The Provincial Archives of Alberta in Edmonton lists roughly 99,585 audiovisual objects in its collection, a pile that takes in film, video and audio recordings. That’s a whole lot of Alberta, caught in motion and sound. It sits at 8555 Roper Road, and it’s the permanent home for Government of Alberta records, along with material from families, businesses and community groups.
Most people picture old papers. The surprises are in the reels. The archives’ own “Inside the Archives’ vault” series highlights a short film called 1967 in Selling Colour, made by the Swift Canadian Company to kick off a marketing push around the centennial year and the arrival of colour television. It starts in black and white, then bursts into colour. The reel came to the archives from Maple Leaf Foods, which found the records before the old Edmonton meat-packing plant came down.
Nobody thought of it as a masterpiece. It was an ad for a company, and now it’s a time capsule of how people sold things in 1967. Archives are full of accidents like that.
The institution has deep roots, too. Its beginnings trace back to the Provincial Library of 1906, and it became the archives in 1962.
If you enjoyed our look at where to dig into Calgary’s past, add this one to the list. Start with the archives’ online search, ask an archivist what film they hold on your topic, and check reading room hours before you go.
Sources: Provincial Archives of Alberta, About Us; Inside the Archives’ vault, the shift to colour; Wikipedia, Provincial Archives of Alberta.
From film censors to film ratings, how far Alberta has come pairs nicely with this one, and How Railway Films and Byron Harmon Sold the Rockies is close behind.
Keep going with How Calgary Film Permits and the Calgary Film Commission Work and Cinematheque Calgary Gives Film Fans a Place to Gather.
Quick answers
The Provincial Archives of Alberta are in Edmonton at 8555 Roper Road. The site is the permanent home for Government of Alberta records, along with material from families, businesses and community groups. Its beginnings trace back to the Provincial Library of 1906, and it became the archives in 1962.
The archives list roughly 99,585 audiovisual objects in their collection, a number that takes in film, video and audio recordings. Alberta researchers can start with the archives’ online search and ask an archivist what film they hold on a topic.
It is a short film made by the Swift Canadian Company to kick off a marketing push around the centennial year and the arrival of colour television. It starts in black and white, then bursts into colour. The reel came to the archives from Maple Leaf Foods.
