Photographs show a log structure at Raley Creek (Jan 1980), Wadeene River Trapper's Cabin (Jan 1980), Eurocan pollution from Fire Mountain (11 Nov 1979), and Alcan from the Kitamaat Village (Feb 1980).
Photographs taken by Gisela Mendel in her role as museum curator.
Scope and Content
Photographs show a log structure at Raley Creek (Jan 1980), Wadeene River Trapper's Cabin (Jan 1980), Eurocan pollution from Fire Mountain (11 Nov 1979), and Alcan from the Kitamaat Village (Feb 1980).
Photo album/scrapbook detailing Gisela Mendel's road trip along Highway 16 and 37, from Smithers to Telegraph Creek, in summer 1999. Contains written material, photographs, maps, pressed flowers, pamphlets, magazine and newspaper articles. Loose material, including newspaper/magazine articles, photographs, maps, and negatives of photos from the album, has been stored in two separate envelopes.
1 photo album: 3 cm of textual and graphic material, plus loose material
Custodial History
Donated by Gisela Mendel's daughter, Fredrika Lyne, on November 14th 2023.
Scope and Content
Photo album/scrapbook detailing Gisela Mendel's road trip along Highway 16 and 37, from Smithers to Telegraph Creek, in summer 1999. Contains written material, photographs, maps, pressed flowers, pamphlets, magazine and newspaper articles. Loose material, including newspaper/magazine articles, photographs, maps, and negatives of photos from the album, has been stored in two separate envelopes.
In 1987, Max Patzelt donated his photograph and negative collection - over 10,000 images - to the Museum. This talented and prolific photographer and businessman operated Kitimat Photo Supply and Max's Photo Studio for over 25 years.
Max took portraits of Kitimat citizens - babies, wedding parties, school classes, sports teams, local government - and recorded events for the Northern Sentinel and Alcan's ingot. School District No. 80 published many of Max's photos in promotional materials to attract teachers to Kitimat. Max photographed for Alcan and processed prints for the ingot.
Max became a resident of Kitimat in 1956 when he hired on at Alcan as a stud puller. He arrived in Kitimat with a camera around his neck. After a year in the lines, he had had enough. He resigned from Alcan, packed his bags and headed for the CN station to head to Vancouver.
Fred Ryan had recently established his photo studio, Kitimat Photo, retail photo processing and the town's only industrial photographers located in the Smeltersite recreation hall. Fred had heard of Max's photographic knowledge and rushed to the train station to offer Max a job running the new processing machine.
Max joined Kitimat Photo and was quickly "up to his ears in negatives" (ingot, May 22, 1987). They couldn't keep photographic equipment in stock - everyone who came for work in Kitimat purchased a camera. Max recalled that during the July 1 parade in 1957, he processed approximately 3,000 rolls of black and white film. It took days to process them all. With a new town and smelter, and surrounded by innovation, photography was just booming in Kitimat. Alcan wanted to document its construction events for both town and smelter, and workers wanted to document their time here.
Max and partner, Hazel Hatton, opened Kitimat Photo Supply Ltd. in City Centre in 1960. Max and Hazel operated the business until 1967 when Max moved the portrait studio, Max's Photo Studio Ltd., to Service Centre, and operated until 1987. Hazel kept the retail business Kitimat Photo in City Centre and operated until 1985.
Scope and Content
Three green binders containing the Max Patzelt Photo Collection Directory.
Photographs of Kitimat Nalabila Blvd, Kitimat Golden Apartments, Kitimat Sagimat Housing, Kitimat Alcan Apartments, Albatross Avenue, and the Kitimat Public Safety Building
Photographs taken by Gisela Mendel in her position as curator of the Kitimat Museum
Scope and Content
Photographs of Kitimat Nalabila Blvd, Kitimat Golden Apartments, Kitimat Sagimat Housing, Kitimat Alcan Apartments, Albatross Avenue, and the Kitimat Public Safety Building
Photographs of four visitors posing in bear skins, a Clague Mountain museum display, as well as a view of the Douglas Channel, taken by Musuem Curator, Gisela Mendel
3 photograph prints : color ; 9 x 12.5cm
1 photograph print : color ; 12.5 x 9cm
Custodial History
Photographs taken by Gisela Mendel in her role as museum curator.
Scope and Content
Photographs of four visitors posing in bear skins, a Clague Mountain museum display, as well as a view of the Douglas Channel, taken by Musuem Curator, Gisela Mendel
