Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
City of Calgary Papers fonds
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Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of records.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
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Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
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Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
25 m of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The City of Calgary / Glenbow Archives Collection is an artificial collection, consisting of records from several different civic departments and offices dating as far back as the 1880s.
Custodial history
The records were repatriated to the City of Calgary Archives in 1992. In 1994 a project was begun to identify records series and to describe the collection in a format consistent with the Rules of Archival Description (RAD).
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records from several different civic departments and offices dating as far back as the 1880s. These are among the earliest records held at the City of Calgary Archives. The collection was created through a unique custodial history: they were retrieved from a garbage truck after The City disposed of them, and were preserved at the Glenbow Archives. Before construction began on the Civic Administration Building in 1960 and 1961, some civic records were stored in one of the City-owned buildings east of City Hall. When the buildings were emptied to prepare for demolition, a City employee observed workers removing old records and throwing them into a garbage truck. The employee phoned the archivist at the Glenbow, Hugh Dempsey. Dr. Dempsey went immediately to the scene, went into the building and looked at the records on the shelf. Most were in Shannon boxes, and they dated back to the 1880s. He asked the foreman to delay the work so he could take a look through the files. The foreman responded that he had no authority to do so, but agreed to let Dr. Dempsey do whatever he wanted while the men went on coffee break. Dr. Dempsey worked as methodically as he could, selecting boxes simply by the label on the side of the box, tossing the ones he selected from the truck onto the ground. The men took a long break, but when they returned they finished loading and drove off to the dump. Dr. Dempsey took everything he saved back to the Glenbow, and this material became known as the City of Calgary Papers. Sue Baptie of the Glenbow Archives processed the records and produced an inventory in 1970. Series I: Consists of City Council Minutes, 1884-1897. Series II: Consists of petitions to the Mayor and Council, 1884-1897. Series III: Consists of financial records, including assessment and taxation records, 1886-1925. Series IV: Consists of the City Solicitor's files, 1905-1928. Series V: Consists of the City Engineer's correspondence, 1924-1930. Series VI: Consists of the City Comptroller's correspondence, 1925-1941. Series VII: Consists of licence Department records, 1906-1951. Series VIII: Consists of building permit ledger, 1907-1913. Series IX: Consists of those records whose provenance could not be clearly identified, as well as single files from various departments of offices that did not warrant being designated a series unto themselves.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Chronological
Language of material
- The material is in English.
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
In accordance with The City of Calgary's policy on Access to Municipal Information, records more than twenty-five years old are available for public use unless otherwise restricted. Records which are less than twenty-five years old are available for public use unless otherwise restricted by legislation. Please see the City of Calgary Archives Policies and Procedures Manual for further infomation regarding access to records.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
An inventory is available at the City of Calgary Archives.
Associated materials
Accruals
No accruals are expected.
General note
The City of Calgary Archives may have reference material which may be associated to the fonds. All textual records are in closed storage. To view records please contact the City of Calgary Archives.<br><br>
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- City of Calgary Papers (Subject)