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
A patch with a picture of a grey fish and black and brown shotgun in the middle with the words "KITIMAT ROD & GUN ASSOC." around it. the patch is mainly colored red and yellow
A patch with a picture of a grey fish and black and brown shotgun in the middle with the words "KITIMAT ROD & GUN ASSOC." around it. the patch is mainly colored red and yellow
Physical Condition
Good
Material
fabric
Condition Remarks
The design is pristine but the back is slightly dirty
An Aluminum calling card for a radio operator. The front has information: "CANADA H.A. "Herb" Turner 23 Stein Street, Kitimat, B.C. Operating from the ALCAN BOOTH at the KITIMAT LIONS TRADE FAIR may 30, 31, June 1, 1968 VE7WI ALUMINUM COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD." the back has spaces to write radio information.
An Aluminum calling card for a radio operator. The front has information: "CANADA H.A. "Herb" Turner 23 Stein Street, Kitimat, B.C. Operating from the ALCAN BOOTH at the KITIMAT LIONS TRADE FAIR may 30, 31, June 1, 1968 VE7WI ALUMINUM COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD." the back has spaces to write radio information.
A red fabric participant ribbon. The front has a trophy desighn with the word "PARTICIPANT" written down the middle. there is a gold safety pin attached at the top at the ribbon.
A red fabric participant ribbon. The front has a trophy desighn with the word "PARTICIPANT" written down the middle. there is a gold safety pin attached at the top at the ribbon.
A white ACT staff card. it has the ACT logo and yellow and black caution tape design at the top and bottom with markings that read "ACT 2000 STAFF ACT OF THE MILLENIUM"
A white ACT staff card. it has the ACT logo and yellow and black caution tape design at the top and bottom with markings that read "ACT 2000 STAFF ACT OF THE MILLENIUM"
Kitimat Constructors badge. White with black text. Indentification badge used by Fred DeLory worked for Alcan during the initial stages of construction at the smelter site.
Kitimat Constructors badge. White with black text. Indentification badge used by Fred DeLory worked for Alcan during the initial stages of construction at the smelter site.
Photocopies of a triangulation survey from 1925 showing the Kitimat Arm, Skeena River and upper Kitimat River area. R.G.5.. Coast District B.C. Photocopy has 3 parts.
Donated by Margaret Vanderberg from the Ministry of Transportation + Highways on February 11, 2000.
Scope and Content
Photocopies of a triangulation survey from 1925 showing the Kitimat Arm, Skeena River and upper Kitimat River area. R.G.5.. Coast District B.C. Photocopy has 3 parts.
