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 Mayima flash bracket, there is a metal dial at the top with a screw bottom. There is a button at the bottom of the grip to control a piece at the top. There is a strap by the grip. Lastly there is a metal piece underneath the bottom to attach it to something.
A Mayima flash bracket, there is a metal dial at the top with a screw bottom. There is a button at the bottom of the grip to control a piece at the top. There is a strap by the grip. Lastly there is a metal piece underneath the bottom to attach it to something.
Two copies of Mamiya 6x7 film backs. It has a lever at the top, metal window at the back and you can open it with the lever at the side and you can remove the metal sheet at the back.
Two copies of Mamiya 6x7 film backs. It has a lever at the top, metal window at the back and you can open it with the lever at the side and you can remove the metal sheet at the back.
Around Vivitar camera lens, it has a black round frame with a grey glass lens. The markings on the frame read: "Vivitar 77mm Polarizing JAPAN" it is stored in a round clear plastic case .
Around Vivitar camera lens, it has a black round frame with a grey glass lens. The markings on the frame read: "Vivitar 77mm Polarizing JAPAN" it is stored in a round clear plastic case .
a) A camera lens with markings that read: "Mamiya" it has buttons on the side that can attach it to the lens
b) A seiko lens with a Mamiya RB67 lens hood. The lens has buttons, dials and numbers on the sides, the lens hood is made of rubber and can be extended.
c) A Mamiya professional camera body it has a dial and lever at one side and another dial in the other, the bottom has screw groves to attach it to a tripod
d) A Mamiya RB67 view finder is attached at the top. It is a square shape with the model at the front edge, it can slide to the left to remove it.
e) A Mamiya roll film back with a lever at the top with the number "120 S"
a) A camera lens with markings that read: "Mamiya" it has buttons on the side that can attach it to the lens
b) A seiko lens with a Mamiya RB67 lens hood. The lens has buttons, dials and numbers on the sides, the lens hood is made of rubber and can be extended.
c) A Mamiya professional camera body it has a dial and lever at one side and another dial in the other, the bottom has screw groves to attach it to a tripod
d) A Mamiya RB67 view finder is attached at the top. It is a square shape with the model at the front edge, it can slide to the left to remove it.
e) A Mamiya roll film back with a lever at the top with the number "120 S"
A light meter with a white plastic bulb at the top and a dial at the bottom with numbers, it is stored in a leather case with a purple fabric inside. There are two dials stored in the zipper one white and one black.
A light meter with a white plastic bulb at the top and a dial at the bottom with numbers, it is stored in a leather case with a purple fabric inside. There are two dials stored in the zipper one white and one black.
A clear grid Kenko camera lens. It has markings on the side that read "KENKO c . s 77mm JAPAN" a B+W clear lens is attached. It is stored in a clear plastic KENKO case with white plastic.
A clear grid Kenko camera lens. It has markings on the side that read "KENKO c . s 77mm JAPAN" a B+W clear lens is attached. It is stored in a clear plastic KENKO case with white plastic.
A leather camera case imitation leather with handles, long strap. Lined with reddish-brown felt. There is a metal "Nikon" logo on the front. The flap has a lock.
A leather camera case imitation leather with handles, long strap. Lined with reddish-brown felt. There is a metal "Nikon" logo on the front. The flap has a lock.
a) A Nikon F3 camera. it has dials and levers at the top, buttons at the front, screw grooves at the bottom to attach it to a tripod, a square metal label holder at the back, a round viewfinder with a rubber rim. the back can be opened to put in film.
b) A Zoom-NIKKOR 35-70mm lens. It is a long lens with numbers and three large dials to adjust focus and zoom.
c) A Vivitar 72mm SKYLIGHT lens filter. This filter is screwed onto the Nikkor zoom lens. It has a black metal frame with a glass lens.
d) A black large lens hood, it has a small cylinder screw that can be tightened onto a lens with the rubber strips inside.
e) A yellow and black nylon Nikon strap. the strap can be adjusted and it has leather staps at the end to attach onto the camera.
f) A black Nikon lens cap with a grey metal frame.
a) A Nikon F3 camera. it has dials and levers at the top, buttons at the front, screw grooves at the bottom to attach it to a tripod, a square metal label holder at the back, a round viewfinder with a rubber rim. the back can be opened to put in film.
b) A Zoom-NIKKOR 35-70mm lens. It is a long lens with numbers and three large dials to adjust focus and zoom.
c) A Vivitar 72mm SKYLIGHT lens filter. This filter is screwed onto the Nikkor zoom lens. It has a black metal frame with a glass lens.
d) A black large lens hood, it has a small cylinder screw that can be tightened onto a lens with the rubber strips inside.
e) A yellow and black nylon Nikon strap. the strap can be adjusted and it has leather staps at the end to attach onto the camera.
f) A black Nikon lens cap with a grey metal frame.