Programme for the Ninth Annual Christmas Carol Festival, held by the Kiwanis Club of Kitimat at Mount Elizabeth High School. Contains list of songs, acknowledgements and advertisements for local businesses. Booklet is white with dark blue text and an image of carollers on the front.
Programme for the Ninth Annual Christmas Carol Festival, held by the Kiwanis Club of Kitimat at Mount Elizabeth High School. Contains list of songs, acknowledgements and advertisements for local businesses. Booklet is white with dark blue text and an image of carollers on the front.
Programme for the Tenth Annual Christmas Carol Festival, held by the Kiwanis Club of Kitimat at Mount Elizabeth High School. Contains list of songs, acknowledgements and advertisements for local businesses. Booklet is white with green text and an image of carollers on the front.
Programme for the Tenth Annual Christmas Carol Festival, held by the Kiwanis Club of Kitimat at Mount Elizabeth High School. Contains list of songs, acknowledgements and advertisements for local businesses. Booklet is white with green text and an image of carollers on the front.
Souvenir program for Kitimat's 1965 Dominion Day Celebrations, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Kitimat. Contains schedule of events, map of parade route, local advertisements, and names of committee members.
Souvenir program for Kitimat's 1965 Dominion Day Celebrations, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Kitimat. Contains schedule of events, map of parade route, local advertisements, and names of committee members.
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.
Hiking-related materials assembled by Gisela Mendel in a scrapbook/photo album format. Includes "Tales of Adventure - Tales of Stupidity" (advice for hikers), photographs, typed descriptions of local and regional hikes, and "The Tseax Lava Beds" booklet produced by the Kitimat Centennial Museum.
Assembled by Gisela Mendel around the 1970s or 1980s. Never formally accessioned; added to the Gisela Mendel Collection in November 2023. Has been given the accession number 2023.39 although it was not part of that donation.
Scope and Content
Hiking-related materials assembled by Gisela Mendel in a scrapbook/photo album format. Includes "Tales of Adventure - Tales of Stupidity" (advice for hikers), photographs, typed descriptions of local and regional hikes, and "The Tseax Lava Beds" booklet produced by the Kitimat Centennial Museum.
Notes
Divided into three folders:
1) Tales of Adventure/Stupidity, Squirrel Mountain, Mount Elizabeth, Eagle Bay, Jesse Falls, Clague Mountain, Frog Falls, Hudson's Bay Mountain, Crater Lake, Bornite Mountain, Lava Lake, Tseax Lava Beds.
2) Kalum Lake, Seven Sisters Mountains, Oliver Trail, Mount Quinlan, Coyote Creek Trail, Telkwa Pass, Insect Lookout, Rocher de Boule, Western Uranium Mines, Red Rose Mines / Pass, Tiltusha Mountain / Mines, Duthie Mines, Mount Cronin, Silverking Basin, Thornhill Mountain, Lakelse Lake, Mount Charlie, Big Onion Mountain, Babine Lake, Old Fort Mountain Lookout.
3) Sleeping Beauty Mountain, Stewart, Mount Dilsworth, Three Lakes family hike, Watson Lakes, Deception Lake, Hirsch Creek Falls / Park, Trapline Mountain, Easy Mountain, Kalum Valley, Bornite Mountain, Kitselas Canyon, Old Kitselas, Andimaul Lookout, Boulder Creek Trail, Glacier Peak, Seven Sisters, Mudflat Creek, Mount Johnstone, Robinson Lake.
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
ca. 10.5 cm textual material (logbooks, scrapbooks)
23 maps
History / Biographical
Gisela Heimbach Mendel was the first curator of the Kitimat Museum and Archives (then known as the Kitimat Centennial Museum). She was born in Germany in 1922 and worked as a pharmacist in East Prussia when the Russians invaded. She fled the Russians and immigrated to Canada in 1952 with her husband, Hans, and their children. Unhappy with the geography of Southern Ontario - in her words, she was a "mountain woman" - she chose Kitimat as her home.
In her earliest years in Kitimat (beginning 1956), Gisela collected botanical specimens for the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. She served as the first curator of the Kitimat Centennial Museum from the building's opening in 1969 until her retirement in 1981, when she and Hans moved to Smithers. Gisela was responsible for not only showcasing local art and history, but building a strong and varied permanent collection of artifacts and archival items upon which future curators could build.
As she was working in a relatively young community, town history was not considered a priority so much as regional history, natural history and Haisla First Nations cultural traditions, which Gisela documented with great intensity. One of her projects was creating an ethno-botanical dictionary with the help of Haisla elders, identifying the Haisla names and traditional uses for various plants. In 1972, the Northern Sentinel reported that each weekend Gisela made the rounds of her secret botanical hunting grounds to replace the display of floral specimens in her exhibits. She was a tremendous record-keeper and journalist, had a great life of the outdoors, and developed many close friendships in Kitimat and Kitamaat Village. Her thirst for information was incredible, and the Museum and the community benefitted immensely from her passion for gathering and recording knowledge. In the 1990s she received the Award of Merit from the BC Museums Association in recognition of her work. She passed away in 2008.
Custodial History
Materials in this fonds were created by Gisela Mendel during her time as Museum Curator, or donated by her, her family members, or other community members following her retirement.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
23 maps of northwestern British Columbia, from the Seven Sisters westward to Port Essington.
2018.9.1a-b – Seven Sisters / Dorreen
2018.9.2a-c – Usk / Chist Creek
2018.9.3a-c – Lakelse / Terrace
2018.9.4a-b – Alastair Lake
2018.9.5a-b – Salvus, Coast District Range 5
2018.9.6a-d – Ecstall River / Port Essington
2018.9.7a-g – Kitimat Arm, Kildala River, Mt. Aetna, Mount Elizabeth, Mount Davies, private logging roads
Maps were collected and annotated by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in northwest BC and donated to the Museum in 2018.
Scope and Content
23 maps of northwestern British Columbia, from the Seven Sisters westward to Port Essington.
2018.9.1a-b – Seven Sisters / Dorreen
2018.9.2a-c – Usk / Chist Creek
2018.9.3a-c – Lakelse / Terrace
2018.9.4a-b – Alastair Lake
2018.9.5a-b – Salvus, Coast District Range 5
2018.9.6a-d – Ecstall River / Port Essington
2018.9.7a-g – Kitimat Arm, Kildala River, Mt. Aetna, Mount Elizabeth, Mount Davies, private logging roads
View of Kitimat looking northeast towards Mount Elizabeth, with the Kitimat General Hospital and ski hill in the foreground, and the Nechako neighbourhood and Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School in the middle distance.
Digital copy only; made from a scan of the original framed photograph which was then discarded. Damage to the original photograph (cracks across surface, especially in the upper right quadrant; yellowing varnish over surface) is highly visible in the scan.
Custodial History
Donated to the Museum in July 2023.
Scope and Content
View of Kitimat looking northeast towards Mount Elizabeth, with the Kitimat General Hospital and ski hill in the foreground, and the Nechako neighbourhood and Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School in the middle distance.
Notes
Digital copy only.
Conservation
Original was scanned and then discarded due to deteriorating quality.
Fair; many documents have yellow glue stains on back (presumably from having been pasted into a scrapbook), many have slightly ragged edges.
History / Biographical
Dennis Tupman taught at Mount Elizabeth Secondary School from 1957 to 1971 and was well-regarded for developing the school's band program - the first in the community. He also led the United Church Choir, the Little Symphony, and the Community Choir; worked as a school counsellor; and volunteered with the Community Help Organization and the Family Forum Society. Under his leadership, the MESS Band travelled to Montreal to play at Expo 67, and won a Northwest provincial competition to play at Queen Elizabeth's visit to Vancouver in 1971.
Custodial History
Items were donated to the Museum on January 25th 2024 by Tupman's daughter, Raechel.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains 8 programmes for concerts and other events, collected by Tupman during his career in Kitimat.
Pamphlet for Mount Elizabeth School's 1968 Graduation Banquet, typed on plain white paper. Front page has 'GRADUATION BANQUET 1968' written in three vertical columns above an illustration of what looks like a pagoda. Pamphlet also includes a toast list, a menu, and the names of all the graduates.
Paper is somewhat flimsy from age. Heavily folded along the edges. Text is faded.
Custodial History
Donated to the Museum by Maria Knight on January 25th 2024.
Scope and Content
Pamphlet for Mount Elizabeth School's 1968 Graduation Banquet, typed on plain white paper. Front page has 'GRADUATION BANQUET 1968' written in three vertical columns above an illustration of what looks like a pagoda. Pamphlet also includes a toast list, a menu, and the names of all the graduates.
Programme for a concert held by Kitimat schools to celebrate British Columbia's centennial in 1958. Includes list of performances, and the names of the Centennial and Display Committees and others involved with the event. Cover features three figures drawn in a 'Native' style.
Small, dark specks on upper right-hand side of front cover. Yellow glue residue on back, presumably from having been pasted into a scrapbook. Some creasing/folding in the corners and a few pieces missing from the edges of the back cover.
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Programme for a concert held by Kitimat schools to celebrate British Columbia's centennial in 1958. Includes list of performances, and the names of the Centennial and Display Committees and others involved with the event. Cover features three figures drawn in a 'Native' style.
Notes
Unrelated handwriting on back, seemingly related to a school assignment.
Programme for a concert held by school bands and choirs from Kitimat, Smithers, and Telkwa to celebrate British Columbia's 100th anniversary. Features list of songs and directors. Treble clef on front cover.
Heavy horizontal creases all across item. Brownish residue on top left-hand side of front cover. Yellow glue residue and pieces of brown paper on back cover, presumably from having been attached to a scrapbook page. Green pen marks also on back cover near the top. Two chunks have been ripped out of the back cover along the outer edge. Text on inside of second page is faded in some areas.
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Programme for a concert held by school bands and choirs from Kitimat, Smithers, and Telkwa to celebrate British Columbia's 100th anniversary. Features list of songs and directors. Treble clef on front cover.
Pink programme for the official opening of Mount Elizabeth High School by the Honourable Leslie R. Peterson, Minister of Education. Includes schedule of events, info on the (re)naming of Mount Elizabeth, and list of School Board members.
A few faint stains on front cover. Small piece of brown paper stuck to bottom left area of front cover. Multiple larger pieces of brown paper and yellow glue residue on back cover, presumably from being pasted into a scrapbook; some areas of the paper have been peeled away as well.
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Pink programme for the official opening of Mount Elizabeth High School by the Honourable Leslie R. Peterson, Minister of Education. Includes schedule of events, info on the (re)naming of Mount Elizabeth, and list of School Board members.
Programme for the 1960 Remembrance Day service held by the Canadian Legion, Branch 250. Includes schedule of events, lyrics of songs and hymns, and the text of In Flanders' Fields. Front cover is covered in tiny gray dots and features a cross and a hand holding a poppy.
Some minor smudges and stains. Yellow glue residue on back.
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Programme for the 1960 Remembrance Day service held by the Canadian Legion, Branch 250. Includes schedule of events, lyrics of songs and hymns, and the text of In Flanders' Fields. Front cover is covered in tiny gray dots and features a cross and a hand holding a poppy.
Light pink programme for the 5th Annual Christmas Choral Festival, sponsored by the Kitimat Junior Chamber of Commerce. Includes list of performances with song lyrics, as well as advertisements for local businesses. Front cover features a green image of people carolling in old-fashioned costumes.
Back cover has yellow glue residue and some areas are peeled away (including a hole and tear near the top left corner).
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Light pink programme for the 5th Annual Christmas Choral Festival, sponsored by the Kitimat Junior Chamber of Commerce. Includes list of performances with song lyrics, as well as advertisements for local businesses. Front cover features a green image of people carolling in old-fashioned costumes.
Notes
Performers include Christ Church Junior and Senior Choirs, German Baptist Choir, Kitimat Choristers, Kitimat Little Symphony, Church of Christ the King Choir, and the United Church Senior Choir.
Programme for the Mount Elizabeth High School Christmas Concert, 1960. Blue cover page with illustration of an angel in a stained-glass window. Includes list of performances, song lyrics, and cast list for "The Death of Caesar" from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
Pages are creased horizontally down the middle. Holes along the left sides from staples being removed. Black dots on back of third page. Back of last page has some yellow glue residue and a hole torn out of the bottom left corner.
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Programme for the Mount Elizabeth High School Christmas Concert, 1960. Blue cover page with illustration of an angel in a stained-glass window. Includes list of performances, song lyrics, and cast list for "The Death of Caesar" from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
Programme for 1967 Mid-Winter Concert by the Mount Elizabeth School band and choir. Includes list of performances and band personnel. White paper with light blue border along outer edge of front cover. Snowflake-like logo on front cover.
Stains/smudges on front and back covers. Yellow tape residue along spine and on back cover. One piece of tape is still stuck to the front cover, but cannot be removed without damaging the object.
Custodial History
Onwed by Mount Elizabeth band teacher Dennis Tupman for many decades before being donated to the Museum by his family.
Scope and Content
Programme for 1967 Mid-Winter Concert by the Mount Elizabeth School band and choir. Includes list of performances and band personnel. White paper with light blue border along outer edge of front cover. Snowflake-like logo on front cover.
Thank-you card to donors of the first Aluminum City Telethon, 1980. Front cover has an b&w image of a man and two women standing on stage with an ACT donation bucket and the text "We did it! Thanks to you..." Inside has signatures from ACT commitee members. Card is unfolded.
Thank-you card to donors of the first Aluminum City Telethon, 1980. Front cover has an b&w image of a man and two women standing on stage with an ACT donation bucket and the text "We did it! Thanks to you..." Inside has signatures from ACT commitee members. Card is unfolded.