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PEOPLE AND PLACES
On November 21 at the University of Calgary's Rozsa Centre, over 200 people attended a reception to celebrate the Canadian Architectural Archives (CAA) and officially launch the CAA's fundraising campaign. Sponsored by Culham Pedersen Valentine and hosted by campaign chair Fred Valentine, the event featured guest speaker Art Smith, who discussed the role of the archives in preserving the history of Canada's architectural heritage. Mr. Smith then presented a gift to the CAA.
One highlight of the reception was an exhibition of select drawings from the archival holdings. On display were drawings of famous and iconic structures, such as the A. Dale and Associates' Calgary Tower and Arthur Erickson's University of Lethbridge. The exhibit also highlighted lesser-known but no less striking buildings, such as Ron Thom's modern Trent University Library and streamlined apartments designed by noted Art Deco architects McCarter Nairne. Of particular interest were the 1912 Thomas Hayton Mawson plans of The Civic Centre of Calgary as It May Appear Many Years Hence, which depicts Calgary as a European capital city complete with a grand memorial plaza and ornamental lake. The Rosza Centre, designed by Fred Valentine, was represented in the exhibit through design sketches and the original architect's model.
The fundraising campaign will continue over the next several months. For further information about the Canadian Architectural Archives and its activities, please contact Linda Fraser, CAA Curator, at (403) 220-7420.
Linda Fraser, Curator
The Paul D. Fleck Library & Archives held a successful Open House on February 21st. Several departments at the Banff Centre have held Open Houses during the past year and they are proving to be a popular way for staff to learn more about other departments while enjoying an afternoon break.
Many staff came to see the Archives and once there, they looked at a variety of 'neat stuff' on display, played games (the photo identification quiz was particularly popular) and chatted with staff. Retirees were also invited and after touring the displays they had tea and reminisced while watching historical videos. Many positive comments were received about the amount of interesting material to view and do, and we will be looking at hosting something again.
Jane Parkinson, Archivist
"U of C welcomes Preston Manning and the Reform Party Archives": Dr. Weingarten and Mr. Manning . . . announced that the Reform Party papers from 1987 to 2000, chronicling the birth and development of the Western-based grass roots party, will be housed at the University of Calgary Archives, and become available to scholars and students by mid-April.
The complete story can be viewed at: www.fp.ucalgary.ca/unicomm/news/Feb_02/manning_2.htm.
On February 24th, 2002 the City of Wetaskiwin Archives lost a very dear friend. Ethel Switzer had been the Secretary of the Archives Committee from its inception in 1978. One could not count the number of hours Ethel spent over the years helping in any way she could: teaching the newly hired archivist about the community; keeping the archives open when the archivist was away; assisting researchers and mentoring summer staff; lobbying for resources; visiting schools to talk about local history; helping with displays at local events; encouraging and making donations.
During the last couple of years Ethel helped select and re-house negatives and prints from the 100,000+ images of the Carl W. Walin fonds. This kept her in the archives almost as many hours as the staff.
Along with all the work she did in the archives, she also brightened my day whenever she appeared. She was active in the community with researching, writing and volunteering. The citizens of Wetaskiwin thanked her by naming her Citizen of the Year in 1982 and Pioneer of the Year in 2001. Ethel believed that keeping busy in the community and with her friends kept her happy and healthy, and so it did, for many years.
Carolyn Hill, Archivist
The City of Calgary Archives Control of Holdings grant project is complete! More than 1600 photographs, aerial photographs, negatives, plans and slides (from the Parks & Recreation Department fonds) were described and scanned by Reid McCord, Archives Photo-Preservation Assistant. This project has been made possible by financial assistance from the federal government through the National Archives of Canada and the Canadian Council of Archives.
Our special thanks to Reid McCord, whose hard work on this project and insights into long-term digital preservation will be beneficial to the Archives and our researchers for years to come. Reid is continuing his employment at the City of Calgary Archives and is working on a virtual exhibit of images from the XV Olympic Winter Games, OCO'88 fonds. The website will be available in April 2002. Check out the City of Calgary Archives website at www.gov.calgary.ab.ca/cityclerks/archives for further updates!
Sarah J. Bleach, Archivist
Caitlin Jones, who completed her UBC MAS internship at the Archives and Library of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, has been awarded a fellowship at the Guggenhiem Museum in New York City. Caitlin is now working on a project called the Variable Media Initiative, which involves preservation of digital, video and performance art. Prior to leaving for the Big Apple in February, Caitlin worked at the University of British Columbia Archives and, previous to September 11th , in the video archives field in New York City. Congratulations Caitlin and best wishes from all your friends in Alberta!
The Academy of Certified Archivists is an international organization that promotes high standards in archival practice by means of a certification process. Applicants who have successfully passed the certification examination of the Academy gain the designation of Certified Archivist (CA). Certification allows archivists to validate their education and skills and to broaden their employment opportunities. Although it is not a required qualification for archivists in Canada, being a Certified Archivist is frequently listed as a requirement in many American archival job postings. Canadian archivists (with or without an MAS degree) would benefit by obtaining the CA designation.
The certification process consists of paying an application fee of US $50, and, if accepted, writing a multiple-choice examination. The examination is held once each year at five locations in the United States. Successful candidates pay a certification fee of US $150 and then annual dues of US $50. Certification lasts for five years. Certification maintenance is by either petition (based on one's professional development and continuing educational activities) or by examination. For further information about the Academy as well as the examination and certification processes, visit the Academy's Web site at www.certifiedarchivists.org.
Attending a designated examination site in the United States can prove quite expensive. Under its "You Pick Your Site" program, the Academy will also hold the examination at any location where five or more persons have petitioned to take it. Should there be sufficient interest, a location in Alberta could be requested for the next examination on Wednesday August 21, 2002. Several members of the Archives Society of Alberta have already expressed interest for this year. Garth Clarke, the ASA Individual Member-at-Large and a CA, is willing to co-ordinate applications which petition for an examination site in Alberta. Please contact him at (403) 309-8403 or garthc@city.red-deer.ab.ca. The deadline to apply to write the examination is May 15, 2002.
Garth Clarke, Archivist
The Glenbow Library and Archives are pleased to announce the availability for researchers of a portion of the papers of Glenbow's founder, Eric L. Harvie. Through a grant from the Canadian Council of Archives Control of Holdings program, Glenbow archivists have been able to catalogue 20 meters of Mr. Harvie's office files, dealing with his personal and family activities, his business dealings, his charitable interests and his involvement with a host of local organizations. Harvie was a key figure in the Alberta petroleum industry as well as being one of Alberta's most important philanthropists. Future cataloguing projects will focus on other personal records as well as files from the Harvie legal practice.
The Library and Archives are also making available a new donation of ranching records from the legendary Cross family of Calgary. The Crosses have been preserving their family and business records at Glenbow for over 40 years and the latest addition provides important new documentation on the operation of the A. E. Cross and Alexander "Sandy" Cross ranches. Included in the donation are letterbooks covering the period from the 1880s to the 1910s, extensive correspondence between A. E. Cross and his wife Helen Macleod Cross, numerous family photographs, business files from the Calgary Brewery, as well as more recent documentation of Rothney Farm - the Galloway/Shorthorn operation of Alexander "Sandy" Cross.
A generous grant from the Max Bell Foundation has come to the Library and Archives to complete the processing of the Max Bell papers held by the Archives. Between 1985 and 1999 the family donated several installments of his business and personal papers and the funds provided will allow archivists to complete a catalogue of the material and to make it available on the internet at www.glenbow.org. The Bell papers consist of over 18 meters of documentation as well as family photographs and will provide an important resource for future researchers on western Canadian business and newspaper publishing.
All of this material is available for research in the Hugh A. Dempsey Reading Room on the 6th floor of the Glenbow Museum from Tuesdays to Fridays, 10 AM to 5 PM.
Doug Cass, Archivist
The 16th annual Western Archives Institute will be held at The University of Redlands in Redlands, California, July 14-July 26, 2002. The intensive, two-week program provides integrated instruction in basic archival practices to individuals with a variety of goals, including those whose jobs require a fundamental understanding of archival skills, but have little or no previous archives education, those who have expanding responsibility for archival materials, those who are practicing archivists but have not received formal instruction, and those who demonstrate a commitment to an archival career.
For additional information and an application form, contact Administrator, Western Archives Institute (916) 653-7715 E-mail: ArchivesWeb@ss.ca.gov
The music archival collections at the Special Collections, University of Calgary Library have been enriched by donations from nationally and internationally renowned composers Quenten Doolittle, George Fiala, Srul Irving Glick, alcides lanza, Bruce Mather, and Gerhard Wuensch. Dr W. A. S. Sarjeant presented additional materials to the Canadian Society for Traditional Music fonds. The literary archives received donations from Kenneth Dyba, R.D. Manning, Ellen Jaffe, Paul Grescoe, and a substantial addition to the Katherine Govier fonds. The Alice Munro fonds received a donation from John Munro which includes Alice Munro's published materials collected by the late David Cook.
Included in the Special Collections website for literary archives are the archival fonds of Canadian artists. Gordon Snyder has provided additional resources relating to the late Illingworth Kerr. Susan Wood donated the archive of the Saskatoon born artist Stephen Andrews. Included in the fonds are Stephen Andrews' manuscripts ranging from poetry and plays to prose articles, extensive correspondence, set designs, and sketchbooks.
Special Collections staff are revising our website to reflect the additions to the archival holdings www.ucalgary.ca/library/SpecColl.
During the year we completed what we hope is the first part of an extensive digitization project: the theatrical scene and costume design collection. Inspired by an e-mail question originating in Paris from the grandson of one of the designers (Boris Bilinsky) represented in the collection and with tremendous collaboration from him. We set about verifying the designs, determining which were by another designer (Marcel Escoffier), having help obtaining copyright permission from Monsieur Escoffier, the result being that the project team placed the Bilinsky and Escoffier designs on the web.
The website design was created by Robyn Herrington. Once the finding aid has been verified and questions of copyright successfully sorted out we hope to include the images of the whole collection on the Internet. A busy but fun year was had by all.
Apollonia Steele, Special Collections Librarian
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