardle (June 26,1888 - May 18,1971) and Maud Leette (Roney) Wardle (May 24,1889 - December 1,1969), and their one child, Dorothy Hope Wardle (May 23,1919 - July 20,2003).
James Wardle, born in Chiliwack, British Columbia, was a civil engineer and public servant. He was the Superintendent of Banff National Park from 1918-1921, Chief Engineer for Parks Canada from 1921-1935, and Deputy Minister of the Interior from 1935-1936. He is primarily known as a highway design engineer, particularly for building the Banff-Windermere, Banff-Lake Louise, and Banff-Jasper highways. He was a councillor for the Municipality of Rockcliffe Park in Ontario and he was the President of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies in Banff from 1925-1929. Mount Wardle in Vermillion was named after him in 1921. James married Leette on November 4, 1913, with whom he had one child, Dorothy.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Dorothy (also known as Dot and Dorie) grew up in Banff, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario, due to her father's position with the federal government. She was educated at the Mountain School in Banff and at the Elmwood School in Ottawa. All three family members were graduates of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. James graduated in 1912 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Leette graduated with a Bachelor's degree, and in 1942, Dorothy also earned a Bachelor's degree. Dorothy was prominent in student life and active in athletics. In 1941, Dorothy became the first woman elected as President of the Alma Mater Society and during her academic career, Dorothy was a member of the Levana Intercollegiate Debative, University Centenary Committee, and Queen’s War Aid Commission.
Dorothy spent her career as a freelance writer however, upon graduation she served as the first Secretary-In-Charge of Records at Carleton College (now Carleton University) from 1942-1944 in Ottawa and in the mid-1950s worked as a secretary for the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. Dorothy pursued a lifelong interest in traveling, art, and antiques. Although she was fiercely proud and protective of Banff and the Park, and remained a volunteer and patron of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Dorothy eventually settled in Sidney, British Columbia and shared an apartment with Sheila Iris Ritchie, with whom Dorothy travelled extensively. After her death in 2003, Dorothy, "Dorie," was laid to rest alongside her parents in the Old Banff Cemetery.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two sous-fonds: M521 and V75.
M521 consists of four series, 154 cm, ca.1870-2002. Series I: Dorothy Wardle Personal Papers, 69.5 cm, ca.1870-2002 (includes Dorothy's written work and research and notes related to Banff). Series II: Wardle Family, 32.5 cm, 1872-1998 (including correspondence with Carl Rungius and Mrs. Helen Brett, and Christmas and other greeting cards from Peter and Catharine Whyte). Series III: Queen's University, 7.5 cm, 1911-1980 (including graduation certificates for each family member and records pertaining to Dorothy's participation on the Alma Mater Society). Series IV: Travel, 44.5 cm, ca.1950-1988 (includes hand-written notebooks meticulously detailing their travels).
V75 consists of two series, 79.5 cm, ca. 1912-2001. Series I: Wardle Family, ca. 1912-1971, 6 albums, 31 cm of photograph prints and negatives (including family trips, trail rides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and family gatherings). Series II: Dorothy Wardle, 1972-2001, 34 cm of photograph prints, negatives, and transparencies (including Dorothy's travels in Alberta and British Columbia, overseas, and various outings with friends).
File consists of one scrapbook containing ca. 200 attached postcard prints and commercial postcards, as well as two portrait photograph prints and two souvenir booklets. Content pertains to scenic views of the Canadian Rockies including Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Maligne Lake, Revelstoke and the At…
Some items produced by George S. Cladds [?], Byron Harmon, Gerta Christoffersen, Detroit Publishing Co., and A.C. Leighton
Date Range
[ca. 1925 - ca. 1940]
1932
Physical Description
1 scrapbook : ca. 200 b&w and col. postcards ; 14 x 21.5 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook containing ca. 200 attached postcard prints and commercial postcards, as well as two portrait photograph prints and two souvenir booklets. Content pertains to scenic views of the Canadian Rockies including Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Maligne Lake, Revelstoke and the Athabasca River; portrait paintings of unidentified Indigenous girls by artist Gerta Christoffersen; scenes from Australia, Brussels, Venice, Bermuda, Fiji, Portugal, London, Windsor Castle, California, Mexico, the Grand Canyon, Montana, Niagara Falls, Maine, Ohio and Pennsylvania; and sketched art by A.C. Leighton depicting horses and riders. Many postcards are colorized.
File consists of one scrapbook containing postcards likely collected by Eleanor Luxton during national and international travels. Locations include Hawaii, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York, Montreal, Panama, and Japan. scrapbook has small textual page attached to inside titled "Interesting Facts …
Some items produced by Curt Teich & Co., Nikkosha, Western Publishing & Novelty Co., and H.S. Crocker Co., Inc.
Date Range
[ca. 1935 - ca. 1940]
1939
Physical Description
1 scrapbook (158 prints : b&w and col. postcards ; 9 x 14 cm -- 1 textual record)
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook containing postcards likely collected by Eleanor Luxton during national and international travels. Locations include Hawaii, Hong Kong, San Francisco, New York, Montreal, Panama, and Japan. scrapbook has small textual page attached to inside titled "Interesting Facts About Canada" with statistics from 1936.
File consists of one album containing travel photographs, mostly captioned. Content pertains to Eleanor Luxton's national and international travels between ca. 1935 and 1940. Locations include the United States, Ontario, Quebec, Panama and Cuba. Subjects include unidentified Indigenous families and…
1 album (ca. 360 b&w and col. prints ; 9 x 14 cm or smaller)
Scope & Content
File consists of one album containing travel photographs, mostly captioned. Content pertains to Eleanor Luxton's national and international travels between ca. 1935 and 1940. Locations include the United States, Ontario, Quebec, Panama and Cuba. Subjects include unidentified Indigenous families and local scenics in Panama, buildings and landscapes, the 1939 World Fair in New York, boats and dockyard views, art portraits, Niagara Falls, monuments and statues. Most items are captioned with their respective subjects / locations, 4 items are colorized [rest are b&w].
Notes
Some items are postcard prints, vast majority are photograph prints
Material Details
Photographs are secured with paper corner fasteners attached to pages with adhesive
File consists of one travel scrapbook, with various materials including matchboxes, souvenir napkins, booklets and brochures, menus, advertisements, event programs, magazines, maps and travel guides, and one photograph. Content pertains to Eleanor Luxton's travels to the New York World Fair in 1939…
6 cm of textual records -- 1 photograph : b&w print ; 20 x 25 cm on matboard
Scope & Content
File consists of one travel scrapbook, with various materials including matchboxes, souvenir napkins, booklets and brochures, menus, advertisements, event programs, magazines, maps and travel guides, and one photograph. Content pertains to Eleanor Luxton's travels to the New York World Fair in 1939, as well as Winnipeg, Montreal, Chicago, Panama and Havana, Cuba around the same time period. Includes image of Eleanor [far right] sitting with three unidentified friends at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana.
Access to original copy may be restricted due to poor condition
Reproduction Restrictions
Restrictions may apply
Language
English
Conservation
Materials held together with unbleached cotton string
Use of original copy not recommended as there are many loose contents and small items which can be lost or misplaced in scrapbook. Once item has been digitized, access to original may be further restricted for preservation reasons
File consists of one scrapbook containing photograph prints, postcard prints, newspaper clippings, and two typed pages pertaining to John McDougall and the "Indian Uprising" in Alberta in 1880, and Marion Carson. Visual content pertains to various members and friends of the Luxton family attending …
1 scrapbook (59 b&w and col. prints ; 16.5 x 21.5 cm or smaller -- 3 newspaper clippings - 2 textual records)
Scope & Content
File consists of one scrapbook containing photograph prints, postcard prints, newspaper clippings, and two typed pages pertaining to John McDougall and the "Indian Uprising" in Alberta in 1880, and Marion Carson. Visual content pertains to various members and friends of the Luxton family attending domestic and international trips between 1954 and 1970, including trips to Victoria, B.C., Hawaii, Italy, Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland, India, Greece and England.
Notes
Some items are heavily annotated on back, some dates and locations provided on pages of scrapbook
File consists of one album containing 28 colorized postcard print images, 227 black and white prints and one annotated hand-drawn diagram on paper. Content pertains to a boat cruise attended by Eleanor Luxton to Hawaii, Japan and China [1937]. Includes images of the interior and exterior of the cru…
1 album (255 b&w and col. prints ; 13.5 x 19.5 cm or smaller -- 1 diagram ; 6 x 4 cm)
Scope & Content
File consists of one album containing 28 colorized postcard print images, 227 black and white prints and one annotated hand-drawn diagram on paper. Content pertains to a boat cruise attended by Eleanor Luxton to Hawaii, Japan and China [1937]. Includes images of the interior and exterior of the cruise ship, as well as cruise staff members and on-board entertainment; landscapes, monuments and buildings; surfing; historic sites; dockyard scenes with unidentified workers; local individuals and families; and fishing and harvesting. Album also includes small tissue-like paper sheet with hand-drawn diagram of mechanical parts and measurements with annotations [possibly belonging to Eleanor Luxton, n.d.]
Notes
Most photographs are annotated on the lower front in white text with contextual information - location, name of landmark, etc.
Date provided is based on dating of similar items pertaining to cruise to Hawaii, Japan and China collected by Eleanor Luxton. Photographs are likely from the same trip, but not confirmed.