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

182 Groups of 7 Men Amongst Rocks/Group of Men Near Smoldering Houses After Slide 1903 183 Murder Scene (Car in Woods - Not Graphic) No Date (1910/1920s?) 184 Coleman East End Flooding May 31 1923 185 Flood in Coleman May-23 186 2 Damaged Cars Infront of Bellevue Garage, J. H. Green Before 1925 187 2 Vehicle Accident - Head On Collision (Victims Visible)/Single Vehicle Rollover No Date (1940s/1950s?) 188 Lunbreck Fire (After)/Mr. Hubernoff No Date (1940s/1950s) 189 Bellevue Café Fire No Date (1950s?) 190 Possible Landslide - Truck on Road From Bellevue Transfers No Date (1950s?) 191 Train Derailment No Date (1950s?) 192 Large Building/Aftermath of Fire No Date (1950s?) 193 Various Buildings Covered in Ice and Snow No Date (1950s?) 194 Highwater Levels in River No Date (1950s?) 195 Fire at Service Station - Garage/White Rose No Date (1950s?) 196 12 Individual Single Car Accidents - Some Have Prints - Three Have No Negatives - Only 1 Identified: "Hill's Car and Snoychuk's Truck Accident February 10, 1950 No Date (1950s?) 197 No Location - Flood No Date (1950s?) 198 Scheurman Accident No Date (1950s?) 199 Snow Accumulation on Houses/Two Small Children Infront of Snowbanks No Date (1950s?) 200 Bellevue Fire No Date (1950s) 201 Industrial Fire No Date (1950s) 202 Truck and Train Accident - At Least 2 Cars of Train Derailed at Natal/Single Car Roll Over at Hillcrest Tracks No Date (1950s) 203 Lumber Truck Stuck in Snow Along Side Road No Date (1950s) 204 Fire - Celli's Building Supplies No Date (1950s) 205 Interior Fire Damage - Possibly Store With Apartment? No Date (1950s) 206 Truck Jacknife at Burmis No Date (1950s) 207 Single Vehicle Rollover No Date (1950s) 208 4 Car Accidents: Train-Car Accident - McEwan or McEwon?/Single Vehicle in Rocky Debris/Single Vehicle Moved to Garage/Single Vehicle - Side of Road No Date (1950s) 209 6 Car Accidents: Canada Dry Tractor Trailer and Car/2 Car Collision Marked Iria Calder/Truck Rollover in Winter/Single Car in River/Car Accident From Afar/Single Vehicle Rollover No Date (1950s) 210 Single Car Accident - High River/Single Car Accident - Possible Fire Damage/Single Truck in Ditch - "L. Tcherner, Lethbridge" 1-May-50 211 Brazzoni(?) Fatality ca. 1956 212 Car and Skid Marks on Roadway - Possibly Pedestrian Hit - No Visible Damage to Car But Some Debris on Road Infront of Car ca. 1956 213 "Prarie Pacific Transport Ltd." Truck With Extensive Front Passenger Damage ca. 1956 214 Frozen Man Coleman ca. 1956 215 Flatened Building/Venier Garage Fire 1956 216 Accident Station Wagon and Load Props Burmis - Station Wagon (Plated 1958) Rear-Ended - Lumber Truck (RJ Ranch, Wilmer, B.C.) ca. 1958 217 Collapsed Foot Bridge Over Small Stream ca. 1958 218 Chas Vidikovic Accident ca. 1959 219 "S. Molanchuk Shovel Death" Excavator Accident No Date (1960s?) 220 2 Damaged Cars - 2 Accidents - 1 Vehicle Has Very Little Damage - 2nd Vehicle Has Extensive Front End Damage - Skid Marks on Roadway No Date (1960s?) 221 Effects of Fire in an Automotive Repair Shop - Fire Seems to Have Been in Paris Room No Date (1960s?) 222 Collapsed Houses No Date (1960s?) 223 Slight Derailment - 2 Cars of Train Off Track No Date (1960s?) 224 Car Accident at Crowsnest Lake No Date (1960s?) 225 Remnants of What Appears to be Small Firs in a Store Room (of a Grocery Store?)? No Date (1960s?) 226 Person in Stretcher - Many Others (All Wearing Army Helmets) Work on Stretcher No Date (1960s?) 227 3 People in Stretchers With Doctor, Nun, and 2 Nurses (Triage? Practice For 1st Aid?)/Woman in Hospital Bed - 2 Nurses No Date (1960s?) 228 "Jack Diskin Train Accident" - Coleman Trucking Company Truck Hit at Coleman Collieries Private Rail Crossing No Date (1960s?) 229 Two Car Accidents: J. Head Accident/Car Crash Into Pole at Franks No Date (1960s?) 230 Trailer Overturned No Date (1960s?) 231 5 Men Outside Shack - Winter Smoke Billows Out/Same Shack Engulfed in Smoke No Date (1960s?) 232 2 Cars - Head on - In Ditch - Extensive Driver's Side Damage/Pontiac with Front End Damage No Date (1960s?) 233 Transport Truck Cab Crashed Thru Corner of House/Maybe "Shirley's Truck and Berlotti House" No Date (1960s?) 234 2 Car Accident: One Car is Still on Roadway - 2nd Car is in Ditch - Winter/Single Vehicle Accident: Car Hit a Gas Station Pump - Pump is Knocked Over and Broken ca. 1960 235 4 Car Accidents: Single Vehicle Rollover - Dodge Sedan/Single Vehicle Rollover Stands in Background/Single Vehicle Car in Ditch - Outside Door Panel Missing/Head on Accident - Sedan and Station Wagon ca. 1960 236 Lumber Truck Slid Down Slight Embarkment Into House - Interior Damage Shots as Well/Transfer Truck Rollover Near Houses/May include: "Truck Over By Greens" 1960 237 Huntley Train Accident - Car T-Boned by Train 1960 238 Mrs. Grena Accident/Pedestrian Fatality - Images of Woman Face Down in Snowy Street and of Her Autopsy/Images of a Car - Copies - Appears to Have Hood Damage Jan-60 239 Two Vehicle Collision Bin Foster's Transport Tanker Truck and Magcobar Complete Drilling Mud Service Car (Plated 1960) 1960 240 3 Car Accidents - May Include: Japanese Accident Coleman/Horeisi(?) Car Accident 1961 241 Appliance Fire - Appears to be Fridge ca. 1961 242 Tractor Over at Railroad Crossing - Robinson Stores and M. Kubik Groceries in Background 1961 243 Single Car Roll Over ca. 1962 244 Accident With Jeep, Coleman - Single Vehicle/July 1st Accident at Green's Corner - Car and Tractor Trailer/Car With Extensive Roof Damage - Parked Outside Home 1962 245 Car Chase and Crash/Car Tracks R.C.M.P. 1962 246 Pedestrian (Man) Struck by Car - Possibly "Mr. Gosse Death" - Accident Occurred Infront of: Gray's Drugs, Trono's Jewellers, F. M. Thompson Co. 1962 247 Pedestrian (Man) Struck by Car - Possibly "Mr. Gosse Death" - Accident Occurred Infront of: Gray's Drugs, Trono's Jewellers, F. M. Thompson Co. 1962 248 4 Car Accidents - One Car Plated 1962 and the Other 1965 - Not Visible on 2 Others No Date (1962-1965) 249 2 Cars With Front End Damage - May Be Same Accident or Unrelated - One Car Appears to Have Been used by the Fire Dept. Chief ca. 1963 250 Car Accident - Car Plated 1964 in B.C. - Road Signs Indicate Accident near Frank, AB 1964? 251 Wind Damage at Lumber Mill ca. 1964 252 Bulldozers Cleaning Up Landslide on Railroad Tracks ca. 1964 253 Empire Hotel Fire/Fire at Texaco/May Include: Sartois Fire ca. 1964 254 2 Separate Single Car Accidents: Rollover Near House/Car With Front End Damage at Texaco Garage ca. 1965 255 Car Rolled Over Onto Its Side ca. 1966 256 Brick House at Frank/Old Home - Graffiti From ISHS 1967 Grads (Before and During Fire) ca. 1967 257 R.C.M.P. Patrol Car and Volkswagom Beetle - Head on Collision 1967 258 Slide at Natal No Date (1968?) 259 2 Car Accidents: Bruce's Accident in Coleman/Alex Rae Accident Volkswagon 1968 260 Single Vehicle Roll Over ca. 1969 261 Wind Damage - House Trailer Off Foundation - Car port Collapsed Onto Car - Random Debris - Gas Station - Sign Knocked Down and Broken No Date (1970s?) 262 Logging Truck Rolled on Side Beyond Ditch No Date (1970s?) 263 Ford Pickup With Front End Damage - Accident Debris on Road - Near Hospital (3km From Coleman and 68km From Fernie) No Date (1970s?) 264 Transport Truck (Bob Perrett Enterprise Ltd.) Stuck in Snow Ditch/Pile of Debris/Car Partially in Ditch No Date (1970s?) 265 Appears to be Remains of Remains of Building After a Fire No Date (1970s?) 267 Burning Rubble - Unidentified Building Member of Coleman Volunteer Fire Brigade in Foreground No Date (1970s?) 268 Car Carrier Transport With Extensive Front End Damage/ Wheels, Axel and Debris at Guard Rail No Date (1970s?) 269 Trucking Accident - J and C Trucking - CV/VC Transport Ltd. No Date (1970s?) 270 Helicopter Accidents No Date (1970s?) 271 Train Derailment - Some Cars in Water No Date (1970s?) 272 Tractor Trailer Rollover and Fire No Date (1970s?) 273 Union Hall Coleman Suicide - Man Committed Suicide with Hunting Rifle No Date (1970s?) 274 Single Vehicle Rollover in Rocks No Date (1970s?) 275 Puralator Wan With Extensive Front End Damage No Date (1970s) 276 "McKay Accident" - 2 Car Accident No Date (1970s) 277 House Fire - May Still be Active, But Appears to be Under Control No Date (1970s) 278 Fire at Sawmill No Date (1970s) 279 Ford Ranger on its Roof - Very Little Other Damage Visible No Date (1970s) 280 Motorcycle Fire at Shell Gas Station - Smoke From Afar and Burnt Remains of Motorcycle - Some Damage to Gas Pumps (Minor Damage) No Date (1970s) 281 Blairmore Drug Store Fire 1970 282 Fire at Imperial Esso Service Station 1970 283 "Truck Accident Blairmore" - Winter - Transport in Ditch ca. 1971 284 "CPR Train Off Track" - Winter - Locomotive Only ca. 1971 285 Remains of House Fire - Two Men Walk Around Debris ca. 1971 286 Police Officer in Field With Small Debris Field ca. 1972 287 Car and Train Accident 1973 288 3 Cars Damaged in Accidents - Roadway Following a Car Accident 1973 289 3 Damaged Vehicle: Car in Winter/Pick Up Truck/Car in Junk Lot 1974 290 Station Wagon in Ditch - Damage to Rear Wheel Well Passenger Side/Plymouth 2 Door With Damage to Drivers Side Front Wheel Well - Rear of Car is Partially in a House (Which May be Under Renovation) ca. 1975 291 Transport Truck in Ditch - Winter - "R. I. Letson, Weatherford, Texas" on Cab of Truck ca. 1975 292 Lumber Truck Roll Over ca. 1975 293 Remains of Fire - Other Buildings, people, and Mountain Visible/Houses Knocked Off Foundations No Date

Accession No.

20151020

Collection

Archive

Less detail