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
File consists of 23 photographs pertaining to various friends and extended members of the Luxton/McDougall family. File includes images of Fred and Jean Graham's house in Calgary, Mr. [Ed?] and Mrs. Youmans, Flora McDougall, David McDougall and family, Ada Luxton, school friends of Jean (McDougall)…
23 photographs : b&w prints; 18 x 11 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
Harold Malloch Luxton [1884-1915] was the youngest child of parents Sarah Jane Luxton and William Fisher Luxton. Harold served as a member of the Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment, 31st Battalion) during World War I, and was killed in action on December 18, 1915 at the age of 31. Harold is buried at the Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery in Belgium.
Scope & Content
File consists of 23 photographs pertaining to various friends and extended members of the Luxton/McDougall family. File includes images of Fred and Jean Graham's house in Calgary, Mr. [Ed?] and Mrs. Youmans, Flora McDougall, David McDougall and family, Ada Luxton, school friends of Jean (McDougall) Graham, and Harold [Malloch] Luxton in his Canadian Infantry uniform, 1914.
Scrapbook is divided into sections with tabs labelled: Canadian, Britain, American, and Foreign. Scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings related to the Dionne Quints; political subjects; royalty and royal families in England, India, Denmark and Norway; celebrities and film stars; and sports: box…
Scrapbook is divided into sections with tabs labelled: Canadian, Britain, American, and Foreign. Scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings related to the Dionne Quints; political subjects; royalty and royal families in England, India, Denmark and Norway; celebrities and film stars; and sports: boxing, Joe Louis, football, billiards, tennis, baseball, horseracing, the Simpson sisters, and rodeo events.
File consists of 19 letters addressed to David Zweifel: 18 from Catharine Robb Whyte and one from Murray Adaskin. Letters pertain to David Zweifel's music lessons and Catharine's funding of these lessons; Catharine fixing a violin to give to David Zweifel which was originally owned by David White; …
Produced by Catharine Robb Whyte and Frances and Murray Adaskin
Date Range
1967
1969
1970
1973
1989
Physical Description
2 cm of textual records
Scope & Content
File consists of 19 letters addressed to David Zweifel: 18 from Catharine Robb Whyte and one from Murray Adaskin. Letters pertain to David Zweifel's music lessons and Catharine's funding of these lessons; Catharine fixing a violin to give to David Zweifel which was originally owned by David White; discussions about composer Murray Adaskin and artists Carl Rungius and Belmore Browne; Catharine's skiing lessons and trips; the Tabeteau family; letters of recommendation written by Catharine for David Zweifel; Catharine's flying lessons; Catharine attending a funeral in Concord in 1969; Catharine reminiscing about art school in Boston and Peter Whyte; Christmas greetings; Catharine attending a concert in Edmonton; and a letter from Murray Adaskin which includes a copy of another letter sent to David Zweifel from Frances Adaskin in 1967, discussing Catharine's generosity.
File consists of event invitations, programmes and newsletters sent to Eleanor Luxton by various organizations, clubs and associations between 1974 and 1993. Includes content pertaining to the Canadian Broadcasting League, the University of Alberta President's Club, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian…
File consists of event invitations, programmes and newsletters sent to Eleanor Luxton by various organizations, clubs and associations between 1974 and 1993. Includes content pertaining to the Canadian Broadcasting League, the University of Alberta President's Club, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Concordia University, the Kinette Club of Banff, the Arctic Institute of North America, the Glenbow Museum, the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Plains Research Center, and other organizations.
Notes
Some items are annotated
Folder LUX / II / C1 / 34 contains invitations and programmes; LUX / II / C1 / 35 and 36 contain newsletters
File consists of 6 photographs depicting community events and unidentified groups in Banff and Calgary. Content pertains to a parade in Banff, ca.1920; the erection of a memorial stone marking the location of the original North West Mounted Police barracks in Calgary, 1917; various group photograph…
7 photographs : b&w prints ; 50 x 40 cm or smaller
Scope & Content
File consists of 6 photographs depicting community events and unidentified groups in Banff and Calgary. Content pertains to a parade in Banff, ca.1920; the erection of a memorial stone marking the location of the original North West Mounted Police barracks in Calgary, 1917; various group photographs from local events, including one depicting Eleanor Luxton and colleagues (possibly a class photograph); a group photograph from a drama performance at the University of Alberta; and the 1906 class of the N.C.O.'s Provisional School of Instruction in Calgary.
File consists of letters and postcards sent to Ben Gadd between 1968 and 1971, as well as copies of letters which Ben sent to various people and organizations during the same time period. Content pertains to Ben's personal and professional life, family, holidays and various other subjects.
File consists of letters and postcards sent to Ben Gadd between 1968 and 1971, as well as copies of letters which Ben sent to various people and organizations during the same time period. Content pertains to Ben's personal and professional life, family, holidays and various other subjects.
File consists of letters and postcards sent to Ben Gadd between 1972 and 1984, as well as copies of letters which Ben sent to various people and organizations during the same time period. Content pertains to Ben's personal and professional life, family, holidays and various other subjects.
File consists of letters and postcards sent to Ben Gadd between 1972 and 1984, as well as copies of letters which Ben sent to various people and organizations during the same time period. Content pertains to Ben's personal and professional life, family, holidays and various other subjects.
File consists of documents pertaining to the education and military career of David George McDougall Ross. File includes two report cards dated February and March 1919, handwritten notes on Canadian History [n.d., signed "David Ross"], and three letters sent between David Ross and staff at the Depa…
File consists of documents pertaining to the education and military career of David George McDougall Ross. File includes two report cards dated February and March 1919, handwritten notes on Canadian History [n.d., signed "David Ross"], and three letters sent between David Ross and staff at the Department of National Defence regarding his service in World War II.