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
Hecate Development Limited
Photographic Surveys (Western) Ltd
T. & W. Engineering & Forestry Ltd.
Accession Number
975.45
Description
Oversized, black covered aerial mosaic atlas featuring aerial photographs of the Kitimat area. Produced by Hecate Development. Contributes include Photographic Surveys (Western) Ltd. and T. & W. Engineering & Forestry Ltd.
Oversized, black covered aerial mosaic atlas featuring aerial photographs of the Kitimat area. Produced by Hecate Development. Contributes include Photographic Surveys (Western) Ltd. and T. & W. Engineering & Forestry Ltd.
This poster has the slogan "Our Tribal Land - From Our Ancestors To Our Children." It also has the words Haisla Tribal Territory, and is dated May 17 & 20, 1983. It is printed on white paper, with black lettering, a red border, a map of red, black and grey and an Indigenous design in red, black and white.
This poster has the slogan "Our Tribal Land - From Our Ancestors To Our Children." It also has the words Haisla Tribal Territory, and is dated May 17 & 20, 1983. It is printed on white paper, with black lettering, a red border, a map of red, black and grey and an Indigenous design in red, black and white.
Golden Bell Automatic Lighter. Silver metal with decorative front and back. Front - photo of two members of the Kitimat Pipe Band, one with the large drum and the other with bagpipes. Back - Red, gold and black Pipe Band insignia with 'Kitimat BC Canada' below in red letters. Lighter is housed in a small cardboard box - burgundy coloured lid, white bottom. Box is hinged on one side with yellowed cellophane tape. Made in Japan stamped on the bottom of the box.
Golden Bell Automatic Lighter. Silver metal with decorative front and back. Front - photo of two members of the Kitimat Pipe Band, one with the large drum and the other with bagpipes. Back - Red, gold and black Pipe Band insignia with 'Kitimat BC Canada' below in red letters. Lighter is housed in a small cardboard box - burgundy coloured lid, white bottom. Box is hinged on one side with yellowed cellophane tape. Made in Japan stamped on the bottom of the box.
Cartoon drawn by HEAK (Hans Kuppers). This cartoon depicts concerns about Kitimat over dwindling population, community services and the possibility of power sales.
Cartoon drawn by HEAK (Hans Kuppers). This cartoon depicts concerns about Kitimat over dwindling population, community services and the possibility of power sales.
Physical Condition
Good
Material
paper
Condition Remarks
Two sheets taped together
Width
28cm
Length
43.5 cm
Date Range
ca. 1997
Accession Number
2016.143.1
Biographical Notes
HEAK (Hans Kuppers) was a political cartoonist who worked for Alcan and created a character known as Alman for the ingot newsletter.
Cartoon Book - Allan Beaton's "Kitimat 51" A series of cartoons made on the site of Canada's largest construction project, with Kitimat Constructors, for the Aluminum Co. of Canada. Limited.
Cartoon Book - Allan Beaton's "Kitimat 51" A series of cartoons made on the site of Canada's largest construction project, with Kitimat Constructors, for the Aluminum Co. of Canada. Limited.
