Fonds consists of administrative and operational records of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Textual records: 1. Board of Trustees; 2. Administration; 3. Archives; 4. Gallery; 5. Heritage collections; 6. Photography. Photographs: A. Foundation b…
ca.6.0 m textual records. -- ca.12,500 photographs: prints, transparencies, negatives. -- 13 sound recordings: 6 audio cassettes, 7 audio compact disc (copy of 2 audio cassettes). -- 7 video tape recording: 1 VHS, 6 DVD. -- 1 cartographic record: survey site plan: 1:250
History / Biographical
The Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation is a charitable, non-profit organization that operates the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The Wa-Che-Yo-Cha-Pa Foundation, as the foundation was initially named, was founded and endowed by artists Peter and Catharine Whyte in 1958. It supported broad causes as well as acting as an agency for collecting and preserving cultural materials of the Canadian Rockies.
In 1968, a building designed by Philippe Delesalle and known as the Archives of the Canadian Rockies opened at 111 Bear Street in Banff, providing accommodation for a regional archives, gallery and the Banff Library. After a major renovation and addition in 1993, the foundation now supports three collection and exhibition departments under the name of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies: Archives and Library, Art Gallery and Heritage Collection.
Geographic collecting limits of the museum are the mountainous areas of Canada bounded by the 49th Parallel on the south, the Peace River on the north, the Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Columbia Mountains on the west.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of administrative and operational records of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Photographs: A. Foundation buildings; B. Gallery exhibition installation shots (negatives only); C. Events and guests (including Banff Day, gallery openings, special events and guests); D. Displays (inside and outside of the museum); E. Publicity and publication (includes views produced for this purpose); F. General (mainly people, places and events in Banff and area; includes photographs produced by Museum staff not included in other series). Photographs were made by staff of the Whyte Foundation, private photographers, and others.
Three sound recordings were made for research purposes during the course of Gallery operations; pertain to Ann Wheeler, David Settles and Peter Whyte art and exhibit. Other sound recording is of Grant MacEwan talk at the Whyte Museum, December 1993; recorded by Woody MacPhail. Video recording is of Banff Day 1997 by Eddie Hunter. 2 audio cassettes are a recording of the Clifford Jackson White memorial service held September 13, 2003 hosted by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Six sound and video recordings were made as part of the Fireside Chats at the Whyte program. These oral histories were conducted before a live audience at the historic Crosby home, Abegweit during the years 2012-2014. Interviews with Rob Crosby, Dorothy Carleton, Ralphine Locke, Don Mickle, Bridget Jones, Fran Drummond.
Cartographic materials include a site plan of lots 7-12, Block A, Plan 6719 B.C., November, 2000.
Finding aids and reference tools: basic description
Related Material
A CD-R copy of the Clifford Jackson memorial service with program notes and a transcript of a speech by Bill Holmes is located in the Clifford Jackson White fonds.
Note: March 16, 2023: Foundation Records were processed up to 2008 by Ted Hart in 2010-2011. The unprocessed records are stored off-site and there is no inventory. Some Art Department exhibition records prior to 2008 were inadvertently missed and remain in unprocessed. The file level descriptions prepared by Ted Hart are not in the database, however the inventory is located in the ArchivalMaster file for textual and sound, and ArchivalMaster2 for visual. Some records, including oversize have been added to the database, but it isn't consistent. O:\m_textual\m124_foundation_records_archivalmaster ; R:\v_visual\v692_foundation_records_archivalmaster. Access is restricted unless authorized by Head of Archives and Special Collections, CEO or CFO, or Head of applicable department.
The boat "Qualicum Wind" was christened by the daughter of its builder, Brian Salmon, in honour of Eleanor Luxton. Salmon's goal was to reenact the voyage of Norman Luxton's canoe, the Tilikum, in order to celebrate and publicize Norman's journey.
Scope & Content
File consists of one VHS tape titled "Launching 'Qualicum Wind' Oct. 16, 1988".
Russell Bennett, 1896-1981, was a professional engineer and mining explorer / developer at Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA and a rancher and skier in Alberta, Canada and the Canadian Rockies.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of motion picture pertaining to Russell Bennett ski tour in Jasper National Park, March 1930
File consists of seven discs containing a slideshow and photographs pertaining to trail rides led by the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies between 2005 and 2007. Includes ca.1,214 photograph files depicting trail ride participants trail ride views and the winning Townsend Trophy photograph by Jo…
7 compact discs with digital files -- 1,214 digital images, 1 slideshow
Scope & Content
File consists of seven discs containing a slideshow and photographs pertaining to trail rides led by the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies between 2005 and 2007. Includes ca.1,214 photograph files depicting trail ride participants trail ride views and the winning Townsend Trophy photograph by Joe Madaro in 2005; and a slideshow of a 2007 trail ride to Clearwater, British Columbia with accompanying music.
Notes
List of contents in file:
V635 / I / DF - 1 : "TRCR 2005" (160 image files)
V635 / I / DF - 2 : [no title], contains two files with images of winnjing Townsend Trophy photogaph by Joe Madaro, 2005
V635 / I / DF - 3 : "Lodge Ride", 2005 trail ride (36 image files)
V635 / I / DF - 4 and 5 : "TRCR 2006 Debbie Sonberg", CD #1 (513 image files) and CD #2 (503 image files)
V635 / I / DF - 6 : TRCR 2007 Clearwater Area (slideshow)
V635 / I / DF - 7 : "March 21, 2008 TRCR of the Rockies Al Owchar", "Come Ride With Me" [edited excerpt]
Fonds includes recordings of interviews, events, broadcasts, meetings, notes, readings and slide shows produced by and for the Archives of the Whyte Museum. I. Interviews with numerous individuals and groups of individuals. See subject headings for names. II. Events: dedication of Margaret Greenham…
Interviews and recordings were made by Maryalice Harvey Stewart, Elizabeth Rummel, Jon Whyte, E. J. (Ted) Hart, Sue Davies and others.
Date Range
1967-1989
Physical Description
157 sound recordings : audio tape reels and audio tape cassettes. -- 3 video recordings
History / Biographical
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is a charitable, non-profit organization based in Banff, Alberta, Canada. In 1958, the Wa-Che-Yo-Cha-Pa Foundation, presently the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation which operates the Whyte Museum, was founded and endowed by artists Peter and Catharine Whyte. The foundation acts as an agency for collecting and preserving cultural materials of the Canadian Rockies. In 1968, the foundation's building opened at 111 Bear Street, providing accommodation for a regional archives, gallery and public library. Between 1967 and 1983, the Archives department recorded and summarized interviews with local personalities, as well as recording noteworthy meetings and events.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes recordings of interviews, events, broadcasts, meetings, notes, readings and slide shows produced by and for the Archives of the Whyte Museum.
I. Interviews with numerous individuals and groups of individuals. See subject headings for names.
II. Events: dedication of Margaret Greenham Theatre; ceremony re Catharine Robb Whyte adoption in Stoney Tribe; Earth Day programme at Margaret Greenham Theatre; dedication of Mt. Jimmy Simpson; dedication of Edouard Deville historic site; Back to Banff Day, 10th anniversary; Louis Trono 75th birthday.
III. Broadcasts re: Murray Adaskin, George Clutesi, Allan Jarvis, Kootenay River raft trip, Ottawa Ski Club, Helen Shandruk, Siri Strom, Springtime in the Rockies, Village Lake Louise Project, water pollution, Waterton area.
IV. Meetings: Bow Valley Naturalists; National and Provincial Parks Association conference; Indigenous and Inuit Conference re George Clutesi.
V. Notes by Maryalice Stewart re: Cyril Fuller, Al Johnston, Maude Kidney, Norman Knight, Ulysses LaCasse.
VI. Readings by: Ray Bagley, Earle Birney, Jon Whyte.
VII. Slide shows: Jon Whyte slide show commentary re Peter and Catharine Whyte.