Rockies Exploration, 1884 - 1908

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… Monday June 30,
A day to rave over. Pure cool refreshing air with a slight western breeze and floods of unoppressive sunshine, here on top the Selkirks. Glorious snowy ranges (Rockies & Kootanies or Coast Range) in full sight. Rolling surface here covered with moss or Alpine plants just starting, or else bare stretches of powdered slate, easy to walk over, all interspersed with ponds, meadows & streams with a few scrubby evergreens. It is worth all the laborious journey up….

Notebook 5, 1884, [page 127]

Between 1884 and 1908 Coleman made eight trips of discovery to the Canadian Rockies. He reported on these in many journals and in his 1911 book, The Canadian Rockies: New & Old Trails.

The Victoria University Library Collection contains the field notebooks of Coleman's Rockies trips. These are fascinating records of his geological observations and include detailed reporting of encounters with prospectors, indigenous peoples, descriptions of flora and fauna as well as discussions of weather conditions. All these subjects are made clear and enhanced by beautiful, succinctly sketched and painted scenes and drawings.

Drawing / Illustration. A.P. Coleman. "Up the Brazeau from Camp 16," in Sketchbook 1a 1892

Photograph. Camp in the Foothills, Red Deer River. n.d. ROM Archives. A.P. Coleman Collection. (Coleman is seated in the middle by the fire.)

Watercolour. A.P. Coleman. Head of Brazeau River. n.d.

Watercolour. A.P. Coleman. Foothills, Alberta. n.d.

Watercolour. A.P. Coleman. Columbia River, Robson B.C. 1920.

Watercolour. A.P. Coleman. View from Mount Whymper : S499. n.d.

Artifact. Paul Wilson. Telescopic Alidade. on Tripod with Plane Table. ROM Department of Natural History

Artifact. Paul Wilson. Telescopic Alidade. on Tripod with Plane Table (close up). ROM Department of Natural History