Description Level

Series

Creator

Vern Decoux, Gini Decoux

Physical Description

Close to 100,000 photographic images, predominantly negatives

History Biographical

Vern (Vernon) Decoux was born January 18, 1920 in Blairmore, Alberta. During WWII, he served in the #13 District as a sergeant instructor and was stationed in Camrose and Calgary. He also served with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (commando rifles). On December 26, 1942, Vern married Florence (nee Taggart) in Hillcrest, Alberta. Vern and Florence had three children, a son Bruce, and 2 daughters, Gini and Susan. Vern was the Crowsnest Pass correspondent with the Lethbridge Herald from 1950 to 1985. He did news stories, took photographs, dealt with circulation, sold advertising, and looked after all of the region’s newspaper carriers. Throughout the years, he was an active member of a variety of clubs and organizations in the Crowsnest Pass. He was a member of the Elks for 48 years, acting as Exalted Ruler with the club for many years. He was also a member of the Lions Club (and received the Melvin Jones Fellow Award), the Knights of Columbus, and the Blairmore Legion. He was also a member of the Alberta Professional Photographers Association. Vern was also a Roman Catholic.

Custodial History

The vast majority of the images were created by Vernon Decoux, donor’s father, in a professional capacity as a photographer and owner of a photographic studio in Blairmore. After Vern’s death in April 2000, the materials were kept in his wife’s residence. In 2015, when Florence Decoux passed away, the materials came into the possession of their son, Bruce Decoux.

Scope and Content

25 "Firstays/Ferstays(?) Snowplow" No Date (1950s) 26 Broken Taillight on Ford Truck/Mercury Pickup in Snow ca. 1952 27 Front End of Fairline ca. 1958 28 Cars Parked Near Lake 1958 29 "Big Truck Coleman Collieries" No Date (1960s) 30 4 Cars Near Body of Water/2 Cars on Gravel Road, Man Walks Beside ca. 1962 31 "Sports Car Rally?" 4 Cars on Side of Road in Front of Small Building 1962 32 Women Getting Into Jaguar / Checking Oil on Sedan/ Checking Engine of Station Wagon 1963 33 Coleman Trucking Company Ltd. Semi-Truck 1964 34 Cars Parked Along Snowy Street 1968 35 Plymouth Sedan Hood and Engine/Man with Chevrolet Hat in Car Lot No Date (1970s?) 36 200 Tonne Truck No Date (1970s?) 37 Towtruck CNP Motors Near Van and Car / Back Hoe in Front of Convenience Store (1970s?) 38 Oversized Dump Truck No Date (1970s?) 39 Vehicles in Residential Area / People in Garage with Vehicle No Date (1970s?) 40 Plymouth Sedan with Damage at Passenger Side No Date (1970s?) 41 Police Cruiser in Field with Debris No Date (1970s?) 42 Oldsmobile Sedan, Man and Woman Each Stand Seperately with Car No Date (1970s?) 43 Bulldozer/Crane Truck 1970 44 Pass Ambulance Service Station Wagon ca. 1971 45 "Cable Vision" Boom Truck with Man Working in Bucket ca. 1975 46 Large Dump Truck and Buldozer 1975 47 "Hayes Truck C.C." 1975 48 Doug Raffan Trucks 1978 49 "Insurance - Cowly Truck"/"M.S." Logging Truck No Date (1980s?) 50 Truck on Street in Front of House/Ford F-150 with Possible Damage ca. 1982 51 Blairmore Fire Department Vintage Engine (Firetruck) 1989 52 Toyata 4 Runner ca. 1990

Accession No.

20151020

Collection

Archive

Less detail