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The Enduring Magic of Banff in Alberta's Film Industry By Mary Graham, Lillian Agnes Jones Scholar, Whyte Museum, 2021 Back to The Cairn I met the stubborn, meticulous, persnickety, iconic, loveable Nick (Nicholas) Morant on my first day as a Lillian Agnes Jones scholar at the Whyte Museum Archives in the winter of 2022, while researching the enduring importance of Banff to Alberta’s film industry. Image 1 The CPR had a long history of involvement in the Alberta film industry, even being given script approval on many films before 1960. So when they were enlisted to help director Arthur Hiller with the train stunt scenes for Silver Streak , they put their legendary photographer Nick Morant in charge of ensuring contractual compliance. Hiller and the producers discovered that while Nick was an annoying stickler for details who didn’t let them get away with anything not stipulated in the contract, he was meticulous and knew trains better than anyone. He knew the mountains and understood the complexities of timing shots for the railway and stopping speeding trains because he had done so many exacting shots for the CPR, all with perfect staging and composition in precise detail and the best light. He conveyed those marvelous abilities to stage the train shots for their movie, including the still legendary runaway sequence of a passenger train racing through Calgary at breakneck speed. It was done in one take. Morant had a series of strange little notes and drawings in his minuscule five by three inch, ever-present notebook, entitled “Property of Nick Morant. 20th Century. C. P. RLWY”. One page from that notebook appears to be the decapitation of the villain’s head as two trains pass each other. This appears in one scene in the runaway train sequence at the end of the movie, which was shot at the Alyth Train Yards in Calgary. If you look closely you see it: the first touch point, the head going off, and the blurry mess that is left. It's simple, brilliant, and complete in its austere orchestration of movie magic - and horrifying to watch in the movie. Nick did such a splendid job coordinating the impressive and legendary train shots for Silver Streak that when he was hired as a train consultant for the first Superman movie two years later, the contract stipulated many of the same conditions and terms of his duties. The CPR leased the train to the movie’s producers for $52,000, and six cars were brought in from across Canada. They were painted silver at the Ogden Rail Yards in Calgary just before filming. Nick oversaw it all. He also orchestrated the scene where a young Clark Kent outruns the train. They filmed the scene on tracks near Barons, Alberta, which was also the location of Clark Kent's movie high school between August 6 and 8,1977. Extra footage of the fast-moving train was taken on a run down to southern Alberta the night before they went to Barons. Soon after, Terrence Malick hired Nick for Days of Heaven . Malick was shooting scenes at odd times to capture the famous Alberta “magic hour” light; those brief, brilliant moments between day and dusk. The Hollywood technicians and producers were uncomfortable with that and relations were often strained. Matters weren’t helped when Nick wouldn’t let them move the CPR train back a couple of feet on the Lethbridge viaduct because he wanted proof of adequate insurance. He says he stood his ground. “They threatened and cajoled me and took me out to dinner. Come on, we’re just going to run it down the track a little way, you know. I said I was very sorry but I just couldn’t allow them to do that.” 1 Once the insurance matter was settled, filming continued, and a couple of days later, Nick drove down to southern Alberta from Banff with the Hollywood crew. At the end of the day, he was told they had no room for him in the car for the ride back. Nick says it was payback time. “Fine, I told them. I had my CPR radio so all I had to do was call the station and they could easily send a car down to get me. Then an impasse developed.” 2 A Calgary cameraman, an IATSE union member, declared none of his group would leave unless Nick came as well. Nick gleefully waited until they finally let him get in the car. The legendary Swiss Guides of Banff were instrumental to filmmaking in the very early and busy days of filmmaking in the Canadian Rockies, passing the torch to Banff’s “Mountain Man” Bruno Engler in the late 1950s. While trying to orchestrate the filming of an avalanche for the Academy Award-winning Walt Disney nature documentary, White Wilderness (1958), Engler says one evening he happened upon Rudolph Aemmer and Eduard Fuez, two of the most important guides to early film history. They were at the isolated alpine cabin near the Plain of Six Glaciers after waiting all day for an avalanche on the Lower Victoria Glacier. He was cold, tired, and discouraged. The three mountain legends stayed up all night discussing where Engler should hold his “vigil for the avalanche” the next day. They decided that a different spot on the glacier would yield the best results and Engler headed off in the morning with new vigor. An avalanche finally came roaring down that day, but he was on a much-needed toilet break and had to scramble back to his camera with his pants down. It also didn’t help that a pair of skiers happened to pass by at the same time. He got mostly the cloud of snow dust left in its wake. His vigil did eventually end and he did get an avalanche shot for the movie. Engler worked on many films shot in and around the Canadian Rockies in his long career in film, beginning as a mountain consultant with The Far Country (1954), which was filmed in the summer of 1953. He warned director Anthony Mann that an avalanche would happen around 3 o’clock in the afternoon while they were filming the cast trekking up the massive Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield, with pack horses. Image 2 Mann chose to ignore him. Bad choice. Massive chunks of snow and rock came roaring down the glacier around that time and Engler saved one of the film’s stars from certain death. She later called Engler “The God of the Glacier” in media interviews. She said the cast and crew bowed to him and respected everything he said after the incident. Engler recounts that 20 years later, while working on Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) at Morley, he heard the crew talking around the fire one night about a legendary Banff mountain guide who saved Anthony Mann and his cast from an avalanche in 1953. “I didn’t tell them it was me”, said Engler. About Mary Graham Mary Graham is a writer, documentary journalist, and film historian, with a degree in Arts, and graduate degrees in Journalism and Marine Law. She has appeared as a feature film specialist at CBC Radio and ARTE, the European Culture Channel. Her book A Stunning Backdrop: Alberta in the Movies, 1917-1960 was published in October of 2022. Her research at the Whyte Archives as a Lillian Agnes Jones Fellow will contribute to a second book on filmmaking in Alberta, after 1960. About the Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship In 2001, the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation/Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies received a bequest from the estate of Lillian Agnes Jones. Lillian Agnes Jones (1909 – 2000) was a cousin to Whyte Museum founder, Peter Whyte. Her mother, Elizabeth Jane, was Dave White’s sister. She and her husband Clifford Jones moved to Calgary in 1900. Their daughter, Lillian, was educated at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and the University of Washington State, graduating in 1952 with a degree in Library Science. She was Head Librarian for Cal Standard Oil Company in Calgary and was a member of the University Women’s Club. The Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship was established “for study and research related to the history of Western Canada.” Initially administered as a graduate student scholarship through the University of Calgary, it was realigned in 2019 to be administered through the Whyte Museum, with an open call for scholarly residency proposals across Canada. Learn more about the work of past and present Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship recipients here . Images: Image 1 : Nicholas Morant making a face. [ca. 1945-1955]. Photograph by Peter Whyte. Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds. V683 / III / A / 3 / PA - 92. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Image 2 : "Bruno Engler and actor Corinne Calvet on the Athabasca Glacier while filming The Far Country , Jasper National Park, Alberta.", [ca. 1953], (CU1209933) by Calgary Albertan. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. Sources: Bruno Engler fonds. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Engler, Bruno; Sandford, Robert, ed., A Mountain Life, Alpine Club of Canada, Canmore, Alberta, 1996. Nick Morant fonds. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Back to The Cairn

The Whyte Museum offers a wide variety of public events throughout the year, including artist talks, book launches, films, live performances and more... PROGRAMS & EVENTS The Whyte offers a wide variety of public programming and events throughout the year, including artist talks, book launches, film screenings, workshops, exhibition openings, and much more! For complete event information, including registration, please scroll through our events below. Online registration is required for all programs and events unless otherwise stated; check descriptions for details. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE PURCHASE TICKETS HERE Interested in hosting a public event at The Whyte? Contact Clayton Smith at csmith @whyte.org or 403-762-2291 ext. 322.

Whyte Museum Update Back to The Cairn New Fall and Winter Hours Beginning on September 10, 2020, the Whyte Museum's hours are changing to: Monday – Closed Tuesday – Closed Wednesday – Closed Thursday – 12 to 6 p.m. Friday – 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday – 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday – 12 to 5 p.m. **Please note that we will be accepting private, booked tours Monday – Wednesday, more details coming soon. The Archives and Special Collections will continue to be open by appointment. Long distance reference services are available. If you require more information about our archival services please email archives [at] whyte.org. We will continue to have our exhibitions open and are proud to welcome the Breathe. exhibition in early October. Breathe. is a collection of traditionally crafted masks demonstrating resiliency through the 21st century. Co-created by Métis artists, Nathalie Bertin and Lisa Shepherd, artists were invited to create masks which reflect emotions felt during the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Realizing the entire world was being affected by the pandemic, they expanded their call to any artist that would like to create a mask that reflects their culture and art practice. Included with each mask is a story by the maker reflecting the variety of emotions currently being felt around the world. From fear, sadness, hope, and love, these stories are unique and beautiful. This exhibition will inspire and challenge visitors to consider their own resilience in the face of a pandemic. Our current feature exhibition, Drawn to the West will continue to be on display until January 17, 2021. During this time we will be working diligently behind-the-scenes on some new exciting projects – stay tuned! Back to The Cairn

A Mountain of Miniatures Back to The Cairn By Amie Lalonde, Collections Cataloguer When you walk into a museum you usually expect big things. Paintings that dominate a wall, sculptures that are larger than life, natural history specimens that drive home just how big some animals really are. While the Whyte Museum certainly has these things, some of my favourite objects lie on the opposite end of the size spectrum. Within our collections are hundreds of objects that fit easily in the palm of one's hand, most of which were collected by the museum's founders: Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte. These objects – miniature ceramics, tiny figurines, architectural models, and pins and pendants in the form of much larger objects – illustrate impressive craftsmanship and, in my opinion, are absolutely adorable. Above: a selection of “smalls”, the curatorial department’s colloquial name for our vast collection of miniature objects. Beatrix Potter figurines are a familiar sight for anyone born in the last century. These ones however are barely more than a centimetre tall, making them unlikely playthings! The details painted on these painted ceramic figures is incredible for their size. Other toys and playthings are also found in miniature within this collection: such as this leather bound book – with pencil lines drawn on the blank pages inside – and a full set of colourful playing cards that look like they would be incredibly hard to actually play with. Other objects are ones of adornment – pins or pendants – but resemble other, larger objects. This minuscule pocket knife pendant has a blade that folds in and out and could, theoretically, be used to cut things. An even more impressive pendant is in the form of a miniature book, only 1.5 c.m. tall, that includes teeny tiny photographs of popular spots in the Canadian Rockies. And, albeit slightly bigger than the knife and book pendants, the violin lapel pin below practically begs the joke “let me play you a tune on the world’s smallest violin.” Many of the miniatures are perfect replicas of larger household or personal objects. These tiny mukluks and minuscule fans are beautifully crafted, with fine details that you would expect to see only on much larger objects. Large (and actually useable) versions of both can be found in our collection. Explore it here: https://archives.whyte.org . The bulk of the miniatures within our collection are in the form of ceramics. Some are obviously doll accessories, but others, like those pictured below, are so small and delicate that their lives were more likely spent being admired on a shelf than played with by a child. These ceramics have many origins – English, South American, Canadian — but the smallest and most intricate are without a doubt those from Japan. Catharine Robb Whyte likely inherited these from her maternal grandfather Edward Sylvester Morse, a professor and zoologist with a keen interest in Japanese pottery. He collected over 5,000 pieces of Japanese ceramics in his lifetime! This miniature china shop is one example of how small, detailed, and finely crafted these ceramics are. Lastly, this little ivory figure is my favourite miniature in our collection. Maybe it’s his expression, or the way he almost-but-not-always stands up on his own… I love this little guy. Also below is a picture that shows some of my own “smalls” – miniature figures and animals collected over the years from Alberta, Ontario, New York City, and London and the Isle of Wight, England. Perhaps the reason why I love our collection of miniatures so much is because I’ve been amassing a collection of them ever since I was a child! Check out our entire catalogued collection of miniatures here and share photographs of any objects that you collect by tagging us @WhyteMuseum on Twitter, Instagram, or visiting our Facebook page! Miniatures pictured in this article: Chair - 102.04.0417 Book - 108.05.0104 Dog - 102.04.0492 Playing Cards - 108.05.0116 Mukluks - 103.03.0132 Charm - 103.01.0103 a Fans - 103.08.0413 a,b Charm - 103.01.0113 a,b Abacus - 104.15.0004 Pin - 103.01.0121 Tea set - 104.20.0814 a-f Tea set - 104.20.0815 - a-h Plate - 104.20.0816 Plate - 104.20.0817 Figurine, animal - 107.01.0237 Jug - 104.20.1201 a-c Hut - 101.01.0011 a,b Hut 101.01.0010 a,b Statue (rabbit) - 107.01.0179 Sculpture, animal - 107.01.0182 a,b Figurine set, animal - 107.01.0198 a-m Figurine, House - 107.01.0242 Figurine, animal - 107.01.0095 Figurine, man - 107.01.0099 Sculpture, Unk.06.03 House collection, miniature - 107.01.0155 a China Shop - 105.02.0118 Back to The Cairn

Susanne Aaltonen: Knowing How Little I Need Her Now By Anne Ewen, Curator of Art & Heritage Back to The Cairn Susanne Aaltonen: Knowing How Little I Need Her Now Rummel Room Susanne Aaltonen is a Canadian artist currently living and working in Calgary, Alberta. Through various levels of concealment, her work confronts generations of dysfunction and trauma within her family. Aaltonen’s sketch books articulate her distress within the family in written and drawn form while her paintings delve into the layers of angst. Multiple coats of various colours are applied and dried onto wooden painting panels. A photographic image is then imprinted onto the painted surface and sealed with an acrylic medium. Carefully and with deliberate precision, Aaltonen then begins to carve and etch into the surface. By using various sizes of gouging tools the ensuing effect is suggestive of a physical and emotional erosion. Of her work the artist writes: “…exposing what’s buried underneath reflects a superficial attempt to unearth and further understand the trauma. Initially understood as an attempt to analyze the dynamic within my family, the act of carving begins to resemble more of a meditative act that leads towards reluctance. The resulting work evokes the uneasy balance between seeking reconciliation and the emotional burden of such an attempt.” Aaltonen received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2016 and in 2017 she was part of the Banff Artist in Residency (BAiR) for Emerging Artists at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. As a nod to her artistic commitment and expression, Aaltonen was recently signed by Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary. Part of our spring exhibitions, the exhibition, Susanne Aaltonen: Knowing How Little I Need Her Now will run until June 9, 2019. Back to The Cairn

Leading With Indigenous Stories: My Experience Working With the Cave and Basin Mural Project Back to The Cairn By Emma De Sousa, Coordinator of Events and Indigenous Relationships In 2024 I had the privilege of working with The Whyte on the third year of the Cave and Basin Mural Project. Having recently completed my Master of Art, specializing in Curatorial Studies, I left my second degree solidly aware of the art world, artists, and artworks themselves but feeling a sense of tiredness about it all. There are many ways to consider art and art projects. They give us new ways to think about the world, diffuse political thought and present a variety of interpretations about the world around us. But after studying art for a few years, I started to believe art couldn’t do all it said it could and couldn’t truly make large-scale change in our communities. As an Indigenous person studying any Western-centered discipline, it can be easy to get into these ruts. However, projects like the Cave and Basin Mural Project revitalized the way I understand the importance of art. Demonstrating in real time the way art can change the world around you in significant ways. This summer, six Indigenous artists came to stay, visit, and create artwork on this land, the land their ancestors and relatives have stewarded since time immemorial. Jarron Poucette (Stoney), Kyle Kaquitts (Stoney), Kristy North Peigan (Blackfoot), Cheyenne Bearspaw (Stoney), Giona Smalleyes (Stoney), and Brendon Many Bears (Blackfoot) came together to create large scale murals on boxes installed at the Cave and Basin National Heritage Site in Banff National Park. It was my job as the Project Assistant at the time, to ensure all the little aspects of the project came together. Attempting to create the perfect conditions for the artists to be able to create the art they want to make. The key word there is “want." In the post-Truth and Reconciliation era in Canada, there has been a major uptick in the desire to support Indigenous-centered art and to have Indigenous programming at schools, galleries, businesses, heritage sites, etc. However, not everyone begins thinking about reconciliation and Indigenization from a good place. Often institutions come into projects with preconceived notions of what Indigenous art should be, often focusing on what they believe non-Indigenous guests would prefer to see and less of what Indigenous artists envision creating. Unlike most of these projects, the artists invited were welcome to paint whatever they wished around the theme of Stories of this Place. This could be rooted in their personal, familial, community, or nations history, culture, spirituality, or involvement on this land and sacred site. The only influence on their work came from the mentors invited to support them in this endeavor, AJA Louden, Bruno Canadien, Joseph Sanchez, and Dawn Saunders Dahl (also project lead) who taught new techniques, and helped artists enact their own concepts and ideas. Projects developed and run by Indigenous arts administrators such as this one tend to consider the process as much as the product of “art”. In spaces like these, we can focus as much on the meals we will share, workshop development, and opportunities for learning and visiting for artists as much as the painting process and product of the murals. In my understandings as a Métis scholar, I recognize we are building capacity for community building and relationship making through the project itself. There are two ways in which I witnessed this occur, firstly through reinstating community access to land and sovereignty through the art itself. When visitors come to visit the Cave and Basin site and view the murals, or attend an Indigenous Mural Walking Tour, they see art that outlines in detail the Indigenous lived experiences and continued use of this place since time immemorial. The stories of the artists and their communities tell visitors we were and continue to be here, this is what we were/are doing, how we lived then and today, what relationships we had with the land and other communities, and how those relationships have changed. This is important as so many of these stories have been deprioritized with the inception of the Parks system and with processes of colonization. They remind policymakers, visitors, employees, and residents in the Bow Valley of the origins of this place and its importance. The second way in which I witnessed community building was through working with the artists and mentors themselves. Outside of politics, what other opportunities do we have to engage between nations? Projects like these build relationships between Indigenous artists and arts administrators. Increasing not only a professional network but a different kind of relationality between Indigenous community members from multiple different communities. Working with others outside of my own nation and territory was such an experience and lesson in understanding. Showing that many of us experienced the same issues, came from similar backgrounds and areas, and had similar insecurities and interests. All while learning about the uniquely vibrant diversity of each other's cultures, over simple conversations in the car or the lunchroom between painting sessions. Indigenous-centered art projects like the Cave and Basin Murals sit at the intersection of everything we do in the heritage/cultural sector. In working on the project, I realized art like this affects policy, legal cases, how we view history, environmental work, activism, education, academics, healthcare, and the list goes on. These murals, these artists, and their art changed the way I view the art world away from the tired and skeptical feelings after studying an inherently colonial discipline's worldview. It teaches the tourist and visitor what it means to be a good guest in this place. As a result, with more Indigenous-centered and led projects like this one, we change this place and make it inherent to consider Indigenous communities, people, and their perspectives before anything we do on this land. With enough effort towards these forms of relation building, we as guests and stewards of this land can develop thriving and truly inclusive spaces throughout the valley. Want to discover more about Indigenous-led art initiatives supported at The Whyte? View our Indigenous Programming . Back to The Cairn

Celebrating Canadian Rockies Nature and History With Summer Exhibitions at the Whyte Back to the Cairn On June 16th, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies celebrated the opening of two exciting new summer exhibitions: For the Birds and Celebrating 100 Years: Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. The opening was well attended by locals and visitors enjoying an evening of refreshments, door prizes, lively conversation, and connecting with community. "We are constantly amazed and delighted by the way artists look at nature," said Donna Livingstone, CEO of the Whyte Museum, in her opening remarks. "You’ll see that in full twittering colour in For the Birds, presented in the main gallery by our Curator, DL Cameron. It's hard to sit still in the gallery as you listen to bird calls or feel the eyes of an owl follow you around the room. Carry these heightened sensations with you on your next morning walk along the river - you'll have a new appreciation and attunement to mountain birds everywhere." "We are also pleased to celebrate the important historic anniversary with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. There is a lot of history in this area, but history comes alive on horseback with this legendary historic group, who are celebrating a century of introducing visitors from all around the world to the backcountry of the Rockies. For many, those trips have created lasting memories, some of which are captured in the photos on the walls right here in the Rummel Room. These legendary rides, accented by songs, storytelling, and new friendships really speak to the experience of the mountains." About the Exhibitions For the Birds features the work of 16 artists of all different mediums along with select works from the Whyte Museum’s collection. The show celebrates our love for and fascination with birds through various disciplines such as ceramics, sculpture, and paintings. Each artist shares their unique perspective on the subject from the pragmatic to the spiritual to the barnyard friend. Artists include Diana Thorneycroft, Nikol Haskova, Grant Leier, Neil Clifford, Peter McFarlane, Michael Cameron, Michael Corner, Dawn Deterando, Brian McArthur, Dan Hudson, Julya Hajoczky, Joel Satore, Marsha Schuld, Kate Tooke, Krista Leddy, and Tom Willock. There’s no better way to connect with nature than to appreciate the movements of a bird. To sit and watch a warbler in flight or a woodpecker hammer into a tree. To awaken to their gentle songs in the morning or appreciate their signs of heralding in a new season. They are often the first creatures to let us know that something is wrong with the environment, like the canary in a coal mine. Birds have featured in art as far back as 17,000 years ago when they appeared in the Lascaux cave paintings. Their stunning variety of colours and patterns make them perfect subjects. Few animals have as much diversity as birds. From the tiny grace of the hummingbird to the large oddity of the Shoebill Stork, it’s easy to see why these creatures have captured our imagination. Gallery 1 The Whyte Museum is thrilled to host Celebrating 100 Years: Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies , curated by current Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies volunteers. This exhibition highlights a century of mountain adventures with this historic group since1923. This year will mark 100 years of riding trails, singing around a campfire, and encouraging a lifelong love of being in nature with new and old friends. After the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1881, adventurers were free to explore Canada from coast to coast, with the establishment of our national parks soon to follow. The CPR played a vital role in opening the Banff area to visitors, sponsoring the Order of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies as one of their hallmark offerings. With the comfort of weeklong all-inclusive excursions, outdoor enthusiasts could now traverse valleys and scale mountain passes on horseback, experiencing the grandeur of the mountains and meadows as the first riders did. This exhibition is a celebration of mountains and horses, capturing the awe and splendour of the riders’ journey, despite the changes of time. It shares experiences that have made this such a loved and enduring group - through photographs, trophies, songs, and artifacts from the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and Whyte Museum collections. Check out the recent media coverage of our summer exhibitions: Whyte Museum's summer shows a helluva hoot | Jessica Lee with Rocky Mountain Outlook Gallery: PHOTOS: Trail Riders exhibit launches at the Whyte Museum | Jungmin Ham with Rocky Mountain Outlook Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies marks 100 years | Blake Lough with Global News What to Do in the Mountains in July | Alana Willerton with Avenue Magazine Calgary Trail Riders of Canadian Rockies carry on 100-year tradition of mountain adventures | David Parker with Calgary Herald Galleries: Gallery 1 : Summer 2023 exhibition opening at the Whyte Museum. Photos by Katie Goldie. Back to the Cairn

A history of the roundup of the Pablo-Allard buffalo herd told through archival collections. Bringing the Buffalo to Canada The roundup: in letters In the fall of 1907, Howard Douglas, Norman Luxton, Alex Ayotte, and Dr. David Warnock, a Canadian veterinary surgeon travelled to Montana to oversee the roundup of Pablo’s herd. Much of this first roundup is documented by Norman Luxton through letters to his wife Georgina, photographs, and a document he wrote in 1937 detailing the difficult task of corralling and loading Pablo’s buffalo that roamed wild on the Flathead Reservation. In this letter to Georgina, written from Ravalli on September 19, 1907, Norman Luxton writes about the difficulties in rounding up Pablo's herd. He states, "We have had very poor luck with the buffalo, so far only 80 have been corralled, they are just too wild for any thing charging right through a line of horsemen to get back on their range. They are going to give them one more trial, and then commence to load what they have got which means a week or 10 days more." In another letter, written on September 30, 1907, Luxton tells Georgina that he "got some very fine photos of the Buffalo, and expect to make a fine souvenir book of them. " This souvenir book was published in [1909] as The Last of the Buffalo. In an undated letter to Georgina, Luxton further describes the process of rounding up the buffalo: "we [went] out to the Buffalo Ranch yesterday. Pablo the owner had 66 in the corrals from the day before. Yesterday we saw him and his cowboys round up some 200 hundred drive them for 15 miles as the [ ] run & everyone of them got away. Pablo is now getting together 50 cowboys, and on Monday we will see one of the [greatest] sights ever [beheld] I do not know yet if I will stay to the end. It is taking longer than I expected, as it will take all next week to get them to Pablo’s ranch & from there to the stn, about 30 miles." Norman Luxton's letters to Georgina Luxton, Luxton Family fonds. Click on arrows to scroll, click on each letter to expand and read. The Last of the Buffalo souvenir booklet, printed in 1908, chronicling the history of the buffalo herd of the Flathead Reservation and an account of the great round up. Luxton Family fonds, LUX/I/D4/10/9, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Happy Trails, Pam! Back to The Cairn She was born to wander, but she found a true home in the mountains and in Banff. Pamela Knott retired from the Whyte Museum last fall after more than 20 years of tending to the collections, helping researchers, and supporting the countless exhibitions and programs. “Pam knew where to find things we didn’t even know we had,” says Anne Ewen, Chief Curator of Art and Heritage. “She has a deep and passionate knowledge of the collection, and has contributed enormously to the work we do.” “I loved the stories,” Pam says, “I loved that people donated things, they are so generous, and the stories are so incredible. “ Over the years, the Whyte has acquired an enormous inventory of art and heritage that gives insight into the colourful characters, the lively events, and the changing social history of Banff. When she began, Pam was stunned that much of the collection hadn’t yet been inventoried. She became relentless in tracking down details about where the object came from, why it was important. Pam understands community. She was born the baby of six children in a tightly-knit Metis family in the mill town of Pine Falls, Manitoba. Families looked out for each other. She is quick to serve others and to make sure those who are alone or in need have a cheerful visit. At the Whyte, she is most drawn to programs that link the collections with the community: Exceptional Pass invited the community to create works that reveal a mythical mountain pass, or the Through the Lens program which encouraged high school photographers to learn the craft and document the contemporary world. Pam was curious about the world, and took off on adventures to Europe, Vancouver, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Katmandu, Nepal, South America, and Bali. She has her own collection of stories that speak to a feisty fearless traveller with enormous curiosity. “I frankly don’t know how she’s still alive,” said one colleague. Pam would hitchhike across America and Europe, always able to pick up a job when needed, and pushing on to the next adventure. In Banff, she worked at Brewsters, banks, the Television Festival, the Lux Theatre, the Library, the Banff Centre and at the Whyte in various capacities. We are always glad to have her around. Grateful for her care and passion for the collection, and grateful for the many amazing stories she brings back. We can’t wait to learn about her next adventures. Happy trails, Pam! Back to The Cairn

Welcoming New Faces to The Whyte: Christina Cuthbertson, Director of Curatorial Initiatives Back to The Cairn The Whyte is pleased to announce the appointment of Christina Cuthbertson as the Director of Curatorial Initiatives. Christina assumed her new role in November 2024, succeeding Anne Ewen, who commenced her time at the museum after 12 years of dedicated service. Christina brings an impressive career in cultural leadership and curatorial expertise. Since 2021, she has served as the Executive Director of the Leighton Art Centre, where she championed a refreshed strategic vision. Her accomplishments include overseeing a re-imagining of the Centre’s permanent museum exhibitions, building relationships with diverse audiences and stakeholders, and facilitating community partnerships. Christina also secured funding for a Truth and Reconciliation Advisor position, ensuring that vital reconciliation work remains central to the Centre’s mission. "It’s an honour to join the team at The Whyte at this pivotal moment, with renewed attention on our responsibilities toward Truth and Reconciliation," said Christina. "Throughout my career, I have been driven by a desire to connect art with audiences, grounded in my own experience of being transformed in the presence of art. I look forward to advancing the museum's goals of inclusion and accessibility, creating new approaches to exhibitions and programs that invite all to engage deeply with the diverse stories and histories we preserve and share." Prior to her role at the Leighton Art Centre, Christina was a curator at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, where she curated, co-curated, and managed over fifty exhibitions and public art projects.. She has collaborated extensively with curators nationwide, consulted on public art projects, and written extensively on contemporary art, including exhibition texts for Trianon Gallery, Stride, Latitude 53, and OBORO, reviews for Galleries West and MOMUS and, and essays for the artist monographs, Brendan Fernandes: Still Move , and Mary Kavanagh: Daughters of Uranium. Christina’s contributions to the field of arts and culture extend to her participation in curatorial residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the International Studio and Curatorial Program in Brooklyn, New York. With a strong focus on community engagement, Christina’s curatorial practice goes beyond traditional institutional frameworks. Her projects span exhibitions, interdisciplinary collaborations, performances, workshops, sensory experiences, and artistic interventions. In her new role at The Whyte, Christina builds on her experience to enhance the museum’s curatorial impact, nurture dynamic community relationships, and explore innovative ways to engage diverse audiences. Back to The Cairn

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Andy Russell’s Grizzly Country Available Online Back To The Cairn In 1961, Andy Russell and sons, Dick and Charlie, set out on an urgent quest to record the much-misunderstood grizzly bear. The Russells journeyed throughout Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska in wilderness fieldwork and encountered bears on nearly 200 occasions over three seasons. They photographed, filmed, and wrote about the famed great bears to dispel a host of myths and misinformation. Until then, bears had often been harassed or even killed in the process of filmmaking. The Russells, who had lived peaceably for years with bears near Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, knew that the grizzly could be filmed in a respectful way. After their first season in the field, guns were left behind in camp. Travelling unarmed, the Russells immediately obtained unprecedented bear footage. The result was the film Grizzly Country, and also a ground-breaking book of the same name by Andy Russell. Andy Russell recorded the narration he delivered in person countless times in halls grand and small to accompany this film. Nearly 40 years later, The Whyte undertook an important restoration project. For the restored film, Andy Russell recorded the narration he had delivered live during countless screenings across the country. We wanted to capture his distinctive voice before it was gone - Andy passed away in 2005. The project also included a new introduction and conclusion hosted by Ian Tyson, and the restored version was produced with interviews by Ian Tyson and Andy Russell at the Hawk’s Nest. Photographs of this work, taken by Head Archivist Don Bourdon, are preserved in Archives V692 records. This initiative was part of a larger tradition of The Whyte facilitating and supporting important mountain film heritage restoration projects. A similar project followed with the Hans Gmoser DVD restorations. Gmoser, like Andy Russell, had originally narrated his films live for audiences. For the restorations, narration was recorded from his scripts by a family member, while Will Schmidt of Skylight Pictures, alongside Chic Scott and Margaret Saul, helped bring the project to life. Will Schmidt also worked on the Fireside Chats with Chic; after Will’s passing, Glen Crawford continued the series. The Grizzly Country restoration and the Hans Gmoser DVD project (1999/2000) were landmark initiatives of The Whyte. Don Bourdon served as Executive Producer, and Will Schmidt as Producer/Director/Videographer. Together, they ensured that this body of work, and the voices of those who made it, were preserved for future generations. The Whyte is pleased to make the restored, unabridged Grizzly Country film available online so that new audiences can experience the role it played in awakening concern for grizzly bears and their habitat. All rights reserved. A license is required for any reproduction, broadcast, or public screening of this film. Please contact archives@whyte.org for more information. To learn more about Andy Russell, view his collection of work housed at The Whyte. Back To The Cairn