Everyone loves a good story, and The Whyte’s Archives are full of them. From Mary Schäffer’s lantern slides and Norquay’s ski history to mountaineering books shaped by decades of research, discover how filmmakers, writers, and historians are using archival collections to bring Canadian Rockies stories back to life. Explore how photographs, letters, film, and field notes continue to inspire new ways of understanding the people, places, and adventures that shaped these mountain
This spring, The Whyte was pleased to accept a donation of 14 works by artist James Tanner. When we were approached by Mark Tanner, James’ son, about adding these works to the collection, we were immediately captivated by them, both for their content and for their bold, expressive use of classical figure drawing and still-life techniques.
Fourteen years later, the Fireside Chats at The Whyte remained a warm, community gathering. As Director of Archives and Special Collections Elizabeth Kundert-Cameron observed at the final event, familiar faces returned year after year, and Chic’s stories “evoked… the feeling of being at a family party.” What began as an open house in the Abegweit became a recorded oral history, preserved in The Whyte's Archives and Special Collections Library for future generations.
