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

75 Roadway - Possibly Thru Frank, AB No Date 76 Unidentified No Date 77 Views of Bluff Mountain, Turtle Mountain and Slide, Crowsnest Falls, Pincher Creek Main Street No Date 78 Copied for Irene Mole No Date 79 4 Winter Scenes No Date 80 Cows in Field No Date 81 Country Road No Date 82 River, Train Tracks Along River No Date 83 Tree at Burmis No Date 84 Rockslide at Frank No Date 85 Crowsnest Mountain Vehicle on Road Near River/Town with Mountain (Possibly Frank?)/Mountain in Distance No Date 86 Tree Stump (Almost Like an Elephant at the Right Angle) No Date 87 Lundbreck Falls, Winter and Spring No Date 88 Town of Frank and Slide From Afar/Slide in Winter as Well No Date 89 Mountains No Date 90 Mountains No Date 91 Water and Mountains No Date 92 Trees and Mountains No Date 93 Crowsnest Mountain No Date 94 "Turtle Mountain Before the Slide" Houses Visible in Foreground No Date 95 Cloud Formations Bin Mountains, Town Visible/Ice on Lake /Mountains (1940s/1950s) 96 Narrow Road Thru Rock Debris No Date (1950s?) 97 Mountains and Rivers No Date (1950s?) 98 Crowsnest Mountain No Date (1950s) 99 Rivers and Mountains No Date (1960s?) 100 "Swans at Cowley"/"Duks in Ash Box" No Date (1960s?) 101 Mountains No Date (1960s?) 102 River at Frank and Coleman No Date (1960s?) 103 Aerial Photos No Date (1960s?) 104 Wetland No Date (1960s?) 105 Country Road No Date (1960s?) 106 Boys Basketball Game No Date (1960s?) 107 Country Roads 1962 108 "Swinging Bridge Before Highway" No Date (1970s?) 109 People Fishing in River No Date (1970s?) 110 Mountains and One Building No Date (1970s?) 111 Mountains/Mountains and Barns No Date (1970s?) 112 Lake in Mountains/Sign About Crowsnest Pass and History of Passage Thru Mountains/Man with Sign "Crowsnest Pass Summit Elevation 4580 ft. Continental Divide" No Date (1970s?) 113 Lundbreck Falls No Date (1970s?) 114 Lundbreck Falls 1970s 115 Waterton Lakes 1970s 116 3 Images of Crowsnest Mountain: Across Snowy Field, with Roadway in Front, and with River in Foreground/River and Road Near Blairmore (Possibly "Old Highway Approach East Blairmore")/"Frank Slide From Pipeline" ca. 1971 117 Crowsnest Mountain 1973 118 "Aerial Photos of Pass" 1973 119 Landscapes 1973 120 River Banks Littered with Debris ca. 1975 121 Waterfall Near Crowsnest Lake ca. 1975 122 Landscapes No Date (1980s?) 123 Large Tree/Woman Lening on Car, Flashing Camera 1987 124 Sheep at Crows Nest Lake 1988 125 "Crowsnest Lake for Town" 1990

Accession No.

20151020

Collection

Archive

Less detail