Collection MG 402 - H.D. "Howdy" McPhail Photograph Collection

Zone du titre et de la mention de responsabilité

Titre propre

H.D. "Howdy" McPhail Photograph Collection

Dénomination générale des documents

Titre parallèle

Compléments du titre

Mentions de responsabilité du titre

Notes du titre

Niveau de description

Collection

Cote

MG 402

Zone de l'édition

Mention d'édition

Mentions de responsabilité relatives à l'édition

Zone des précisions relatives à la catégorie de documents

Mention d'échelle (cartographique)

Mention de projection (cartographique)

Mention des coordonnées (cartographiques)

Mention d'échelle (architecturale)

Juridiction responsable et dénomination (philatélique)

Zone des dates de production

Date(s)

  • 1949-1973 (inclusive) ; 1955-1960 (predominant) (Production)

Zone de description matérielle

Description matérielle

8,478 b&w negatives
760 colour negatives
9 colour slides
0.52 m textual and photographic records

Zone de la collection

Titre propre de la collection

Titres parallèles de la collection

Compléments du titre de la collection

Mention de responsabilité relative à la collection

Numérotation à l'intérieur de la collection

Note sur la collection

Zone de la description archivistique

Nom du producteur

(1915-2001)

Notice biographique

Hugh Duncan (“Howdy”) McPhail was born 14 March 1915 near Bankend, Saskatchewan. His early schooling was in Prince Albert, and in 1934 he won a hockey scholarship to Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He attended the University of Saskatchewan from 1938-1942, graduating with a BSc in agricultural economics. Just over a week after writing his final exams, Howdy enlisted in the air force, learning how to fly in a de Havilland Tiger Moth at the Prince Albert Elementary Flying Training School. He served throughout the war, surviving a bail-out over Sweden and flying 28 missions. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “his unselfishness, splendid record, and high degree of courage…”. Initially a Sask Wheat Pool field man, Howdy established McPhail Airways in North Battleford (later, McPhail Air Services Ltd.) in 1952. During the spring and summer he sprayed crops; offered flying lessons; and began taking aerial photographs of farms and towns throughout the West and extending into BC, Ontario, and the United States. Farm photographs were ordered by the farm owners, often as small prints and in some cases, hand-tinted (a young Allan Sapp was one of the people hired to do this). Products were later expanded to include greeting cards and for images of towns, postcards and calendars. By 1962 he effectively stopped his aerial photography. He continued to operate McPhail Air Services until 1981. He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995; into the Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1999; and a park in North Battleford was named in his honour. Howdy died in March 2001. [Source: Bill Waiser, Portraits of an Era).

Historique de la conservation

Portée et contenu

This collection includes Howdy McPhail’s aerial photographs, predominantly of individual farms and views of towns and cities. Some images are of specific landmarks, scenic views, or fauna. All images are identified and a majority are dated. A second accrual contains examples of printed calendars and postcards that were sold by McPhail, as well as some correspondence and other business documentation. Images used in an exhibition curated by Helen Marzolf were added in 2018. Further accruals of correspondence, order forms, negatives and prints were interfiled in Series B.

Zone des notes

État de conservation

Source immédiate d'acquisition

Donated to the University Archives and Special Collections by Hugh McPhail.

Classement

The collection has largely been left in the organization provided at the time of donation. Series A contains the majority of original images; these have been divided into “Town” and “Farm” images; with each type further roughly divided by date or other distinguishing feature. Researchers should be aware of the number of A-Z lists, often roughly organized together by date. Other features may also be identified throughout the images: for example, siding images, large format negatives, and Images of individuals, airplanes, threshing or crop spraying, specific industries or events (for example, forest or prairie fires) may also be found within the “Town” lists. The “show” materials listed in “Farm 7” likely refer to images selected for possible use in a University of Saskatchewan Kenderdine Art Gallery show, and a Dunlop Gallery show, both of which incorporated McPhail’s photographs (see Series C). Note the four hand-drawn grid maps included in the “show” subseries. Materials relating to the business – promotional items, receipts, etc. – may be found in series B; and series C contains images used in exhibitions. Further accruals of correspondence, order forms, negatives and prints were interfiled in Series B.

Series A: Images [2010-032]

  1. Towns
  2. Farms
    Series B: Business Records [2011-089, 2020-047, 2022-014]:
  3. Calendars
  4. Postcards
    a. Large Postcards
    b. Small Postcards
    c. Postcards with Notes
  5. Photographs (prints)
  6. Negatives
    a. Aerials
    b. personal Negatives
  7. Receipts/Orders (with photos)
  8. Correspondence
  9. Business Records
    a. Photo lists
    b. Notebooks
    c. Receipt Books (examples)
    d. Clip Board with notes and sketches.
    e. Photography Paraphernalia
    f. Dexter
  10. Misc.
    a. “Documentation”
    b. North Battleford
    Series C: Materials relating to exhibitions [2018-215]

Langue des documents

Écriture des documents

Localisation des originaux

Disponibilité d'autres formats

Restrictions d'accès

There are no restrictions.

Délais d'utilisation, de reproduction et de publication

Copyright has been transferred to the University of Saskatchewan. Images will enter the public domain in 2052.

Instruments de recherche

A finding aid is available.

Instrument de recherche téléversé

Éléments associés

Éléments associés

Accruals

Further accruals are expected.

Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)

Zone du numéro normalisé

Numéro normalisé

Mots-clés

Mots-clés - Lieux

Mots-clés - Noms

Zone du contrôle

Accession area