Byron Harmon: Selected Photographs, 1905-1934

Banff Avenue, 1929 || Banff Winter Carnival was dreamed up by the Board of Trade in Banff, of which Byron was a member. It aimed to entertain the locals as well as attracting tourists to create a bit of revenue in the lean years following the First W

Banff Avenue, 1929 || Banff Winter Carnival was dreamed up by the Board of Trade in Banff, of which Byron was a member. It aimed to entertain the locals as well as attracting tourists to create a bit of revenue in the lean years following the First World War. There were races, an ice palace, a toboggan slide ending on Banff Avenue, and a parade.

Banff Businessmen Fishing in the Kananaskis Valley || Kananaskis Lakes were a great place to fish, wild and outside of the National Parks, until construction of hydro-electric dams beginning in the 1940’s.

Banff Businessmen Fishing in the Kananaskis Valley || Kananaskis Lakes were a great place to fish, wild and outside of the National Parks, until construction of hydro-electric dams beginning in the 1940’s.

Tom Longstaff and Guide Billy Batz (?), Purcell Mountains, 1910

Tom Longstaff and Guide Billy Batz (?), Purcell Mountains, 1910

Bugaboo Glacier, 1910 || Byron Harmon is credited with ‘discovering’ Bugaboo Glacier in 1910. Undoubtedly it was known to Indigenous tribes and local prospectors but he was the first person to photograph it. It was briefly called Harmon’s Great Glaci

Bugaboo Glacier, 1910 || Byron Harmon is credited with ‘discovering’ Bugaboo Glacier in 1910. Undoubtedly it was known to Indigenous tribes and local prospectors but he was the first person to photograph it. It was briefly called Harmon’s Great Glacier, before the romantic name, Bugaboo, captured everyone’s imagination. This area is now one of the most treasured climbing areas in the world.

Climbing Mt. Marpole, 1909 || Swiss guide, Edward Feuz Jr, leads this climb. This photograph was part of Canada Post’s Canadian Photographer series, issued April 13, 2016. Mt. Marpole is in Yoho National Park.

Climbing Mt. Marpole, 1909 || Swiss guide, Edward Feuz Jr, leads this climb. This photograph was part of Canada Post’s Canadian Photographer series, issued April 13, 2016. Mt. Marpole is in Yoho National Park.

Cross River Canoe Trip, 1923 || Until Windermere Highway, now Highway 93, opened, in 1923, Kootenay National Park was deep wilderness. Byron, who had championed this highway, celebrated the occasion with a canoe trip down Kootenay River, of which Cro

Cross River Canoe Trip, 1923 || Until Windermere Highway, now Highway 93, opened, in 1923, Kootenay National Park was deep wilderness. Byron, who had championed this highway, celebrated the occasion with a canoe trip down Kootenay River, of which Cross River is a tributary, in order to photograph staged dramatic scenes with canoes.

Cross River, 1923 || The canoe for this excursion was carried to the Kootenay River on top of the truck seen in Sinclair Canyon, in another image of this collection. This trip was filmed and photographed, including a scene of a capsized canoe.

Cross River, 1923 || The canoe for this excursion was carried to the Kootenay River on top of the truck seen in Sinclair Canyon, in another image of this collection. This trip was filmed and photographed, including a scene of a capsized canoe.

Diver at Chateau Lake Louise, ca 1920 || The diver in this photograph appears to be a woman, but it was suggested to me by my friend and fellow Banffite, Herbie MacAulay, that it was likely his father, Jack MacAulay, who was a champion diver in his y

Diver at Chateau Lake Louise, ca 1920 || The diver in this photograph appears to be a woman, but it was suggested to me by my friend and fellow Banffite, Herbie MacAulay, that it was likely his father, Jack MacAulay, who was a champion diver in his youth.

Gentlemen's Quarters, ACC Camp, 1908 || Alpine Club of Canada Camps were located in remote areas where both men and women slept in canvas wall tents; a large cook tent and wooden picnic tables were communal. All of this had to be transported by horse

Gentlemen's Quarters, ACC Camp, 1908 || Alpine Club of Canada Camps were located in remote areas where both men and women slept in canvas wall tents; a large cook tent and wooden picnic tables were communal. All of this had to be transported by horse to the site of the camp and taken down afterwards.

Helen Breese Walcott at Mt. Assiniboine, with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, 1927 || Helen Breeze Walcott was the daughter of Charles Doolittle Walcott, Secretary [head of] the Smithsonian Institution and a palaeontologist. He had a great

Helen Breese Walcott at Mt. Assiniboine, with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, 1927 || Helen Breeze Walcott was the daughter of Charles Doolittle Walcott, Secretary [head of] the Smithsonian Institution and a palaeontologist. He had a great interest in the Canadian Rockies and attended ACC Camps with his children and was also a founding member of Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies.

Ice Cave in Bow Glacier, 1909 || Ice caves are mysterious caverns which form in glaciers as a result of melting water on the glacier’s surface which erodes tunnels and chasms in the ice.

Ice Cave in Bow Glacier, 1909 || Ice caves are mysterious caverns which form in glaciers as a result of melting water on the glacier’s surface which erodes tunnels and chasms in the ice.

Ike Mills, Mt. Redoubt, 1932 || Ike Mills was a remittance man from England who settled in Banff and established a business which rented out horses in summer and dogsled excursions in winter. He volunteered his veterinary skills in Calgary on occasio

Ike Mills, Mt. Redoubt, 1932 || Ike Mills was a remittance man from England who settled in Banff and established a business which rented out horses in summer and dogsled excursions in winter. He volunteered his veterinary skills in Calgary on occasion.

Lake of the Hanging Glaciers, Conrad Kain on icewall, 1920 || Lake of the Hanging Glaciers is located in the Purcell Mountains in the headwaters of Columbia River. The famous ice wall in this photograph has since melted back to the shore of the lake.

Lake of the Hanging Glaciers, Conrad Kain on icewall, 1920 || Lake of the Hanging Glaciers is located in the Purcell Mountains in the headwaters of Columbia River. The famous ice wall in this photograph has since melted back to the shore of the lake. The lake, which used to be filled with icebergs calved from the overhanging glaciers, now has a few lazy chunks floating on the surface, mute testament to climate warming.

Lewis Freeman's Party, Horsethief (Starbird) Glacier, 1922 || Byron Harmon and Lewis Freeman, an American adventure travel writer and photographer, met at Lake of the Hanging Glaciers in 1920. Freeman was embarking on a commission by Chester-Outing-P

Lewis Freeman's Party, Horsethief (Starbird) Glacier, 1922 || Byron Harmon and Lewis Freeman, an American adventure travel writer and photographer, met at Lake of the Hanging Glaciers in 1920. Freeman was embarking on a commission by Chester-Outing-Pictures to film his descent, with a camera-man, of Columbia River by boat.

Swiss Guides on Asulkan Pass, 1908 || Some of the Swiss Guides, who had been brought to Canada by the CPR to guide guests of its hotels, were located at Glacier House deep in the Selkirk Mountains. The Alpine Club of Canada camp for 1908 was situated

Swiss Guides on Asulkan Pass, 1908 || Some of the Swiss Guides, who had been brought to Canada by the CPR to guide guests of its hotels, were located at Glacier House deep in the Selkirk Mountains. The Alpine Club of Canada camp for 1908 was situated near there and Byron photographed the guides climbing. In 1918 he mounted his own movie expedition to the same location, hiring guides to pose for dramatic climbing shots.

The Alpine Club of Canada at Yoho Glacier, 1909 || As early as 1900 studies were underway to record the rapid melting of Yoho Glacier and other prominent glaciers in the Canadian Rockies. Excursions of the ACC were used to carry out some of this work

The Alpine Club of Canada at Yoho Glacier, 1909 || As early as 1900 studies were underway to record the rapid melting of Yoho Glacier and other prominent glaciers in the Canadian Rockies. Excursions of the ACC were used to carry out some of this work. In 1908 an ACC group crossed the Continental Divide from Yoho Glacier on the west side to Bow Lake on the east side of Waputik Icefield which lays along the Divide.

Trucks Carrying a Canoe Through Sinclair Canyon, Opening of Windermere Highway, 1923 || Through his photography, Byron Harmon actively promoted the creation of Windermere Highway which connects the junction at Castle Mountain west of Banff with the W

Trucks Carrying a Canoe Through Sinclair Canyon, Opening of Windermere Highway, 1923 || Through his photography, Byron Harmon actively promoted the creation of Windermere Highway which connects the junction at Castle Mountain west of Banff with the Windermere and Columbia Valleys in south-western British Columbia. Byron had a small farm in the Windermere Valley, and a campground on Lake Windermere.

The First Alpine Club of Canada Camp, Mrs. Imogene Wheeler, centre, 1906 || The Alpine Club of Canada was the first mountaineering club in the world to welcome women as charter members. They quickly cast aside skirts for the more convenient and safer

The First Alpine Club of Canada Camp, Mrs. Imogene Wheeler, centre, 1906 || The Alpine Club of Canada was the first mountaineering club in the world to welcome women as charter members. They quickly cast aside skirts for the more convenient and safer bloomers, which then gave way to knickers and socks, with protective bandaging of calves, used by men and women.

Aileen Harmon at Mt. Assiniboine, 1934 || The new sport of cross-country skiing was introduced to the Canadian Rockies by Norwegian ski instructor, Erling Strom, who built the first ski lodge in the Canadian Rockies at Mt. Assiniboine in1928. With h

Aileen Harmon at Mt. Assiniboine, 1934 || The new sport of cross-country skiing was introduced to the Canadian Rockies by Norwegian ski instructor, Erling Strom, who built the first ski lodge in the Canadian Rockies at Mt. Assiniboine in1928. With his daughter, Aileen, and Ike Mills with his dog team, Byron travelled to Assiniboine Valley in 1934 to photograph new and old ways of navigating and enjoying a Canadian winter.

Skiers at Skoki, 1932 || Byron didn’t ski, but used dogsleds and snowshoes for winter travel. The three skiers in this photograph are likely Rupert Edwards and Cyril Paris of Banff, and Byron’s son, Lloyd; I don’t know who is who.

Skiers at Skoki, 1932 || Byron didn’t ski, but used dogsleds and snowshoes for winter travel. The three skiers in this photograph are likely Rupert Edwards and Cyril Paris of Banff, and Byron’s son, Lloyd; I don’t know who is who.

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Byron Harmon: Rainbow Mountains / Yellowhead Pass Expedition, 1911